Certification requirements
for green hydro power
requirements Hydropower plants can only achieve the Green Power certification when they can guarantee an environmentally responsible management and layout. That means complying freely with the two following conditions:

1. The hydropower plant has to fulfil general
 "basic requirements " for green electricity. In doing so it has to meet an ecological standard based on the standards imposed by Switzerland’s re-licensing rules, thus taking into account the revised Swiss Water Conservation Act and all other laws (NHG, BFG, RPG, etc. Glossary). This standard is based on generally formulated, local criteria. These criteria apply to all hydropower facilities.

 
 
 
 
Basic Green Power requirements

Eco-investments


2. In addition, the power plant invests a fixed payment per kilowatt-hour
of green electricity sold for restoring, protecting or upgrading the environment in the catchment area used by the plant in question. These " eco-investments " as they are called, ensure that measures are undertaken to improve the local ecological conditions. These mitigation measures are intentionally designed to go beyond the level established by the basic requirements, while their implementation can be linked specifically to the sale of green electricity and be explained to customers accordingly. The picture below shows the principle of green hydropower plant certification. Ecological integrity here is a measure for evaluating basic ecological standards.



back to Home