What are White Certificates?
White Certificates, also called Energy Efficiency Certificates or more simply TEE, are negotiable titles that certify the energy savings of a company obtained through interventions to improve the energy efficiency of their production facilities.
The White Certificates system, which came into force in 2017, served to plan a primary energy saving regime for natural gas and electricity distributors with more than 50,000 end customers. The program provides that from 2017 to 2020, companies that fall within the parameters established by the legislation must achieve the objectives set for energy savings by two means, namely by designing internal projects or by purchasing securities from other parties, including certified ESCOs or users who have appointed a certified EGE.
The initial plan provided for the issue of a White Certificate of varying durability for each Tonne of Oil Equivalent (TEP) saved thanks to energy efficiency measures, which could be exchanged through private agreements or the Energy Markets Manager.
The corrective decree on White Certificates
On July 11, 2018, the corrective decree of May 10, 2018, concerning White Certificates came into force. The changes to the text approved in January 2017 mainly concern the concept of baseline, the issue of certificates by the GSE, the creation of new projects and some tariff contributions, and were necessary to stabilize the price trend of White Certificates.
As for the baseline concept, it has been redefined as "[...] The value of consumption prior to the implementation of the energy efficiency project". If there were no energy consumption values prior to the intervention, as in the case of a new plant, the baseline consumption would be equal to the reference consumption.
Speaking instead of the issue of new White Certificates by the GSE, the new legislation states that the institution has the ability to issue certificates not resulting from the creation and implementation of energy efficiency projects on the specific request of some subjects. However, there is an obligation regarding their unit value, which is determined by the difference between 260 euros and the value of the final tariff contribution for the year of obligation; this difference may not exceed 15 €. Moreover, this particular type of White Certificate is subject to many limitations, including the impossibility of requesting tariff contributions.
The new text approved in May, moreover, opens the door to 30 new types of interventions eligible under the energy saving plan and determines a change in the years of useful life granted to replacement interventions and to those of installation. Not only that, but new forms have also been approved for the Standardized Projects, which become 8.
Finally, the new Ministerial Decree establishes that, as from 1 June 2018, the contribution granted to those obliged to work on their production plants may not exceed 250€/TEE.
Renovis, ESCO certified UNI CEI 11352, is responsible for creating plans to improve the energy efficiency of industrial plants. Contact us, we will be happy to provide you with complete advice and identify the best solutions for your company.
