FAQs

What is “Green the Team”?

Green the Team is a sustainability initiative in collaboration with your employer that provides you a cheap and easy way to offset your home electricity consumption using renewables. You nominate how much electricity you would like to offset for the program year and your employer organises for an equivalent amount of renewable energy certificates ( RECs) to be voluntarily surrendered, which under Green the Team is referred to as a renewable energy “offset”. The process is simple. It takes a few minutes to sign up, the one-off cost is deducted from your salary and there is no need for you to change your electricity retailer at home.

How do RECs offset my electricity usage?

In Australia, the majority of our electricity is generated by burning fossil fuels, which means that there are carbon emissions associated with electricity use. When electricity is consumed from the grid, there is no means to determine its source, whether it be from renewables or fossil fuels or a combination. However, RECs provide a mechanism to be able to notionally allocate the generation of renewable energy to consumers. When RECs are purchased alongside the physical supply of energy it is often called “offsetting”. If those RECs are then surrendered (to the Clean Energy Regulator) it ensures that they cannot be claimed by anyone else. Purchasing and surrendering RECs on a voluntary basis increases demand for, and incentivises investment in, renewable energy.

What are Large-Scale Generation Certificates (LGCs)?

LGCs are a type of REC. In Australia, the supply of LGCs come from accredited large-scale renewable generators, like wind and solar farms, which create one LGC for each megawatt-hour (MWh) of electricity they deliver into the grid. Demand for LGCs comes from two sources: mandatory government schemes like the Federal Government’s Renewable Energy Target; and voluntary schemes like Green the Team. The more demand there is for LGCs, the more incentive there is to invest in renewable energy.

How does the use of LGCs reduce carbon emissions generally?

Renewable energy typically displaces generation from fossil fuels over time, which are the primary sources of carbon emissions in the Australian electricity sector. Increasing the demand for LGCs through voluntary action incentivises more renewable energy projects to be developed.

Where do the LGCs for Green the Team come from?

The LGCs for Green the Team are sourced by Iberdrola Australia from the owned or contracted renewable energy assets (i.e., wind farms and solar farms) of the Iberdrola Australia group. For more information about Iberdrola Australia and its assets visit: https://iberdrola.com.au.

How does offsetting work with Green the Team?

Green the Team involves offsetting your nominated electricity usage through the voluntary surrender of LGCs by Iberdrola Australia. The number of LGCs surrendered is one LGC per MWh of nominated electricity usage. It does not involve:

Is my electricity currently supplied by renewables?

Under Australia’s mandatory Renewable Energy Target (RET) large energy users, including energy retailers, are currently required to source a certain percentage of renewable electricity per year or face penalties. The volume is currently equivalent to approximately 18.5% of annual electricity consumption Australia wide that is supplied from the grid. Based on these figures, by nominating at least 81.5% of your home electricity usage as your nominated electricity usage you will offset approximately 100% of your home electricity usage. If you choose to nominate more than 81.5% you are potentially offsetting more than 100%.

Will my electricity be physically supplied from renewable energy?

Green the Team does not involve the physical supply of renewable energy to you. Rather, each unit of electricity you nominate is matched with an LGC which is created from an equivalent amount of renewable energy.

Do I need to change my electricity retailer to participate in Green the Team?

No. Participating in Green the Team does not require you to change your electricity retailer.

Does my participation in Green the Team change my electricity bill with my provider?

No. Participating in Green the Team is separate to your electricity bill and therefore does not change it.

What percentage of my electricity usage should I choose to offset?

This is entirely your choice. The higher the percentage you choose, the more you are doing to support the use of renewable energy in Australia and reduce the impact of climate change. Green the Team will offset the equivalent amount of whatever electricity usage you nominate with LGCs. As per the “Is my electricity currently supplied by renewables?" FAQ above, by nominating at least 81.5% of your home electricity usage as your nominated electricity usage you will offset approximately 100% of your home electricity usage. If you choose to nominate more than 81.5% you are potentially offsetting more than 100%. The maximum nominated electricity usage you may nominate for the program year is specified in the overview, disclosures and terms and conditions provided in the Green the Team portal.

What is GreenPower and how is it different to Green the Team?

GreenPower is a government scheme whereby RECs are purchased by energy retailers on behalf of customers. Often consumers opt to pay for GreenPower as an additional component of their electricity bill.

While Green the Team and GreenPower both offer ways to offset your home electricity use using renewables, Green the Team has some unique features:

Should I sign up for Green the Team if I already purchase GreenPower (or an alternative renewable product) from my energy retailer?

If you currently purchase GreenPower (or an alternative renewable product) from your energy retailer at home, you may already be offsetting 100% of your electricity usage (e.g. GreenPower has options at several levels of % offset). Compare the price and features of Green the Team with GreenPower (or the alternative renewable product). If Green the Team is cheaper or better suited to your objectives then you may consider switching.

How do I pay?

Once you have submitted your nomination, and accepted the overview, disclosures and terms and conditions provided in the Green the Team portal, the one-off cost will be deducted from your salary.

Is the payment pre or post tax?

The salary deduction for Green the Team is post tax.

How do I know how much electricity I use?

When you sign up to Green the Team you will be provided with a tool to help you determine your typical electricity usage ( GTT Calculator). There are two methods depending on what information you have at hand:

What if I have solar panels?

If you have solar panels, only offset the electricity you actually source through the grid. If you’re unsure of how much electricity you source through the grid, please refer to your electricity bills.

What if my actual usage differs from my nomination?

If Green the Team continues to be offered, you can decide whether you want to decrease or increase your nominated electricity usage for subsequent program years. It’s your choice.

How do I sign up?

Follow the link that has been emailed to you. If you need assistance, please contact your nominated Green the Team Champion.

How long do the electricity offsets last?

Your payment covers you for the program year as specified in the overview, disclosures and terms and conditions provided in the Green the Team portal.

What happens after one year?

If Green the Team continues to be offered, your employer will contact you with information on how to renew your participation in Green the Team. Renewal is voluntary, on an “opt in” basis.

Who can I contact with questions?

Please contact your nominated Green the Team Champion.