How can you get a company green certificate?

In Spain, issues like climate change, green energy and renewable sources are commonly spoken about. A number of surveys and social studies show there is a clear interest in knowing about the different sources of energy generation, and the measures that can be taken to curb the resulting impact.

This can be seen in a Survey on the Social Perception of Science and Technology made in 2022: Almost 80% of people in Spain feel that climate change is a serious or a very serious problem. Of this 80%, about 65% believe that it is the result human activity. This has led many people consider contracting different sustainable alternatives for your business.

Motivated by their concern and in search of collective information, companies in Spain are opting for the green energy certificate to be able to guarantee their customers, as well as their suppliers and shareholders, that they are only using energy from environmentally friendly sources. But this means they need to comply with a series of requirements and procedures.

Which companies are able to contract green energy in Spain?

They can all ask their electricity retailer to supply them exclusively with green energy. In Spain there is an official system managed by the Spanish Markets and Competition Commission (CNMC), an independent public body subject to parliamentary control, which guarantees companies and consumers of electricity that what they consume comes exclusively from what is called "green energy".

How to request the supply of green energy for companies

As a general rule, it should be done when negotiating the electricity contract with the retailer so it can be taken into account, so the supply contract can be managed together with others for the wholesale purchase of energy from green energy sources.

Requesting this type of electricity may involve some extra cost compared to an ordinary contract, because in the wholesale market, contracting this type of energy in the long term to cover supply contracts often involves paying a premium. However, the benefits for your company may well be greater if you are able to certify to customers, suppliers, auditors and investors that you are working with green energy.

H2 How to obtain a company green certificate if you have already contracted renewable energy.

This certification process is undertaken annually by the CNMC. The process for requests usually opens round about March. A company green energy certificate certifies that the consumption electricity at a supply point or by a holder of electricity contracts (NIF or CIF, depending on whether it is natural person or a legal entity), is 100% from sources considered to be green energy.

Other things you should know about the "green label":

• There is a website (click here) where by providing certain information you can download the certificates every year. This process is called "redemption", and you should remember that your green energy can be registered with the CNMC, either through CUPS 22, CUPS 20, or by using the CIF or NIF of the legal entity or natural person holding the contracts. So try the different codes you have to see which certificates you can download.
• In the official regulations, these certificates are denominated "guarantees of origin", since they guarantee that the origin of the energy is from environmentally friendly generation sources, and in such a way that they can be considered renewable energies or green electricity.

What types of green energy are there?

In Spain, and in the European Union in general, "green energy" or green electricity is that which is obtained from renewable generation sources. There are currently the following types of green or renewable energy: Solar photovoltaic, solar thermal, mini wind energy, onshore wind, offshore wind, reservoir hydro-electric, flowing water hydro-electric, reversible or pumped hydro-electric, marine hydro-electric, renewable waste, biogas, biomass, geothermal and high efficiency cogeneration.

All these energies are considered by the CNMC to renewable or environmentally friendly because of their generation process, and therefore valid for your company to be able to guarantee green energy in your contracts.

Of course, the greater the demand by entrepreneurs and businesses to include green energy in their contracts, the greater the contribution in the fight against climate change, since this will encourage the electricity sector to invest more to be able to meet demand.