How to manage energy sustainability information – Virta

Why should I fill the energy sustainable information?
Based on surveys with EV drivers, it is important for the majority of drivers that the electricity used for charging their electric vehicle comes from sustainable sources. As we know, the environmental benefit of electric vehicles is greatly enhanced if the electricity used for charging comes from sustainable energy sources. Therefore, it is important to communicate to EV drivers where this is possible. The first step in enabling this, is to set the relevant information for each electrical feed. Gathering this information allows us to build a solution where we can inform EV drivers in the mobile application about those locations, improve transparency and raise the attractiveness of charging points.

How should I fill in the information?
Please fill in the information based on the electricity contract you have with your electricity supplier and/or based on potential local energy production that might be used in connection. We recommend checking with your electricity supplier in case of doubt about the origin of the electricity procured from the grid. You can choose one of the following options for this field:
- Virta Origin:
  Certified renewable energy (RE) using Virta's procurement service Virta Origin. Every kilowatt-hour charged is being certified with Energy Attribute Certificates (EAC). For example, in the EU, EACs are known as Guarantees of Origin (GO). In other markets, they are called REGO, REC, I-REC, LGC, etc. In addition, with Virta Origin, the electricity is EKOenergy labelled, which fulfills additional sustainability criteria, such as contributing to renewable energy projects in developing countries and minimise the impact of energy production on nature.
- Other certified renewable:
  Certified renewable energy as part of a renewable energy tariff or power purchase agreement (PPA), bundled or unbundled Energy Attribute Certificates (EAC). Bundled means that the EACs are bought with the associated energy, unbundled means the EACs are bought separately from the procured energy. An example of other certified renewable energy could be if you have a tariff with your energy supplier that is certified to be coming from wind or solar power, or a mix of renewable energy sources.
- 100% locally produced renewable:
  EV charging solely powered by on-site renewable generation, e.g. solar photovoltaic (PV) roof and stationary storage, no electricity from the grid is used for EV charging.
- Partially locally produced renewable with EACs:
  EV charging partially powered by on-site renewable generation, e.g. solar PV roof with or without stationary storage, using certified renewable energy (backed by Energy Attribute Certificates) from the grid when local production is insufficient, bundled or unbundled.
- Partially locally produced renewable without EACs:
  EV charging partially powered by on-site renewable generation, e.g. solar PV roof with or without stationary storage, using standard grid mix electricity (no RE certification) when local production is insufficient.
- Certified nuclear:
  Certified nuclear energy, e.g. as part of a zero-carbon/sustainable energy tariff or PPA, bundled or unbundled.
- Standard grid mix:
  Standard electricity contract without certification of energy sources (mix of different energy sources including sustainable and fossil-fuel based, share of different sources depend on the given grid).
- Other
  Any other option not covered by above

Why a field for renewable energy source appears when I select some energy sustainability types?
In case you procure renewable energy for your sites, whether that is based on renewable energy certification or on-site generation, we would like to better understand what renewable energy source it originates from. This information could later potentially be used to better inform the EV drivers on the specific energy source. In addition, this information helps to more accurately assess the carbon dioxide intensity of the electricity consumed which is important for sustainability reporting and increasing transparency.

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