GOs, REGOs, I-REC(E)s and ELcerts: what is the difference?

Four schemes, different jobs

The distinctions follow the schemes’ own descriptions: AIB, Ofgem, I-TRACK and the Swedish Energy Agency.

This guide focuses on electricity. A shared acronym or similar-looking registry entry is not enough to establish that two instruments fulfil the same obligation.

What is a Guarantee of Origin?

A GO provides information about the origin of energy. An EECS certificate carries information such as the production device, energy source, production period and issuing country. Its standard size is 1 MWh, while AIB also provides for finer granularity. See AIB’s certificate data description.

For a desk, “GO” is therefore only the beginning of the product definition. A purchase may specify solar generation, a particular production year or an eligible country. Store those conditions as part of the obligation so they can be checked at delivery.

The AIB Hub connects member registries for GO transfers. Your operational platform should preserve the source registry and transaction reference when bringing those records into a common view. AIB describes the Hub’s role.

How do REGOs and I-REC(E)s differ?

Ofgem issues one REGO for each MWh of eligible renewable electricity. Its main purpose is Fuel Mix Disclosure in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Recognition is not symmetric with European GOs: EU recognition of UK REGOs ended in January 2021, and GOs are not recognised for Great Britain Fuel Mix Disclosure for periods beginning from April 2023. Check Ofgem’s current scheme guidance.

I-REC(E) is an electricity certificate product under the I-TRACK framework. Issuance depends on the relevant authorised market arrangements; participants can transfer certificates or redeem them for themselves or clients. The registry is the authoritative ownership record even when a platform provides the interface. See I-TRACK’s electricity product description.

Do not infer worldwide claim eligibility from the word “international”. Before allocating a certificate, check the customer’s consumption market, reporting framework, production period and contractual requirements.

Why should ELcerts stay separate?

The Swedish–Norwegian electricity certificate system is a renewable-generation support mechanism with quota obligations. Its purpose differs from the origin information supplied by a GO. The Swedish Energy Agency explains the scheme.

A team can manage both products, but it should not collapse them into one undifferentiated certificate balance. Use a separate product type, purpose and obligation record. Shared units or an overlapping production facility do not make two schemes equivalent.

What should a multi-scheme portfolio record?

• Product identity: scheme, issuing market, registry and certificate identifier.
• Attributes: energy source, technology, device and production period.
• Commercial commitment: counterparty, contract, quantity, delivery method and due date.
• Ownership and movement: account, source record, current status and last refresh.
• Customer use: intended beneficiary, consumption period and required cancellation or redemption evidence.

Our operational recommendation is to standardise the shared fields while preserving the scheme-specific ones. A common dashboard is useful when it keeps those differences visible.

For example, a team serving a UK electricity supplier and a Brazilian corporate buyer may hold two renewable-certificate positions. They should remain separate product and obligation records, with eligibility checked for each intended use. They should not become a single pool simply because both are expressed in MWh.

Can buying certificates prove renewable electricity use?

Buying or holding a certificate is one part of the evidence chain. The applicable reporting framework and scheme determine what else is needed. For market-based Scope 2 reporting, the GHG Protocol includes criteria concerning exclusive claims, retirement or cancellation, and matching to the relevant period and market. See the published Scope 2 Guidance, Table 7.1.

Build those requirements into the customer instruction, then retain the final evidence. Our delivery reconciliation guide explains how to connect the commercial and registry records.