Frequently Asked Questions

No. We have no affiliation with the Government of Alberta. All of our programs are privately funded and we do not receive any subsidies whatsoever.
Wondering how we fund our programs without government help? Take a look.
Not exactly. When you green a percentage of your electricity consumption, we purchase and retire Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) on your behalf. Once electricity is generated and placed on the grid, it is impossible to tell which electrons were generated through renewable energy and which were generated using conventional methods. We purchase RECs equivalent to your consumption. Your purchase guarantees that clean, renewable energy is being placed onto the electric grid, raising the percentage of renewable energy used overall.
In order to green a percentage of your home or farm's electricity consumption, you must sign up for service with one of the Energy Marketers affiliated with Green Alberta Energy. When you sign up, there will be an option on the online sign up form to green all or some of your electricity consumption. Already a customer of one of our Energy Marketers? Login to My Account and identify how much you would like to green.
Yes. Albertans who wish to green their business operations, event, or other special occasion can contact our Customer Care Team by phone at (403) 726.9694 or by email (customercare@greenalbertaenergy.ca) specifying how many RECs you would like to purchase.
You are in control. Let us know the percentage of your monthly consumption that you want to green and we will apply this percentage to your actual billed consumption (kWh multiplied by the percentage you want to green). Green energy costs 1.66 cents/kWh. Use our handy green calculator to estimate how much this will mean for you.
As an example, if an average residential consumer uses 600 kWh per month and greens 25% of their monthly consumption, it would cost about 8 cents per day.
You can choose to green as much of your electricity consumption as you want from 5% all the way up to 100%. Just green what you can afford, every little bit helps. If you choose a special “Green Rate” that has a minimum percentage requirement for green energy, you must green at least the percentage of electricity specified to qualify for the rate.
Yes. In 2019 we launched the Solar Club, a new program designed specifically for small solar micro-generators in Alberta. Membership in the club provides a number of benefits including special electricity rates, flexible rate plans, cash back, and free Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs). Click here to learn more.
A carbon credit (aka carbon offset) is a tradable certificate that represents a one-tonne reduction in or removal of carbon dioxide or carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e). Carbon credits are generated from projects, such as your solar system, that prevent emissions that would have taken place without the project.
System generation will depend on several factors (panel tilt, number of sunshine hours, etc.) so the figures below are approximates based on ideal generation conditions:
  1. 1 credit for every 2,000 kWh (i.e. a system that generates 10,000 kWh annually will earn approximately 5 credits)
  2. For every 1 kW in nameplate capacity, your system will generate approximately 0.7 credits (i.e. a 10 kW system will generate approximately 7 credits per year)
Carbon is a commodity, and the market price is based on demand and supply. As the market price for carbon changes, your annual return from the program will adjust accordingly. Our Carbon Offset Credit Platform provides system owners with a market sale rate for carbon credits. As a Producer, you will be paid the market price per credit minus a commission fee (see "What are 'Commission Costs'?" for more information) over the 10-year period.
For context, in 2022, the sale price of a carbon credit in the Alberta market can reach up to $50 (the current ceiling price set by the Alberta Government).
Our fixed price for carbon credits is $28. As a Producer, you will be paid $28 per credit minus a 40% commission. This price has been deemed fair given the fluctuations in the market risk over the 8-year period.
The Commission Costs are split between the Aggregators and us, and cover the administrative burden of managing the program, including the cost of independent third-party audit as required by government.
If you select a fixed price for your carbon credits, the Commission Cost is 40% of the $28 per carbon credit, which means you get to keep 60% of the value of each credit.
If you select a variable price through Radicle Balance, the Commission Cost is 40% followed by a discount on the market price of 20% (see "How does pricing work on the 'Floor Price' model?" for more information).
If you select a variable price through Solar Offset for your carbon credits, the Commission Cost will vary depending on the size of your system. The commission costs are shown in the table below:
Commission Level System Size Commission Cost You Keep
Solar Spark 5 – 7.99 kW 50% 50%
Solar Ray 8 – 14.99 kW 45% 55%
Solar Flare 15 – 29.99 kW 40% 60%
Solar Wind 30 – 99.99 kW 35% 65%
Solar Storm 100 – 999.99 kW 30% 70%
Here are a few examples to illustrate how the floor price model works.
Example 1: Juan – 16 credits - $40 market price
Juan signed up on the variable rate and has a house with 16 kW capacity – he generates 16 credits in 2023. The development fee of 40% of the credits is taken off as commission (6.5 credits). There are 9.5 credits remaining. Radicle sources the prevailing market price ($40) and discounts it 20% for smaller volumes. Radicle will buy each credit for $32. Radicle buys the 9.5 credits from Juan at the discounted market rate ($32). Juan gets a cheque from UTILITYnet for $304 total.
Example 2: Lily – 50 credits - $55 market price
Lily signed up on the variable rate with a 50 kW system, she generates 50 credits in 2024. The development fee of 40% of the credits is taken off as commission (20 credits). There are 30 credits remaining. Radicle sources the prevailing market price ($55) and discounts it 20% for smaller volumes. Radicle will buy each credit for $44. Radicle buys the 30 credits from Lily at the discounted market rate ($44). Lily gets a cheque from UTILITYnet for $1,320.
Example 3: Lucille – 20 credits - $10 market price
Lucille signed up on the variable rate and generates 20 credits in 2023. The development fee of 40% of the credits is taken off as commission (8 credits). There are 12 credits remaining. Radicle sources the prevailing market price and, due to a crash in the market (we believe this to be unlikely, but a possibility nonetheless) it falls to $10. Radicle guarantees Lucille a floor price of $20 per credit, so Radicle will buy each credit for $20 even though they’re only worth $10. Radicle buys the 12 credits from Lucille at the floor price of $20. Lucille gets a cheque from UTILITYnet for $240.
Our Carbon Offset Credit Platform is partnered with two aggregators: Solar Offset and Radicle Balance. Through Solar Offset, you can choose variable pricing for your carbon credits. Through Radicle Balance, you can choose fixed pricing for your carbon credits.
Just like with your electricity and natural gas, this will depend on your risk tolerance. If you would prefer a guaranteed price for your carbon credits, then our fixed price is the way to go. If you would prefer the going market rate for your carbon credits, and are comfortable with fluctuations in the market, then our variable pricing is the option you should select.
No, it is important for all system owners to recognize that if you sign up to more than one project, you will get paid only from the one you sign up to first. During the verification process, your system ID will be cross-referenced with other projects, and you will be eliminated from one of the projects and receive only a return from the one to which you signed up initially.
You sure can! For those customers already signed up under a fixed price model, they will have until October 1, 2022 to decide whether to switch to Radicle's variable price model. Please note that you can only switch with the same aggregator (for instance, you cannot switch from Radicle's fixed rate model to Solar Offset's variable price model).
The Alberta registry requires the entity that registers the project (the Aggregators) to report on that project for the full crediting period.
The provincial government allows Aggregators two options: Either register for 8 years, with a potential 5-year extension that may or may not be approved or register for a 10-year option. Each Aggregator has chosen the option that they believe will maximize value for you.
You will be paid within 60 days of the sale of the offsets to third parties, and UTILITYnet shall pay you (the Producer) within 10 days of receipt of funds from the Aggregator. The dates of payment are determined by the date on which the project is registered, which varies between Aggregators.
No, carbon credits are different from RECs. A Renewable Energy Certificate represents 1 megawatt-hour (MWh) of green energy being injected into the grid. You cannot generate both carbon credits and RECs, as the protocol does not allow it – this would be double-dipping, getting paid twice for renewable energy generation.
Carbon credits are traded on the open market in Alberta and elsewhere, and thus the price changes just like stocks. They're typically bought by large businesses in a private transaction.
Verification is an independent, third-party audit process completed to international standard ISO 14064-3, during which the generation data and other information collected by the Aggregators is checked for compliance with government rules. Without passing the verification, no credits can be created.
Once a credit is generated, it is given a unique serial number (serialization). Credits are then traded on the market, purchased, and then "retired" to ensure there is no double counting and that a credit can only be used once.
Carbon credits represent a one-tonne reduction in carbon dioxide or carbon dioxide equivalent, whereas the carbon tax represents a pollution price per tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent emitted. The carbon tax rates are based on global warming potential factors and emissions factors used by Environment and Climate Change Canada.
After you select and register for a program online, the Aggregators will assess your project and determine if you qualify. You will not need to wait until the verification process to know if you're eligible to participate in our Carbon Offset Credit Platform.
Simply indicate that this is the case on the registration form, and the program Aggregators will assess the details and let you know if that part of your system qualifies.
Credits cannot be serialized retroactively on solar projects in Alberta, so the years that the panels have been generating in the past won't qualify. However, systems already installed can generate credits from future production.
Grid intensity (also known as Grid Displacement Factor, GDF) refers to the greenhouse gas emissions associated with electricity from the Alberta grid. It is measured in units of tonnes of carbon dioxide per megawatt-hour (tCO2/MWh). It is the rate at which your solar PV system can generate offset credits. The GDF is set by the Alberta Government, who review it every two years. As Alberta's electricity grid transitions from emissions-heavy sources (coal) to lower emission generation sources (natural gas and renewables), the GDF will decrease. In 2022, the GDF is 0.57, and in 2023/24, the GDF is set to be reduced to 0.52.
The GDF for your system is fixed according to the year in which the project is registered. In other words, once you start generating offset credits, your GDF doesn't change for the duration of the term. Since the GDF is projected to decrease, it is to your advantage to secure your place in our aggregate pool early.
The administrative burden to register a project is quite heavy, so only very large projects can be cost-effectively registered with the Alberta Emissions Offset Registry (AEOR). A single home does not represent enough generation to make registration worthwhile or cost effective without aggregation.
The Aggregators are required to report on the project for the full duration of the term, therefore you have the right to cancel early but the termination will not take effect until the end of the term.
In the case of fixed pricing, ownership of the credits transfers to Radicle Balance, who will assume ownership of credits generated until the end of the term or until a new agreement is signed with the new homeowners. Payment will only be made to the new homeowners if they sign an agreement with Radicle Balance.
In the case of variable pricing, the agreement terminates, and you are entitled to receive your offset credits up to the point of the sale of your property. There is no requirement for you to get the new homeowner to sign up, Solar Offset takes care of that independently with the new homeowner and only once your property sale is complete. You simply notify Solar Offset that you have sold your property, provide your new address, and you’ll receive the payment you are due at the end of the year.
Signing an agreement with one of the Aggregators has no impact on your choice of utility provider. You can change electricity providers at any time during the term and your business relationship with the Aggregator, as well as your participation in our Carbon Offset Credit Platform, remains unchanged.