Questions people ask before they operate
What comes up on the first call. The technical detail lives in the Scope 2 guide.
What is an I-REC(E) certificate?
Electricity travels on a single grid. There is no clean socket and dirty socket: electrons mix, and they have no label. You cannot look at your plant meter and know which solar farm they came from. An I-REC(E) does not track electrons. It records the generation event (this plant, this date, 1 MWh of renewable power) and transfers title to those attributes, separated from the physical flow. That certificate has a unique serial number and cannot belong to two companies at once. It is the evidence GHG Protocol and IFRS S2 accept for market-based Scope 2.
Is buying an I-REC the same as buying renewable energy?
Not exactly. An I-REC does not deliver electrons. It gives you title to 1 MWh of renewable power already injected into the grid. That is what can bring your market-based Scope 2 down. The only path where origin is physical and exclusive is on-site self-consumption. Everything else needs a certificate.
Is this carbon offsetting?
No. It lowers the Scope 2 you report under the market-based method. A carbon credit is booked on another line, and your Scope 2 stays the same. Scope 1 does not move. If someone sells it as “offsetting your footprint,” that is not what this is.
Do they work for ESG reports?
Yes, as evidence of renewable grid electricity: GHG Protocol Scope 2 market-based, CDP, GRI, SBTi, and equivalent frameworks. They do not replace measuring the footprint or a physical PPA.
Does regulation require me to buy I-RECs?
No. IFRS S2 asks you to measure and report Scope 2. It does not tell you which instrument to buy. An I-REC is the GHG Protocol tool for evidencing renewable grid electricity: a decision, not a tax.
What if I already have a PPA or solar panels?
You still need certificates for what still comes from the grid. A PPA without I-RECs in your name does not close market-based Scope 2. Panels cover what you generate; the rest, they do not. Unbundled certificates are that remainder.
Does the certificate have to be from the same country and year?
In practice, yes. The auditor checks that the generation year matches the year you report, and that the country is the one where you consume. The cheapest certificate from another market often gets expensive in the audit. We filter supply to that.
Is the certificate issued in our company’s name?
Yes, if it is redeemed in the name of the entity that reports (the same legal name as the inventory). A consultancy or Cero Trade can run the process; the renewable claim is yours.
What does redeeming a certificate mean?
Taking it out of circulation and putting it in someone’s name: your company, a site, or a client. After that it cannot be resold. What you receive is the Redemption Statement, ready for audit.
Do I need to open an account on the international registry?
No. We operate in your name: import, transfer, and redeem. A participant account on your own charges setup and maintenance in euros. Here you pay per operation. If a month has no activity, there is no charge.
Can I serve my clients without building registry ops?
Yes. You remain the face in front of the client. We execute. The certificate is issued in the name of the entity that reports, not your consultancy.
What if I do not know my electricity use?
We start from an estimate of annual MWh and the number of sites, then refine before execution. It does not block the first step.
How long does an operation take?
The proposal arrives within 24 business hours. Redemption happens once the purchase and the reporting entity’s data are confirmed. You can see the status; we do not leave you guessing.
Can I redeem many contracts or sites at once?
Yes. On the registry each site and each period is built by hand. In Cero Trade you upload a template: dozens of redemptions in minutes, not one by one.
Can I sell leftover certificates?
Yes, if they are not yet redeemed. You can leave them with us to place, or operate them yourself on the platform. If they do not sell, you withdraw them. There is no fee for idle inventory.
Can you register my plant?
Today we operate certificates that already exist: import, custody, transfer, and redeem. Registering a plant on I-TRACK is case by case. It is not a mass service.
Do you find buyers, or do I operate myself?
Both. If you want to place volume without standing up a sales team, we hold your certificates on consignment: you set the price and approve. If you already have clients, you operate in the app. Bulk redemptions with a template, not one by one.
Can my company’s logo go on the certificate?
Yes. We personalize delivery. The renewable claim belongs to your client; your brand appears on the document you hand them.
What if I already promised a country and a date?
Tell us country, technology, generation year, and volume. If it is not listed, we source it. That is what we do when the contract is already signed and the clock is running.
Is there a fixed monthly fee?
No. You pay for the operations you run. If a month has no operations, you pay nothing.
What does Cero Trade charge?
The certificate costs whatever the market is (see the table on Corporates). Our operation is separate: transfer USD 0.04/MWh, redemption USD 0.15/MWh, USD 100 minimum per operation. If we match supply and demand, there is a fee by volume band.
What is a Platform Operator?
The role I-TRACK Foundation accredits to operate the international registry on behalf of third parties. Cero Trade was the first in LatAm. That is why a corporate or a partner can receive certificates redeemed in their name without opening a participant account.