Electricity ‘mixing’ scheme launched to help businesses meet CO2 targets

The package – known as Carbon Certified Electricity – enables businesses to buy electricity at a pre-selected carbon intensity in order to meet CO2 emission targets. This is achieved by ‘mixing’ electricity from both environmentally-friendly and conventional sources in order to reduce the costs of switching to greener supplies.

“The response from business has been very good,” Greenergy Carbon Partners’ Marketing Manager, Charlie Snell, told edie. “CO2 is the hot environmental issue and this is an easy way to help companies assess their targets. So far, we are targeting mostly bigger companies such as energy intensive industries and companies with high profile consumer brands, but all sizes of business could take advantage of the scheme.”

Snell believes that subscribers could end up turning a profit. “While this is an electricity product and therefore has to be paid for, we think companies could potentially save money on it if they manage to reduce their CO2 emissions. They could then enter carbon emissions trading schemes and sell their credits.”

Companies that subscribe to the scheme will be able to draw from a pool of nearly 50 types of electricity. They can choose from low carbon footprint renewable sources, such as wind and solar, medium sources, for example gas, and the most polluting sources, such as coal and oil. The electricity is then ‘blended’ to meet the customers’ particular financial and CO2 reduction requirements.

The scheme allows CO2 emissions to be certified on a grams per kWh, tonnes per month or per year basis. The certification of emissions means that an accurate statement can be made on the amount of CO2 emitted and reductions achieved.

Greenergy’s chairman, Andrew Owens, believes that 90% of businesses’ electricity will continue to come from conventional sources over the next decade. But, he points out, there is as large a range of carbon intensities between conventional sources as there is between conventional and renewable sources. “As a consequence, it’s vital to integrate both conventional and renewable energy sources into business carbon management plans,” says Owens.