How to obtain a white certificate step by step?

This guide presents step by step how to obtain energy efficiency certificates. From the illustration below, you will learn the sequence of actions you need to take to apply for white certificates. It's important to plan them carefully, as once work has begun, it is no longer possible to apply for these certificates. In short, your company should follow this sequence of actions:

• planning an energy-saving investment,
• carrying out an energy efficiency audit,
• submitting an application for white certificates to the URE,
• signing an execution contract and starting the investment,
• implementing the project,
• completing the investment and, in some cases, conducting a post-implementation audit,
• acquiring property rights to the certificates,
• selling white certificates on the TGE.

White certificates are only issued for planned actions. If a company intends to invest in modernizations that improve energy efficiency, such as thermal modernization or energy recovery from industrial processes, it’s worth applying for an energy efficiency certificate. To obtain the certificate, an application must be submitted to the President of the Energy Regulatory Office. It is important that this happens before signing a contract with the contractor and before starting any work.

A key requirement for receiving energy efficiency certificates is carrying out an energy efficiency audit for the selected modernization activity. The audit report should include:

• an assessment of the technical condition of the modernized equipment,
• a variant analysis of the work implementation,
• a technical and economic analysis,
• calculation of final energy savings in TOE.

After the audit is completed, the application along with the necessary documentation must be submitted to the President of the Energy Regulatory Office. Only then can a contract be signed for the implementation of the works. The statutory deadline for evaluating the application is 45 days. However, in practice, the process of issuing the energy certificate can take more than half a year on average.

After the investment is completed, another energy efficiency audit is carried out to verify whether the energy savings indicated in the application were achieved. The obligation to conduct a post-implementation audit applies to projects where expected savings exceed 100 tonnes of oil equivalent (toe). However, URE’s practice often differs from the statutory requirements and the official may request a post-implementation audit even for actions resulting in savings below 100 toe. This can happen if the savings have changed or if the official has doubts about the submitted information.

It’s worth noting that if, after the investment, it turns out that the savings are greater than initially estimated, a correction to the application can be submitted along with a newly performed energy efficiency audit.

White certificates come with property rights that have real monetary value, which means that the average annual energy saved thanks to modernization can be monetized on the Polish Power Exchange (TGE). This is done through a brokerage house – the funds return to the company’s account based on an invoice.

The price of a white certificate depends on the listing on the TGE – the Polish Power Exchange. The value of an energy efficiency certificate is the toe, or tonne of oil equivalent. Although the listings fluctuate, it is worth monitoring the current rate for toe, as their value continues to rise, which is linked to and regulated by the substitute fee amount defined by the Energy Efficiency Act. Trading sessions take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays.