The D-REC Initiative
Created by Positive Capital Partners & South Pole
The Distributed Renewable Energy Certificate: earn additional ongoing income for your projects
About this Project
A Distributed Renewable Energy Certificate (D-REC) represents one kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity that has been generated from distributed renewable energy sources. It allows companies to sell the renewable energy attributes that originated from small installations, such as Solar Home Systems or mini-grids.
In many developed markets, large corporations with big climate ambitions buy renewable energy as part of their commitment to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. This sort of financing remained out of reach for most companies in the Energy Access sector until very recently.
Climate investments can do more than reduce a company’s carbon footprint. The D-REC allows smaller-scale, distributed renewable energy (DRE) providers access to the corporate demand for renewables. Developers like mini-grid operators and SHS companies can now integrate into an Open Source platform which will track, verify, and monetise every MWh of electricity – bringing a new income stream to the Energy Access sector.
Visit the official D-REC Initiative webpage
Still not sure what D-RECs are about? Read this blog post that explains (simply) how the D-REC creates new opportunities for the Energy Access sector and for corporate climate investors.
How to Get Started
Do you need help with D-REC Initiative? Support is available through several channels.
For documentation, code repositories, and collaborative development related to the D-REC initiative, explore the GitHub repository, access resources and contribute to the project.
For the fastest option to get support, tap into community expertise, share feedback, and join active discussions, by visiting the Discord support page.
If you require tailored, hands-on guidance, follow the technical assistance page for instructions on how to request expert support from our team.
DRE Project Developers: Get started
Powertrust is one company managing the commercialisation of the D-REC Initiative. Sign up on the Powertrust platform to start generating D-REC certificates. After registration, each kWh can generate income.
Get started with Powertrust now
Need some guidance on integrating or understanding how the platform works? Contact us – we’re happy to help.
Case Study
The D-REC is enabling distributed renewable energy developers to access climate financing that previously was only available to large-scale C&I projects.
Okra Solar describes how the D-REC worked for their mesh grid operations
Watch: How DRE Developers can generate income with D-RECs
Topics covered: How do D-RECs work, and where can I get started? Why is D-RECs built on open source technology? What are the reasons for choosing the D-REC platform?
FAQ
These are the frequently asked questions about the D-REC Initiative that we hear from the Energy Access community and Project Developers in a simple, easy-to-read format. If you have a question that is not answered in this list, please let us know.