High-Efficiency Cogeneration Guarantees of Origin

The Energy Efficiency Directive includes harmonised definitions, Guarantees of Origin, access to electricity grids, identification and elimination of administrative barriers, the possibility of support systems for High-Efficiency Cogeneration of heat and power (HEC), and the analysis of the national potential in Member States and statistical requirements. For Cogeneration of Heat and Power (CHP) to be sufficiently more efficient than the separate yielding of the same quantity of heat and power with reference technology, the Energy Efficiency Directive contains a criterion, which in EECS is called the HEC Criterion, setting a minimum amount of Primary Energy Savings. Only if this criterion is met, GOs from CHP can be called HEC GOs. 

Preamble (39), Article 14 and annexes 2 and 10 of the Cogeneration Directive contain the major provisions relating to HEC GOs. These require Member States to put in place a system of GOs for highly-efficient cogeneration electricity. Member States must administer the system either themselves, or by appointing bodies independent of generation and distribution.

Similar to GOs for renewables, HEC GOs must be reliable, accurate, transparent, fraud-resistant and recognised by all Member States. In addition to the general requirements of GOs (which are slightly less detailed than for renewables), high-efficiency cogeneration GOs must also declare the lower caloric value of the fuel source for the electricity, specify the use of combined heat production, quantify the electricity and specify primary energy savings.

The AIB has worked with stakeholders to reach an agreed interpretation of the Energy Efficiency Directive and developed a calculation model for its members for calculating parts of the information on High-Efficiency Cogeneration GOs..