Residual Mix Webinar March 2020

Watch here the recording of the residual mix webinar

The residual mix calculation methodology for electricity was developed in the Reliable Disclosure Systems for Europe (RE-DISS) projects 1 and 2 during 2010-2015. The RE-DISS projects were funded by the Intelligent Energy Europe programme. The RE-DISS methodology was refined in 2019 with a transition to a so-called Issuing-Based Method (instead of the Transaction Based Method used earlier). This transition was already recommended in the final report of the RE-DISS project when the GO system and its statistical reporting had evolved to a suitable maturity.

An updated residual mix calculation methodology adds value and efficiency, on condition that it is widely endorsed by disclosure Competent Bodies across Europe. This methodology  focuses on electricity, as it is currently the only energy carrier for which there is an EU regulated energy origin disclosure system. The current residual mix calculation methodology for electricity may be found here.

The main difference between the Issuance-Based and Transaction-Based Methods is that the former bases the number of attributes in the residual mix on issued and expired GOs, whereas the latter basis them on net exports/imports and cancellations. The former is easier to understand and avoids some of the shortcomings of the Transaction-Based Method such as occasional “negative RES balances” and the interference of international trading. Generally speaking, however, the two methodologies are remarkably similar. The updated residual mix calculation methodology and the arguments for using it, are available in this document.

AIB members, competent authorities for electricity disclosure, as well as other relevant stakeholder have been invited to comment the new methodology in two occasions. First in an AIB internal commenting round in December 2019, and secondly in a wider FaStGO consultation. This FaStGO consultation consisted of publication and sharing by e-mail with relevant stakeholders, and a webinar (on 10th March 2020) organised by the FaStGO project team, which was open for a wider audience. Competent bodies responsible for electricity disclosure supervision were specifically targeted, and they  comprised a significant share of the webinar audience.

These consultations supported the amendment of the residual mix calculation to move to the issuance-based methodology. The consultation also led to the adjustment of the residual mix delivery deadline of the initial draft update for the methodology.  As a result of this confirmation of the updated RM methodology, it was immediately applied for the calculations in spring 2020 and applied to the calculation of the 2019 residual mix for electricity.