What is RECS?

RECS is a system for approval of renewable power production and issuing, trade and cancellation of certificates for renewable energy. The trading of certificates represents a possibility to sell/buy the environmental advantages given by renewable energy, regardless of where the actual production takes place, hence certificates does not follow a physical delivery, but is independent of the localization of physical production.

The electricity is traded through the organized markets, while the producers of renewable energy receive an income gained through the trading of certificates. Certificates are traded through a European open market, where the fundamentals for issuing and trade of certificates are harmonized. A consumer in one European country can buy certificates produced in another country, and disclose their consumption of electricity as renewable energy. After the electricity of that certificate is consumed it is cancelled and can only be used as documentation for legal authorities or marketing purposes, (as a proof of consumption of renewable energy).

Statnett's role

Statnett is the issuing body in Norway. RECS CMO is the certificate system used in Norway. Statnett is also responsible for creating and updating the Domain Protocol for Norway (which is the regulation document for RECS in Norway) and participate in the Association of Issuing Bodies (AIB) in Europe.

How to become a RECS member?

Statnett would like to encourage interested parties to contact us for further information. It is recommended to read the Domain Protocol for Norway, as well as the EECS PRO (see links to the right), as these documents are the regulating documents for Norwegian RECS members. The description below is a brief overview of the process of becoming a Norwegian RECS member.

The producer/trader/portfolio manager, process of becoming a member:

Contact Statnett to become a Norwegian RECS member. The requirements for becoming a Norwegian member are that the company is already an international member, and that the company fulfils the requirements in Domain Protocol for Norway and  EECS PRO.

For all parties you will have to:

• Sign an STC (Standard Terms and Conditions), to be compliant to the Norwegian Domain Protocol
• Send us financial statments/annual report of the company 
• Pay the annual membership fee

Lastly Statnett will send user name/password for RECS CMO account.

For members registering production devices for RECS:

• Applicant must contact a production auditor, NVE
• Provide a Renewable Energy Declaration (RED) (see link to the right), which is a specification of relevant data on the production device. The RED must be verified by the verification company, making use of the checklist found in annex 2 in the Norwegian RECS Protocol.
• The RED information must also be entered by the applicant electronically in the RECS CMO application. 
• When the new PD is approved, Statnett can start issuing certificates.
• Issuing will be done the second week after the week of production, in order to ensure that there has not been any claims that the balance settlement data are incorrect. No corrections will be done to the balance settlement after the number of days given for claims in the Balance Agreement.

Fees (2011)

Annual member fee to Statnett: NOK 15 000
Transaction fee to Statnett: 0,04 kr per first-time transaction of the certificate