The first ever EKOenergy purchase in Latvia is facilitated by GreenStream

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GreenStream has facilitated the first ever EKOenergy purchase in Latvia by providing EKOenergy to four Latvian non-governmental organizations: Latvian Fund for Nature, Green Liberty, Latvian Green Movement and Foundation for Environmental Education Latvia. The four organizations decided to be forerunners in Latvia and in 2013-2014 they are consuming EKOenergy-labeled electricity, which is based on wind power production in Denmark.

EKOenergy is a pan-European ecolabel for renewable electricity, designed with the purpose to assist consumers in navigating the complex European electricity market. EKOenergy is renewable electricity that fulfills additional sustainability requirements that are set by the EKOenergy Network. For each MWh of sold EKOenergy, a minimum of 10 eurocents go to the EKOenergy Climate Fund that invests the money in new renewable electricity installations.

Latvian Fund for Nature became part of the EKOenergy Network a year ago and wanted to show example for other organizations by being the first Latvian organization purchasing electricity with the new ecolabel. The Latvian Fund for Nature (LFN) works to maintain biological diversity in its different aspects – stressing importance of integral unity of ecosystems where each species is worth to save. “As far as EKOenergy is paying attention to the influence of energy production to the natural ecosystems it is of high interest for LFN to be a part of it”, says Girts Strazdins, the Board of LFN.

The EKOenergy sale to Latvia did not consist of physical power delivery but the origin of the electricity was certified by using Guarantee of Origin (GoO) certificates. In electricity markets, the renewable origin of the electricity is separated from the physical electricity flow and both can be purchased separately. After electricity is delivered to the grid, it is not possible to track the electrons and ensure that a client would receive the exact electron that was produced by a windmill. Therefore, the renewable origin of electricity is proved by using GoOs. The GoO system is included in the European Union RES Directive and its aim is to provide a reliable tracking system for renewable electricity.

Suvi Viljaranta from GreenStream mentions that “by using the GoO system, a consumer buying green power can be sure that the corresponding amount of renewable electricity has been produced and delivered to the grid”. “Each MWh of produced renewable electricity can be consumed only once because after its use the GoO is removed from the market permanently”, Ms Viljaranta says.

 

Latvian Fund for Nature
Girts Strazdins

EKOenergy
www.ekoenergy.org

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