Formation 1998-12-08 | ||
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Purpose Certifiing green energy sources or production Location Schumannstr. 35, 53113 Bonn Board of directors Rosa Hemmers (Stellvertreter: Werner Neumann, BUND; Dietmar Oeliger, NABU) | ||
The Gruener Strom Label association (the “Grüner Strom Label e.V." or "GSL e.V.“) certifies green energy sources or production. The Bonn based association was founded at the initiative of EUROSOLAR in December 1998. The GSL e.V. issues two seals of approval – one, named Grüner Strom, introduced in 1999, is granted for green electricity, and the other, named Grünes Gas, introduced in 2013, is granted for biogas. By 1999, Grüner Strom was the first certification for electricity from green power sources in Germany.Grüner Strom and Grünes Gas are the only seals of approval in Germany, indicating endorsement by leading environmental organizations. The goal of products recommended by certification is to increase transparency in the green electricity and biogas markets and to advance ecologically sustainable energy supply.
Contents
Supporters
The Grüner Strom Label e. V. indicates support and endorsement by the following organizations:
Grüner Strom: The Seal of Approval for Green Electricity
Meeting the following essential requirements of the Criteria List is a prerequisite for certification:
The funding amounts are mostly used to make financial contributions or to co-finance new green power generating plants that are eligible for support pursuant to the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) at the same time. But they are used for power plants generating electricity for direct sale and distribution as well. Also the funds can partly go to installations abroad and to energy efficiency measures and projects, including citizen energy projects, which are spurring the transformation of the energy system and the associated infrastructure. Electricity providers must report about the projects supported by certification on the Internet. In addition, successfully completed projects are listed on the GSL e.V. website. Over 70 power supply companies offer green electricity certified to the Grüner Strom criteria. The Grüner Strom certification is granted for products. The GSL e.V., thereby, recommends individual electricity product options by certification.
Data
Figure 1: Amount of Grüner Strom Certified Green Electricity Sold Since 1999:
Source: The Grüner Strom Label e. V., 11/2016
Electricity providers have invested over 30 million euros from their products recommended by the Grüner Strom certification since inception of the program through 2013 (see figure 2).
Figure 2: Overview of Investments Since 1999
(*) The annual total investments are not fully validated yet because the certification is not yet completed. Note: The invested amounts vary because the funds can be invested during a two-years time period. Source: The Grüner Strom Label e. V., May/2016.
Up to now, thanks to the Grüner Strom certification model, over 1,000 new electricity-generating plants have been initiated. They cover all sources of renewable energy. In 2013 for example, about 2.5 million euros have been made available, some 80 % of which for renewable electricity generating plants (see table 1).
Table 1: Funded Projects In 2013*
* Because some Grüner Strom label users still are in the certification process the values shown are preliminary 2013 data. In all likelihood, the final data will be higher.
** Most of the projects listed in the category “development cooperation“ are RE plants all the same. They are allocated to this category because they were installed in developing and transitional countries.
Grünes Gas: The Seal of Approval for Biogas
The Grünes Gas certification was launched in June 2013. The seal is awarded for gas products when the production, use and distribution of the biogas meet the requirements as set out in the Criteria List. These include for example:
Conformity of suppliers and providers, producers and power supply companies is verified based on rating system credit points. Currently, Grünes Gas is the only seal of approval for biogas indicating endorsement by environmental organizations, including consumer information groups.
Data
Three biogas products have achieved the Grünes Gas certification since January 1,2014. Preliminary estimates suggest that some 12,500 consumers bought biogas, which was certified to the Grünes Gas standards. Gas sales were estimated at 120,200 MWh. Based on the annual average of total sales 14 % of the gas sales was biogas, i.e. the equivalent of some 16,830 MWh.