Events
Well informed Our events
With our event formats, we create a digital platform to inform you about current events in the energy world and to discuss them with you. In addition to our events for electricity and gas customers, we also offer events for energy suppliers and people interested in the energy transition.
Unfortunately, we do not have any event planned at the moment.
As soon as we offer events again, you will find all important information here.
Next event: 08.08.2023
EnergyTransition2Go
Balcony power plants for more climate protection
Balcony power plants are small photovoltaic systems that can be placed on balconies, roofs or in the garden without much bureaucracy and installation effort. This protects the environment and is easy on the wallet.
You want to operate a balcony power plant yourself? We will answer all your questions about balcony modules in the free online event with Netzwerk Energiewende Jetzt e.V.
Our digital format for people interested in energy transition & climate protection
EnergyTransition2Go
Where do we stand? Where do we want to go? Current topics of the energy transition - presented in a short and concise way. Knowledge to Go - to keep things moving.
The format should be easy to integrate into your everyday life. In a short time frame "to Go", valuable knowledge is imparted - quasi Energiewende2Go.
Section 2 for EW2Go
Biogas - a word that has been increasingly buzzing through the media since the gas market crisis, associated with many questions. In our online event, we will give you an up-to-date overview of the situation on the biogas market with a focus on biomethane.
Biogas XXX
What is the biogas market like in Germany? How is biogas, especially biomethane, currently used? What potentials can still be leveraged? How have the legal framework conditions changed since 2021 and how are politicians acting against the background of the current energy crisis?
Many questions, short answers are provided by Christian Knops (Head of Grünes Gas-Label, Grüner Strom Label e.V.) and Jörg Schäfer (Political Communication Officer, Fachverband Biogas e.V.).
All info about our last events to read Past events
Energiewende2Go: Balcony power plants for more climate protection
You want to operate a balcony power plant yourself? We will answer all your questions about balcony modules in the free online event with Netzwerk Energiewende Jetzt e.V.
Energiewende2Go Event: Electricity Market
The price of electricity is at a historically high level. This is primarily due to the war in Ukraine and the lack of gas supplies from Russia. However, the price increase also affects those who have been purchasing electricity from renewable energies for years.
ENERGY TRANSITION FORUM DIGITAL 2021
The year is coming to an end and our five energy transition forums are over. Together with Energiewende supporters, we took a look at the energy world of tomorrow and created a platform for the exchange of practical experiences, perspectives and ideas.
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Grüner Strom Label e.V. | Kaiserstrasse 113 | 53113 Bonn | Germany
Tel: +49 (0)228 / 522 611-90 | E-Mail: info@gruenerstromlabel.de
What you should know about green electricity
Grüner Strom-Label
Frequently asked questions
With Green Electricity-certified green electricity tariffs, guaranteed investments flow into the expansion of renewable energies. The level of investment is determined by a fixed amount per kilowatt hour consumed. Thus, your green power purchase indirectly influences investments in the energy transition.The funding areas include the mobility transition, energy infrastructure, energy efficiency, and other projects that serve the energy transition, such as nature conservation, development cooperation, and education.
The full range of funding opportunities can be found in the criteria catalog for the Grüner Strom-Label. Selected energy transition projects can be found here.
The Grüner Strom-Label is awarded for a green electricity tariff, not for the provider itself. The label criteria therefore relate primarily to the tariff.Thus, the Grüner Strom-Label can be found on tariffs of independent green electricity providers as well as on tariffs of municipal utilities that sell conventional electricity in addition to the certified green electricity.
Nevertheless, the Green Electricity certification also looks at aspects concerning the supplier. For example, the Grüner Strom-Label will not be granted to any company that is still directly involved in a coal-fired power plant on the cut-off date of 1.1.2027, i.e. operates a coal-fired power plant itself or is involved in an operating company with share capital/share capital. Participation in nuclear power plants is also an exclusion criterion.
You can find all the energy suppliers that offer certified green electricity here.
Among them are several nationwide providers as well as local and regional energy suppliers. In our tariff portal of the environmental associations for switching energy providers. You will find all tariffs and can easily switch to a real green electricity tariff with a Grüner Strom-Label.
Green Electricity
Green electricity is electrical energy that comes from renewable sources. It can be generated from solar radiation, wind and water power, biomass, geothermal energy or sewage gas.
Electricity from renewable sources is ecologically and socially sound because it protects the climate and reduces the consumption of fossil, finite resources. In addition, it does not produce hazardous waste, such as radioactive waste from nuclear power plants.
When you buy green electricity, it doesn't mean that green electricity is actually coming out of the pipe. Every kilowatt hour generated flows into an electricity lake, from which it is then redistributed to end customers. In other words, everyone gets the same physical electricity. But every single green electricity customer helps to make the electricity lake ever greener.
However, green electricity does not automatically promote the energy transition. For this, additional investments must be made in the expansion of renewable energies. This is guaranteed by tariffs that carry the Grüner Strom-Label.
The numerous green power products available on the energy market differ significantly from one another.
The energy markets cannot prevent energy providers from relabeling their nuclear and coal-fired power as "green power" with the help of additionally purchased certificates of origin. The reason is that the certificates can be traded independently of the actual quantities of electricity. Under this model, an energy supplier can supply its green electricity customers with electricity from conventional power plants. For this electricity, the utility buys an equivalent amount of (very cheap) guarantees of origin and can then re-declare its electricity as green electricity. The electricity purchased for customers and the guarantees of origin therefore do not come from one and the same power plant.
In addition, the decisive point in a green electricity tariff is whether or not the consumers provide an additional environmental benefit with their purchase decision. An additional environmental benefit arises when the purchase of green electricity promotes the nature-friendly expansion of renewable energies. However, this is not the case with many green electricity offers.
If, for example, an energy supplier only purchases electricity from old hydroelectric power plants for its green electricity customers, then an already existing amount of green electricity is only diverted to a certain group of consumers. The consumers who previously received the hydroelectric power may now (unknowingly) be supplied with nuclear power because they do not specifically ask for green power. The bottom line is that everything remains the same, new plants are not built, and the share of green electricity in the European electricity mix is no higher than before. Such supposedly "green" tariffs promise an additional environmental benefit that cannot be proven. In terms of this promise, they are deceptive packages.
The Grüner Strom-Label identifies for consumers the purchase of 100% genuine green electricity as well as guaranteed investments in renewable energies and innovative energy transition projects.
The guaranteed investments in the nature-compatible expansion of renewable energies are an essential distinguishing feature compared to many other green electricity labels and green electricity tariffs, where customers only receive electricity from already existing green power plants. This is because merely shifting "green" electricity quantities back and forth does not result in any additional environmental benefit.
Green electricity tariffs for private customers require an investment of at least 0.5 cents per kilowatt hour. Many energy providers also invest more than 0.5 cents per kilowatt hour.
If you want to compare an electricity tariff via the tariff portal of the environmental associations, the subsidy component and thus your energy transition contribution will be displayed for the respective energy provider.
For commercial customers, the subsidy is lower due to the higher consumption values: it ranges from 0.1 cents to 0.4 cents per kilowatt hour.
Yes. Green electricity tariffs do not necessarily have to bear a label. Certification by the Grüner Strom-Label or other seals of approval is voluntary. There are electricity providers who do not have their tariffs independently verified at all. Here, consumers must decide for themselves how credible the offer is.
On the one hand, it is not the energy providers that are certified, but only the individual tariffs. Secondly, the certification of green electricity tariffs with the Grüner Strom-Label is voluntary. Suppliers can decide for themselves whether they wish to have their products certified according to our criteria. Therefore, we cannot make any statement about the quality of your non-certified green electricity tariff. You can find more information about our certification here.
We recommend the tariff portal of the environmental associations for switching energy providers.Here you'll find only green electricity-certified green electricity rates. When changing tariffs, you don't have to be afraid that the lights will go out at some point. The power supply is guaranteed by law - even when you switch providers. By switching, you can save energy costs, protect the environment and promote the energy transition. Here you will find helpful information on switching.
Together for the energy turnaround
The faces behind
Melanie Alberts
Head of Communication & Marketing