With energy costs rising and the pressure for sustainable development increasing, more and more companies and institutions are looking for solutions that can both reduce energy consumption and deliver measurable financial benefits. One such mechanism in Poland is Energy Efficiency Certificates, commonly known as white certificates. Find out who can apply for them, what conditions must be met and which measures qualify under the Polish scheme.
Who can apply for Polish white certificates?
Entities eligible to obtain Polish white certificates are strictly defined by Poland’s Energy Efficiency Act and regulations issued by the Polish Minister of Climate and Environment. First and foremost, these include companies implementing energy-efficiency improvement projects, regardless of their size or sector, provided that the investment meets the minimum energy-savings threshold (10 toe per year). These may include:
- manufacturing companies,
- local government units and public-sector budgetary units (municipalities, schools and hospitals),
- housing communities and housing cooperatives,
- companies operating under the ESCO model,
- public utility operators,
- energy-sector entities implementing investments that reduce energy consumption.
Certificates are awarded in toe (tonnes of oil equivalent) and can be traded on TGE, the Polish Power Exchange.
Formal and technical requirements for applicants
The basic requirement for obtaining an Energy Efficiency Certificate in Poland is to carry out an energy efficiency audit demonstrating the final energy savings that can be achieved through the planned project. Energy efficiency audits are prepared in accordance with the Regulation of the Polish Minister of Energy of 5 October 2017 on the detailed scope and method of preparing an energy efficiency audit and methods for calculating energy savings (Journal of Laws, item 1912), taking into account the amendments introduced by the Regulation of the Polish Minister of Climate and Environment of 12 April 2022 amending the regulation on the detailed scope and method of preparing an energy efficiency audit and methods for calculating energy savings (Journal of Laws, item 956). They should contain detailed information: a description of the investment, technical parameters, the calculation methodology, energy-consumption indicators before and after the upgrade, and the estimated savings in toe. The applicant must submit a complete application to the President of the Polish Energy Regulatory Office (URE). The applicant must:
- be an entity planning to implement energy-efficiency measures,
- have an energy efficiency audit prepared by an authorised entity,
- submit an application to URE before the investment begins,
- provide the project schedule and location,
- not use public funding (or declare its share),
- obtain a URE decision granting a certificate promise (promesa), confirming the right to the certificate after the upgrade has been completed.
Once the above conditions have been met, the investment can begin. After completion and verification of compliance with the energy efficiency audit, the applicant notifies URE that the upgrade has been completed (an additional post-implementation audit is required only for investments exceeding 100 toe per year). URE then registers the white certificates in the TGE Register of Certificates of Origin.
Which measures qualify for the Polish white certificate scheme?
Not all energy-efficiency upgrades qualify for the support scheme. Polish regulations list typical projects that may be covered by an application. In each case, it is necessary to demonstrate an actual reduction in final energy consumption – usually on the basis of operating data, invoices or measurements (energy efficiency audit). The upgrade must deliver a lasting improvement in efficiency – temporary or maintenance measures are not eligible. The list of typical measures includes technological, building-related and organisational upgrades.
Measures that may qualify for certificates include:
- thermal refurbishment of buildings (insulation, replacement of windows and doors, roofs and ceilings),
- upgrading lighting systems (e.g. replacement with LED lighting, control systems),
- upgrading and replacing heat sources, including the use of condensing boilers or heat pumps,
- optimising ventilation and air-conditioning systems (HVAC),
- waste heat recovery in industrial processes,
- installing automation systems and BMS,
- improving compressed air systems (e.g. reducing losses in the distribution network).
An important criterion is the durability of the effect – energy savings must be demonstrated over a one-year period. The applicant should also provide historical or modelled data confirming the baseline energy-consumption level, which will serve as the reference point for estimating savings.
In summary, Polish Energy Efficiency Certificates may be obtained by any investors planning measures that result in an actual reduction in final energy consumption, provided that the applicable procedures and legal requirements are followed. This instrument is particularly well suited to modernisation projects in industry, logistics, public buildings and the service sector.
