Meet TCO Certified’s Renewable Energy Requirements

Posted : May 23, 2025
Buyers of Environmental Commodities

Achieving TCO Certified means electronics companies must know how to source and properly document clean energy in every market they operate. This guide breaks down what you need to do, why it matters, and how to stay compliant.

What is TCO Certified?

TCO Development is an independent non-profit organization that manages TCO Certified, the world’s leading sustainability certification for IT products. This certification ensures that products meet stringent environmental and social standards throughout their entire lifecycle.

Renewable Energy Requirements Explained

A major highlight of TCO Certified Generation 10 is the requirement that at least 15% of electricity used in the final assembly of certified IT products must come from renewable sources. This mandatory rule not only directly reduces carbon emissions but also encourages investment in renewable energy, particularly in regions dependent on fossil fuels.

Acceptable renewable energy sources:

Wind
Solar
Geothermal
Hydropower (with certain restrictions on pumped hydro storage)
Biomass (agricultural waste, forest biomass, sustainable biofuels)

Brands must submit annual renewable energy reports by August 31st, covering electricity consumption from the previous calendar year. This reporting continues for one year past the certification’s expiration date.

Reporting Renewable Energy Consumption

Brands must clearly document:

Total electricity consumption (in megawatt-hours, MWh)
Overall renewable electricity ratio for each final assembly factory
Specific renewable electricity ratio for the brand’s certified products

Reporting can occur either for the entire factory or specifically for the brand’s portion of production. Brand-specific reporting allows companies to purchase additional renewable energy certificates to meet or exceed the required 15% renewable ratio independently.

Documentation should include energy bills, metering records, or energy audits. If reporting specifically by brand, evidence of total production or revenue share is also necessary.

The Importance and Use of Energy Attribute Certificates (EACs)

Energy Attribute Certificates (EACs) play a central role in proving compliance. These certificates confirm renewable electricity generation and ownership, whether the renewable energy is generated onsite, offsite, on-grid, or off-grid. Factories can retain and use these certificates even if they export power back to the grid.

Key EAC compliance rules:

Certificates must originate from the same national region as the factory.
Renewable energy must be generated within the same national region.
Only certificates recognized by TCO Development are accepted.
Certificates must be electronically serialized and permanently retired upon use, preventing any duplication of claims.

Companies can Purchase Cross-Border RECs if…

TCO Certified acknowledges market constraints and allows exceptions:

If local EAC prices exceed $10 USD/MWh, up to 30% of renewable energy can be sourced from neighboring markets.
If prices surpass $30 USD/MWh, up to 70% can be sourced from neighboring markets.

Verification ensures the authenticity and accuracy of certificates, confirming correct generation and consumption periods, ensuring proper ownership by factories (and brands, if applicable), and verifying permanent retirement.