What certificate types does Northmore Gordon list on its Certificates page?

We list International Renewable Energy Certificates, Tradable Instruments for Global Renewables, Australian Carbon Credit Units, Energy Savings Certificates, Large-scale Generation Certificates, Small-scale Technology Certificates, and Victorian Energy Efficiency Certificates. Each belongs to its own programme with distinct eligibility requirements, calculation methods, and market conditions. The company emphasises that a project's technology alone does not establish eligibility; the activity must meet the particular scheme and method requirements. Sales teams should treat these as areas to assess rather than a universal list of eligible activities, and distinguish each instrument's purpose and regulatory context when discussing project opportunities.

Does Northmore Gordon provide any certificate-related support beyond sales?

Yes. Beyond certificate sales, we provide comprehensive certificate support to installers including assistance with project nomination and evidence gathering, activity eligibility assessment, evidence standards compliance, certificate pathway selection based on project location, equipment and timing, project registration support, and certificate creation and trading services. We also deliver engineering and commercial assessment for environmental certificates. This advisory role means sales conversations should connect customer project details to the specific scheme requirements, measurement planning needs, and evidence responsibilities that precede and support certificate creation.

What information should a sales team gather during an initial customer inquiry about certificates?

An initial inquiry should capture the organisation and site location, the country and Australian state where relevant, the decision the customer needs to make, the project stage (idea, study, quote, contracted, installed, commissioned, or operating), existing equipment or equipment to be installed, project timeline and ownership arrangements, any prior installation or certificate claims, and whether energy data or records are available. The sales team should also identify the business problem driving the inquiry and distinguish estimates from measured information. This information enables Northmore Gordon to scope an appropriate assessment and determine whether the proposed activity meets a chosen programme's requirements at its actual stage.

How should sales teams present the commercial case for certificates to customers?

Certificate quantity, eligibility, verification cost, and sale price are separate variables and should not be combined without transparent analysis. Sales teams should compare a base case without unconfirmed proceeds with an incentive scenario, showing customers the project merit independent of certificate support. Certificate price and quantity assumptions must be shown separately in investment cases, and customers should understand that a historical certificate value or payback based on another project does not establish today's price or outcomes. Early assessment should identify what evidence must be recorded and who gathers it, allowing customers to make informed decisions about timing and funding without relying on unverified certificate proceeds.

What are the key differences between the major Australian certificate schemes that affect sales discussions?

Energy-efficiency certificates (VEECs, ESCs) depend on whether activities meet particular scheme and method requirements specific to Victoria or NSW. Renewable-energy attributes (STCs, LGCs, REGOs) depend on who owns the attributes and what claim their retirement will support. Carbon credits (ACCUs) require an approved method and evidence establishing eligible abatement. A project's technology alone does not establish eligibility—a solar installation is not automatically eligible for all renewable pathways, and heating equipment may or may not qualify under the relevant scheme. Sales teams should raise scheme-specific questions early and avoid promising a certificate pathway before confirming the activity eligibility, timing, and measurement requirements with the applicable regulator.

When should a sales team involve Northmore Gordon's technical team in certificate conversations?

Early involvement is critical. Before relying on a certificate contribution in an investment case, ask for the governing activity and document version, main eligibility assumptions, calculation basis, evidence responsibilities, and commercial treatment of certificates. If a customer has already installed equipment or made purchase commitments, timing becomes a constraint—CER's newness guidance identifies certain investment and asset commitments as potentially significant before ACCU registration, with method-specific exceptions. Similarly, certificate eligibility depends on the project's actual dates, not simply whether work was later completed. Involving technical assessment early preserves funding options and prevents unsupported promises from appearing in customer investment cases.

What coordination roles must be assigned when a customer commits to a certificate project?

An Evidence File Coordinator should be appointed to maintain compiled project documentation across facility, installation, advisory, and finance teams. A Technical Owner should manage and execute project actions, and the Facility Team should provide project information and coordinate with the evidence coordinator. Before works begin, an evidence checklist should identify what must be recorded before installation, during installation, and after commissioning. The customer and we should establish who gathers evidence, who checks it, and who can make the relevant application or claim. This coordination prevents evidence being collected too late and reduces the chance that a technically sound project loses a funding option because information was missing or responsibility was unclear.

How do certificate proceeds differ from energy savings or maintenance benefits in project economics?

Certificate proceeds, energy savings, tariff savings, maintenance benefits, and grant support are separate benefit lines and should appear in different sections of project documentation and investment cases. A certificate's financial value depends on its quantity, eligibility, the sale price at a specific date, and timing of payment—not on the underlying energy savings quantity or the equipment's maintenance benefits. When comparing opportunities, sales teams should keep these benefits distinct, request that assessors identify certificate assumptions separately, and ensure customers understand that combining benefits requires analysis showing no overlap. A payback calculation that treats certificate price and energy savings as interchangeable quantities misleads customers and creates risk if either assumption changes.

What should sales teams understand about STCs and LGCs to avoid misrepresenting eligibility?

STCs (Small-scale Technology Certificates) and LGCs (Large-scale Generation Certificates) should not be treated as interchangeable incentives and have different eligibility, creation, and use rules under Australia's Renewable Energy Target scheme. A facility generating solar electricity may be eligible to create LGCs, STCs, or neither, depending on system size and other factors—not all renewable systems qualify for all pathways. Additionally, a facility cannot create REGOs and LGCs for the same electricity generation, and I-RECs cannot be created for the same generation as either LGCs or REGOs. Sales teams should avoid assuming a solar or battery system automatically qualifies for a particular certificate pathway, and confirm the applicable scheme and eligible instrument with technical assessment before quoting contribution amounts.

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