DOI: 10.11118/978-80-7509-820-7-0304

IS GREEN A SUPER DEAL? GREEN ENERGY AND ITS REAL COST AND BENEFIT FOR CUSTOMERS

Klára HORNÁ

Nowadays, the phenomenon of sustainability in a form of green energy is one of the most discussed topics in public as well as in government, especially in the European Union. A change of lifestyle, new trends in the industry, expanding e-mobility; all these factors increase the demand of electricity. On the other side of the equation is supply, which is highly influenced by the government decisions. New trend in Europe is to decrease amount of coal and nuclear power plants which are considered to be non-ecological, together with stimulation of growth in matter of renewable resources. The paper analyses one of the stimulation tools – the market of Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin. The purpose of this analysis is to compare real impact of the guarantees with their marketing impact. Electricity is a specific commodity which cannot be stored, and its origin cannot be identified. Because of these specifics the market of Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin exists along with the energy market. The number of guarantees depends on the total amount of MWh produced without further identification of the units sold. The initial price is given by the regulator of the market and the final price is given by the market. It must be noted, that in Europe there is one market with regional submarkets whose quality is guaranteed by the Association of Issuing Bodies IVZW (AIB) registered in Brussels, Belgium, and so international trade is possible.
Purpose: The paper analyses the framework given by law and regulators, the mechanics of both energy market and energy guarantees market. The outcome is compared with the marketing strategy of sales companies. The purpose of this analysis is to compare real impact of the guarantees with their marketing impact.
Methodology: Empirical analysis of the markets and their structures, questionaire.
Findings: Conclusion following the analysis is that the trade model of Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin has negligible impact as growth stimulator of the industry. The guarantees are more likely to be only a marketing tool which could be considered a part of the greenwashing trend – so called green solution without real impact on the environmental aspects.

Klíčová slova: energy market, green energy, marketing, Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin, renewables

stránky: 304-309, Publikováno: 2021, online: 2021