Hydro-Backed Environmental Certificates (HBECs)

Match your consumption with clean energy backed by our parent company Hydro Tasmania – Australia's largest generator of renewable energy.

What are our Hydro-Backed Environmental Certificates?

Our Hydro-Backed Environmental Certificates are one of the easiest ways you can voluntarily match your consumption with clean energy.

By purchasing them, you’ll go beyond the minimum requirement associated with Momentum’s Large-Scale Renewable Energy Target, which is factored into your energy contract with us. They’re a simple way to show you’re committed to doing the right thing by the environment.

Each certificate is considered equal to 1 megawatt-hour (MWh) of energy generated from renewable sources. Momentum offers two different types of certificates that can be generated from hydroelectricity:

Large-Scale Generation Certificates (LGCs) are tradable certificates issued by Australia’s Clean Energy Regulator. They’re used to demonstrate that electricity comes from renewable energy sources and are a formally recognised way to offset Scope 2 emissions in Australia.
International Renewable Energy Certificates (I-RECs) are created in accordance with the International Attribute Tracking Standard. These certificates relate to below baseline clean energy generation which is not eligible to create LGCs.

Although they sound similar, the type (or mix) of certificates you need will depend on your goals and reporting requirements. Our team can help you find a solution that’s right for you – let’s start a conversation.

What’s so good about Momentum’s HBECs

Set and forget

If you have a commercial and industrial retail energy contract with us, we can automatically match up to 100% of your usage with renewable energy by surrendering LGCs or I-RECs on your behalf.

Pick n' mix

Whether you’re looking for LGCs or I-RECs or a cost-effective blend of the two, we can help you find your perfect match.

Easy reporting

Our annual customer certificate surrender reports help streamline your environmental reporting.

Where do our HBECs come from?

All LGCs and I-RECs offered as part of our HBEC product are made using Hydro Tasmania’s power stations and other renewable assets across Australia.

LGCs are created when a power station generates renewable energy above its renewable power baseline, based on 1997 levels of generation for that power station. I-RECs are sourced from clean energy sources which aren’t eligible to create LGCs because the generation was below the 1997 baseline level.

The vast majority of our HBECs are generated by hydro-electric assets in Tasmania. When needed, Hydro Tasmania may also draw on solar and wind farm projects across Australia if they can’t generate enough LGCs from hydroelectricity to meet demand.

What’s the difference between an LGC and an I-REC?

The major differences between the two types of certificates we offer is they’re ratified by different issuing bodies and represent renewable generation which is either above or below the baseline level set in 1997.

Who ratifies them?

Large-Scale Generation Certificates (LGCs) are issued by Australia’s Clean Energy Regulator and are a formally recognised way to offset emissions in Australia.

International Renewable Energy Certificates (I-RECs) are administered by the I-Track Foundation, a global non-profit organisation acknowledged by various major environmental reporting frameworks.

I-RECs have not been authorised in Australia by the Clean Energy Regulator or any other Government authority, but they make a good lower-cost alternative to LGCs.

What’s the 1997 baseline?

When the Renewable Energy Target was introduced in 2001, the aim was to both encourage additional generation of electricity from existing renewable energy power stations and to encourage new renewable energy projects.

For a power station that was built before 1997, a “baseline” level of generation was determined based on that power station’s average generation in 1994-1996. Power stations that started generating after 1997 automatically had a baseline of zero, so all of the energy they generate will be above baseline.

LGCs can only be created from above-baseline renewable generation by generators which meet the eligibility requirements of Australia’s federal renewable electricity scheme.

I-RECs have different eligibility criteria to LGCs. They recognise energy generated from clean energy which is below the 1997 baseline, including from Hydro Tasmania’s existing and longstanding hydro-electric assets.

Are Momentum’s HBECs the right way to go for my business?

The best way to find out if our HBECs are a good match for your business is to speak with our team.
Here's how it works:

Register your interest
A team member will follow up to get things started.

Get matched
We help you estimate how many certificates you’ll need and match you with the mix of your choice.

Automate
Based on the mix you’ve selected, we’ll automatically surrender certificates on your behalf based on your energy usage.

Report
Once a year you’ll get a letter from us with a summary of the number of certificates we’ve surrendered on your behalf – to help make environmental reporting a breeze.

Want to find out more about Momentum’s HBECs?

Our energy solutions team can give you an estimate and help you find the right mix and match of certificates for your business.