What we do

In order to maximize the financial returns offered by generating electricity, Action Renewables has developed services to support the owners of the generating equipment, and guide them through the complexity of the Renewables Obligation.

The Renewables Obligation is the Government’s main mechanism for encouraging the generation of renewable electricity. It was launched in Northern Ireland in 2005 as the Northern Ireland Renewables Obligation (NIRO). This mechanism rewards generators with certificates called Northern Ireland Renewables Obligation Certificates (NIROCs), often referred to as ROCs. The NIRO also places an obligation on electricity supply companies to prove that they have sold renewable electricity by presenting an increasing number of ROCs to the Government once per year. If they do not present ROCs, the electricity supply companies will pay a fine relative to the shortfall in their ROC holdings, which is subsequently distributed to those supply companies which have presented ROCs. This mechanism has therefore created a market in ROCs and they are currently being traded across the UK.

ROCs are awarded on all electricity generated, not just electricity exported to the grid. They can represent a significant proportion of the economic benefits of the generator, which may be a wind turbine, hydroelectric plant, photovoltaic panels or biomass CHP, or some other form of renewable electricity generator. Action Renewables realizes that many renewable electricity generators are not maximizing their financial returns within the NIRO mechanism, and now offers services to determine the best financial option for the generator, which may involve trading ROCs regularly rather than continuing to sell them to the same electricity supply company.

In order to receive ROCs, generators must also be accredited by the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (OFGEM). This is a necessary procedure and Action Renewables can advise generators throughout the process.