With operating costs rising, Polish white certificates are becoming a practical tool not only for improving energy efficiency, but also for generating additional revenue for companies investing in energy-efficiency upgrades. When properly planned and implemented, this mechanism can significantly improve a project’s financial performance. This article explains, step by step and from both a technical and practical perspective, how the revenue model based on Polish white certificates works.
Optimising investments through energy efficiency certificates
Polish white certificates are an instrument that allows the energy-efficiency gains generated by a project to be monetised – provided the entire process is properly prepared. From a technical perspective, the possibility of obtaining a certificate should be considered as early as the investment planning stage, as it affects the choice of technology, the scope of design documentation and the methodology used to calculate energy savings. This can result in energy efficiency certificates for an appropriate amount of savings expressed in toe (tonnes of oil equivalent), which can then be sold on the Polish Power Exchange (TGE), with the sale carried out through a brokerage firm. To make the process easier and more efficient, it is worth using the services of specialist companies such as ours.
The average price per toe generally ranges from PLN 2,300 to PLN 2,500, which means that a project delivering savings of 100 toe can generate additional revenue of up to PLN 250,000. (100 toe – 1.163 GWh of annual savings).
Who buys Polish white certificates?
Polish white certificates are purchased primarily by entities subject to the statutory energy-efficiency obligation under Polish law, such as suppliers selling electricity, heat or gas to final customers in Poland. Purchasing certificates allows them to avoid paying the substitute fee and formally demonstrate compliance with the relevant legal requirements. For many energy companies, purchasing certificates is the most cost-effective way to meet the obligation compared with carrying out their own energy-efficiency investments.
Monetising Polish white certificates – sales strategies and impact on financial performance
Revenue from Polish white certificates depends not only on the volume of certificates obtained, expressed in toe, but also on when they are sold. In practice, companies can follow a passive strategy (selling after the certificates are obtained) or an active strategy (monitoring the market and selling during periods of higher demand from obligated entities). It is also worth noting that revenue from certificate sales may be recognised as operating revenue, thereby affecting financial ratios and the assessment of project profitability by investors and management.
When implemented properly, Polish white certificates can deliver real, measurable gains – not only in energy terms, but above all financially. They are worth treating as an integral part of energy investment planning.
