Terms and

Conditions

Contract

ALBERTA CO-OPERATIVE ENERGY - YOUR ENERGY CO-OP

The company that wants you to enter into this marketing contract is an independent electricity or gas marketing company, whose rates are not regulated by any provincial or municipal government or agency. This company is not affiliated with the Government of Alberta.

Standard Terms and Conditions

1.0 How we define certain key terms in our Contract:

These terms and conditions are approved by the Director of Fair Trading pursuant to the Energy Marketing Regulation. They have been drafted in plain language to make it easy for reference and understanding.

Contract: These terms and conditions, the Product Sheet (i.e. sign up form) and the Recorded Call if applicable and reiterated on your invoice. When you sign up with ACE our customer service team sends you an email (or a letter if you don’t have email) which confirms the terms of the agreement and a link to the terms and conditions.

Directive: Any contract with a Distribution Company or its tariffs, policies or directives.

Distribution Company: The organization that operates your local natural gas or electricity distribution system, including the load settlement agent.

Early Exit Fee: Your cost to end your Contract or to stop service for a Site (included in your multi-site contract) with us before the Contract’s expiry date. The amount is described in section 8.4 of these Terms and Conditions and included in the Product Sheet.

Energy: The natural gas or electricity, or both, that you are buying under this Contract.

Energy Charge: The price per unit that you agree to pay for the Energy supplied to you under this Contract. It is described in the Product Sheet or the Recorded Call and reiterated on your invoice.

Laws: Any law, regulation, Directive or other legal requirement relating to this Contract or the supply, sale, receipt and purchase of Energy.

Other Charges: The amounts you will pay us in addition to the Energy Charge that are related to the supply of Energy and services under this Contract. They are charged by third parties related to third party enrollment and exit fees, franchise fees, local access fees, transportation charges, transmission charges, delivery charges and Taxes. They also include amounts charged by us that are described in the Product Sheet or the Recorded Call.

Product Sheet: The document titled “Product Sheet” that describes what you are purchasing and your personal information.

Recorded Call: The recorded telephone call that describes what you are purchasing and your personal information. A telephone call conducted to verify a written agreement is not a Recorded Call.

Retail Energy Management Rate (otherwise referred to as Retail Transaction Fee): The service rate(s) specified on the Product Sheet (i.e. sign-up form) or in the Recorded Call payable per unit of Energy that you consume as part of your Variable natural gas rate or Fixed natural gas rate or Combination natural gas rate or Variable electricity rate or Fixed electricity rate or Combination electricity rate or micro-gen rate (if applicable).

Site: Your home, business or other locations noted as Site ID numbers in the Product Sheet or the Recorded Call.

Site Administration Fee: The amount set out in the Product Sheet or the Recorded Call that we charge you each month for each Site to administer your account.

Start Date: The date on the Product Sheet or in the Recorded Call you will first receive Energy from us under this Contract.

Taxes: All lawful taxes and charges related to your purchase of Energy and services under this Contract.

Variable (otherwise referred to as wholesale or floating) electricity rate:

The load-weighted average flow-through of the wholesale market price for electricity plus a retail energy management rate. Your Variable electricity rate will change each billing period and includes cost of the profiled load shape assigned by the Distribution Company, line losses, unaccounted for energy, AESO energy marketing trading charges, uplift charges and any other costs directly incurred by ACE for the purchase of electricity from the Supplier at the AESO hourly price. The Variable Rate plan expiry date is intended primarily as an administrative tool. Prior to the expiry of a Variable Rate plan, you have the option to select another rate plan, otherwise you will be automatically defaulted to the Variable Rate plan.

Variable electricity rate is calculated as follows:
VEP = SUM ((HC + LL + UFE)*(PP+EMTC + PSM + ALM)) + REMR + SC SUM(HC)

Where
HC: means the hourly consumption of electricity as determined by applying the Distributor Load Shape to Metered Electricity;
LL: means the amount of Line Loss determined by the Distributor;
UFE: means the amount of unaccounted for energy as determined by the Distributor;
PP: means the AESO hourly power pool price as published by the AESO (“Pool Price”);
PSM: means the hourly PSM charges, as published by the AESO and charged by the AESO to retailers to pay for the uplift payments that the AESO pays to the generators of electricity.

ALM: means the hourly Adjustment to Load on Margin charges, as published by the AESO.
EMTC: means the energy market trading charge as published by the AESO;
REMR: means the Retail Energy Management Rate, payable per kWh, for electricity provided to you through our services.
SC: means the supplier charge, payable per kWh provided.

Fixed electricity rate (otherwise referred to as a fixed guaranteed rate):

A Fixed electricity rate (otherwise referred to as a fixed guaranteed rate) is a predetermined rate plus a retail energy management rate that is valid up to a defined expiry date which is shown on a customer's monthly invoice. Prior to the expiry of a Fixed Electricity Rate Plan, you need to select a new rate. Otherwise you will be automatically moved to the variable rate once your Fixed Rate plan expires.

Combined Variable and Fixed electricity rate:

A Combined Variable and Fixed electricity rate is a blend of two of our rate plans – Variable (otherwise referred to as wholesale or floating) and Fixed for electricity plus a retail energy management rate. Your rate is either the variable rate or the fixed rate, as per the specifications of your contract. Prior to the expiry of a Combined Variable and Fixed Electricity Rate Plan, you need to select a new rate. Otherwise, you will be automatically moved to the variable rate once your Combined Variable and Fixed Rate plan expires.

Hybrid Small-Scale Micro-generator rate:

The Hybrid Small-Scale Micro-generator rate is a combination of the Small-Scale Micro-Generator High Rate and Small-Scale Micro-Generator Low Rate for micro-generators for electricity plus a retail energy management rate. Your rate is either the Small-Scale Micro-Generator High Rate or the Small-Scale Micro-Generator Low Rate, as per the specifications of your contract. Prior to the expiry of a Hybrid Small-Scale Micro-Generator Rate Plan, you need to select a new rate. Otherwise, you will be automatically moved to the Small-Scale Micro-generator rate plan once your Hybrid Small-Scale Micro-Generator Rate plan expires.

In a locally or provincially declared emergency, those micro-generators in the affected area(s) may be defaulted to a lower rate for the duration of the declared emergency. If a micro-generator is affected by the declared emergency and not in the affected area(s), the micro-generator may contact ACE to request reduction of their small-scale micro-generator rate to the current pricing available to non-micro-generator customers.

Variable natural gas (otherwise referred to as wholesale or floating) rate:

A volume-weighted average flow-through of the daily spot market price for the purchase of natural gas by ACE from the Supplier plus a retail energy management rate. Your Variable natural gas rate will change from month to month and is based on the average daily price (CGPR 5A daily index) for natural gas plus any incremental costs incurred by ACE, including any UFG-Related Charges, directly related with the purchase of natural gas volumes from the Supplier for the Site(s). The Variable Rate plan expiry date is intended primarily as an administrative tool. Prior to the expiry of a Variable Rate plan, you have the option to select another rate plan, otherwise you will be automatically defaulted to the Variable Rate plan.

Variable natural gas rate is calculated as follows:
VNG = SUM(CONS+UFG )*(CGPR5ADaily Index ) + REMR + SC SUM (CONS)

Where

CONS: means daily natural gas consumption in GJ as determined by the Distributor;
CGPR5A Daily Index: means the NGX AB-NIT line 5A as published by Canadian Gas Reporter, per GJ, for each day in the billing cycle;
REMR: means the Retail Energy Management Rate, payable per GJ, for natural gas provided to you through our services.
UFG: means your Site(s) proportionate share of the Distribution Company’s line loss, unaccounted-for natural gas and compressor fuel as determined by the Distribution Company.
SC: means the supplier charge, payable per GJ provided.

Fixed Natural Gas Rate (otherwise referred to as a fixed guaranteed rate):

A Fixed natural gas rate (otherwise referred to as a fixed guaranteed rate) is a predetermined rate plus a retail energy management rate that is valid up to a defined expiry date which is shown on a customer's monthly invoice. Prior to the expiry of a Fixed Natural Gas Rate Plan, you need to select a new rate. Otherwise you will be automatically moved to the variable rate once your Fixed Rate plan expires.

Combined Variable and Fixed natural gas rate:

A Combined Variable and Fixed natural gas rate is a blend of two of our rate plans – Variable (otherwise referred to as wholesale or floating) and Fixed for natural gas plus a retail energy management rate. Your rate is either the variable rate or the fixed rate, as per the specifications of your contract. Prior to the expiry of a Combined Variable and Fixed Natural Gas Rate Plan, you need to select a new rate. Otherwise, you will be automatically moved to the variable rate once your Combined Variable and Fixed Rate plan expires.

2.0 Supply of Energy:

2.1 Conditions for supplying Energy

a) Before we supply you with Energy and services, you must meet our credit requirements, and you must continue to meet our credit requirements; and

b) Before we supply you with Energy and services, the Distribution Company must enroll your Site with us designated as your retailer.

2.2 Credit requirements and deposits

You agree to provide us with and authorize us to receive from third parties reasonable financial and credit information if we request it. We will use it to evaluate your creditworthiness, and as a result we may require a deposit at any time during the term of this Contract.

2.3 Appointing us as your agent

By entering into this Contract, you appoint us as your limited agent to deal with third parties for all purposes related to the performance of this Contract. In this role, we will conduct activities such as enrolling your Site, acquiring and arranging for the supply of Energy and services to you, and billing you for the Energy and services supplied to you. You authorize the Distribution Company to give us your consumption information and any related information that we may require. This agency relationship ends when both of us have completed all obligations under this Contract and any renewal of it.

When we act as agent, we only do so for the purposes directly related to this Contract. You are free to make your own decisions about the Energy and Contract you choose, and you agree that we are not your financial advisor and therefore have no liability for your choices.

3.0 Billing, Metering and Payment

3.1 Billing

We will bill you regularly and you must pay your bill. Your bill includes charges for all Energy supplied to you based on the Energy Charge, Other Charges, Site Administration Fee and any deposit. Occasionally your bill will contain charges or credits for adjustments related to those charges or your Energy consumption.

3.2 Estimated and actual consumption

The portion of your bill related to consumption is based on your metered Energy consumption and estimates of consumption that we or the Distribution Company make. Periodically, we will make adjustments between estimated and actual consumption and bill you a debit or credit.

3.3 Late payments or disputed invoices

If we do not receive your payment by the date indicated on the bill, we will charge you the late payment fee set out in the Product Sheet or in the Recorded Call. You have the right to dispute incorrect calculations or estimates if you inform us promptly, but you must pay your bill in full while a dispute is being resolved. If you are correct, we will adjust your bill. You are responsible for all legal and collection fees associated with us trying to collect any amounts owing, including Early Exit Fees.

3.4 Use of deposit

We may use any deposit made by you for the payment of any amounts owing pursuant to this Contract.

4.0 Changes to the supply of Energy and ending this Contract

4.1 Moving

a) You must give us at least 45 days’ advance notice before you move and tell us your new address. If the new location is within a territory we serve, we will amend this Contract to apply to your new location. Any interruption in supply of Energy or services caused by your failure to give us 45 days’ notice and any additional costs either of us incur in serving the new location will be your responsibility.

b) If you move out of Alberta or to a territory we do not serve, then on the date of your move, this Contract will end without liability to either of us. If you move to a territory where we supply only electricity or natural gas, then, on the date of your move, this Contract, as it applies to the other commodity, will end without liability to either of us.

c) If we cannot supply electricity or natural gas, or both, to your new location for any other reason (including that a third party supplies you with electricity or natural gas, or both), this Contract, as it applies to electricity or natural gas, or both, will end and we may charge you the Early Exit Fee.

4.2 Transferring this Contract

You may transfer this Contract to another person with our consent, which may be withheld. We may transfer this Contract to another Energy retailer by giving you notice.

4.3 We can end this Contract if…

We can end this Contract and charge you the Early Exit Fee if you:

a) do not pay your bill in full by the date on your bill;

b) do anything that prevents us from supplying you with Energy or services;

c) increase your consumption above 2500 GJs or 250,000 kWhs per year; or

d) do not give us satisfactory financial or credit information, do not give us a deposit when we request one, or do not meet our credit requirements.

4.4 You can end this Contract if…

You can end this Contract without cost or payment of the Early Exit Fee:

a) within 10 days after a copy of this Contract, signed by you, is received by us; or

b) within 60 days after the date you receive your first bill from us if this Contract was entered into during a Recorded Call; or

c) if another contract presently exists for the supply of Energy to your Site (but not if the existing contract expires on or before the start of this Contract).

4.5 You can also end this Contract…

You can also end this contract without payment of the Early Exit Fee within one year from the date this Contract is entered into if we i) do not set out the date the supply of Energy or services will begin; ii) do not begin the supply of Energy or services within 30 days of that date (unless you expressly authorize the late start); or iii) were not properly licensed when we entered into this Contract.

4.6 De-Enrolling You with the Distribution Company

Should you choose to end this contract, we will ask the Distribution Company to de-enroll your Site. When it does, you will receive Energy from a default supplier or another retailer you choose. The obligations under this Contract will not end until the de-enrollment is finished, and we have each completed all of our obligations to each other.

4.7 Payment of Early Exit Fee

If we charge you the Early Exit Fee, it will appear on your bill. If you do not pay it to us by the date indicated, we will charge you the late payment fee.

5.0 Unexpected Events

5.1. Inability to Perform

Certain events beyond our control may make it impossible for us to supply Energy or services to you. We are not legally responsible to you in those events and will resume supplying Energy or services as soon as we reasonably can. This Contract will otherwise remain in full effect.

5.2. Change of Laws

If we believe a change in Laws requires that we make a change to this Contract, we will notify you and the changes will apply 30 days after the notice is sent. The Energy Charge and expiry date will not change unless you agree. If a change in Laws stops us from supplying Energy or services under this Contract or creates additional costs for us that are not included in Other Charges, then we may end this Contract. If so, we will notify you and 30 days after the notice is sent, this Contract will end without liability to either of us.

6.0 Other duties and responsibilities

6.1 Promises

We both need each other’s assistance to successfully perform this Contract. Therefore, we both promise to comply with Laws and to help each other in enrolling your Site.

6.2 LIMITATION ON RESPONSIBILITY

WE DO NOT CONTROL THE PHYSICAL SYSTEMS THAT CARRY YOUR ENERGY AND THEREFORE WE DO NOT CONTROL WHETHER OR HOW YOU RECEIVE ENERGY. WE HAVE NO CONTROL OVER THINGS SUCH AS THE QUALITY, PRESSURE, VOLTAGE, FREQUENCY OR CONTINUITY OF YOUR ENERGY OR ITS SUPPLY. OTHERS, INCLUDING THE DISTRIBUTION COMPANY, CONTROL THESE THINGS AND WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY OF THEM. WE ARE ONLY RESPONSIBLE FOR DAMAGES CAUSED DIRECTLY BY OUR ACTIONS (AND SPECIFICALLY EXCLUDE LIABILITY FOR THE ACTIONS OF THOSE FOR WHOM WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE AT LAW). WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR PUNITIVE, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL OR SPECIAL DAMAGES OR DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF USE, REVENUE, PROFIT OR OPPORTUNITY.

7.0 Miscellaneous

7.1 Privacy

Our privacy policy governs the way we use the information you give us. We only use it to establish and collect money for your account, to supply Energy under this Contract, to meet our contractual obligations with others, for law enforcement activities and to communicate with you about our other services. You consent to us collecting, retaining, using and disclosing your information in this way unless you contact us and tell us otherwise. Any withdrawal of consent that prevents us from supplying Energy and services will result in the application of the Early Exit Fee. If you have any questions about the collection or use of this information, please visit our website or contact us by calling the number on your bill.

7.2 Notices

Each of us must deliver any notice related to this Contract to the other’s address on the Product Sheet. You are required to produce independent evidence that the notice was delivered. Each of us may change our address by giving notice to the other.

7.3 Entire Contract and execution

We both agree that this Contract is the only thing we may look to as the evidence of the agreement between us. Except for changes to personal information and the like, we both can only amend this Contract in writing or by telephone if allowed by Laws.

7.4 Waiver, remedies and sections that don’t end

No failure or delay to exercise a right under this Contract will cancel that right. Seeking one remedy does not prevent either one of us from seeking any other remedies we are entitled to seek. Section 6.2 does not end when this Contract ends but stays in effect.

7.5 Fixing legal problems with this Contract

If any part of this Contract is illegal or cannot be enforced, we both agree that it will be fixed to be legal and enforceable. If that part cannot be fixed without changing our intention in this Contract, it will be removed, and the rest of this Contract will stay in effect.

8.0 Additional terms and conditions applicable to the products are:

8.1 I understand I may cancel this contract without cost or penalty within 10 days after a copy of the marketing contract, signed by the consumer, is received by Alberta Co-operative Energy (ACE).

8.2 In order to process the contract, I authorize a credit check to be performed for the purposes of obtaining a credit score; the credit check will be conducted by Alberta Utility Billing Inc. as agent of ACE.

8.3 The Price does not include the Site Administration Fees at the rates identified on the Product Sheet or in the Recorded Call.

8.4 I may cancel this Contract or stop service for a Site (included in my single or multi-site contract) from my energy plan prior to the end of the Term at any time without cost or penalty unless the Product selected indicates an Early Exit Fee is applicable. The Early Exit Fee may be waived if another ACE fixed rate product is selected and approved. If ACE terminates this agreement, in whole or in part, upon a Customer Event of Default or if the Customer cancels or terminates this agreement (except pursuant to an ACE Event of Default) then the Customer will pay ACE the following Early Exit Fee: (Contract Value plus Costs) minus Market Value, so long as the Contract Value plus Costs is greater than the Market Value. If the Contract Value plus Costs is less than the Market Value, the Early Exit Fee will be deemed to be zero.

Except as otherwise specified in this Agreement, ACE will calculate, and I will be subject to, the Early Exit Fee for each Site, as determined in ACE’s discretion.

For the purposes of this section:

Remaining Contract Volume means the quantity of electricity or natural gas that the Customer has agreed to purchase (based on historical consumption (where available) or based on typical consumption for a customer of similar class) at some or all of the Sites for the periods specified in the applicable Energy Contract(s) less the quantity of electricity or natural gas that the customer has already consumed since the start of the agreement.

Contract Value means the Contract Price multiplied by the Remaining Contract Volume, for all terminated Sites and Energy Contract(s).

Market Value means the amount, as determined by ACE as of the Early Termination Date, a valid third party would pay for the Remaining Contract Volume at the current market prices, for all terminated Sites and Contract Volumes.

In determining Market Value, ACE may consider, among other things, quotations from dealers in the wholesale energy industry, ACE's internally developed forward price valuations and other genuine offers from third parties as commercially available to ACE and adjusted for the length of the remainder of the applicable term(s) and differences in volume and other factors, as ACE reasonably determines, based on the remaining contract volume that ACE would have supplied to the customer (based on historical consumption (where available) or based on typical consumption for a customer of similar class) had this Energy Contract and/or associated Sites not been terminated, from the date of de-enrollment for each applicable Site to the end of the term.

Costs means brokerage fees, commissions and other similar transaction costs and expenses reasonably incurred by or on behalf of ACE in terminating, liquidating or obtaining any arrangement pursuant to which it has hedged its obligations, and legal fees, expenses and costs, if any, incurred in connection with enforcing its rights and collecting any unpaid amounts under this agreement, including all reasonable out-of-pocket costs and legal fees incurred by ACE which result from the early termination of this agreement.

8.5 Cooperative membership is optional; if selected and approved I will receive a membership share to Alberta Co-operative Energy (ACE).

8.6 I am also responsible for Other Charges set out in the Standard Terms and Conditions. Other Charges not mentioned in the terms and conditions that I may be charged are:

Late Payment Charge: if you pay your bill after the due date set out in your bill, you will be required to pay a late payment charge of 2.0% per month (26% per annum) on any amounts outstanding after the payment due date.

9.0 Where Alberta Co-operative Energy (ACE) has entered into a joint venture with a Marketing Partner to perform the services of the Energy Marketer as an independent contractor to advertise and promote Alberta Co-operative Energy (ACE)'s Energy Services, the business names of any and all Marketing Partners are listed on Alberta Co-operative Energy (ACE)’s website located at https://www.acenergy.ca/. The Energy Marketers listed on our website operate as a marketing partner of Alberta Co-operative Energy (ACE), a licensed marketer of energy under the Consumer Protection Act. You are entering into this Energy Agreement with Alberta Co-operative Energy (ACE), and we are providing you with the Energy Services. As part of our contract with the Energy Marketer, the Energy Marketer has agreed to abide by ACE’s Code of Conduct and ACE’s Privacy Policy, both of which are posted on our website https://www.acenergy.ca/. Alberta Co-operative Energy (ACE) requires that all representations made to its Customers (by the Energy Marketer) adhere to and comply with ACE’s guiding principles set out in ACE’s Code of Conduct and ACE’s Privacy Policy.

Membership

ACE Membership Terms and Conditions

Alberta Co-operative Energy (ACE)

Terms and Conditions of Membership

As a member-owned business, you have a stake in our success. And best of all, you control your membership. You can be involved as much or as little as you like, from simply being an ACE customer (electricity and/or natural gas consumer) to becoming a board director.

The more active you are, (i.e. signing up for both electricity and natural gas) and encouraging other people to become customers (sign up to use our services), the greater the value of your membership. The more customers we have, the lower we can keep our costs and the higher earnings we will be able to reinvest or pay as patronage dividends.

Membership in ACE provides you:

· The right to attend and vote on resolutions brought forward at the cooperative’s Annual General Meeting or any special meetings of the cooperative, including approving the cooperative’s reinvestment strategies.

· The right to nominate or be nominated for the co-operative’s Board of Directors

· The right to receive an equitable share in patronage dividends (a percentage of our profits based on your level of business (consumption of electricity and natural gas) with ACE) if and when they are declared by the Board of Directors.

Rights and Responsibilities

· Members must be 18 years of age or older and be a customer in good standing with the co-operative and its related businesses.

· An individual or corporation may only hold one membership share in the co-operative.

· Corporate members must designate one individual as their representative. The individual designated as the contact person when applying for services to the co-operative shall be considered the designate, unless otherwise indicated in writing to the Board.

· Upon approval of membership, a share account will be set up in the member’s name in the co-operative’s ledger and applicants may review a copy of the co-operative’s bylaws on ACE’s website.

· Members wishing to terminate membership in the co-operative must do so in writing to the Board of the co-operative. Upon termination of membership, the co-operative will reimburse the full membership share.

By agreeing to these terms and conditions, you grant ACE the right to add $25.00 to your upcoming energy bill as payment for your membership share.

Please note that the ACE Board will review membership applications and reserves the right to reject any application at its discretion. In the unlikely event that your application is rejected, the full $25.00 membership fee shall be reimbursed as a credit on your account.

SPARK Green Offset Program Terms and Conditions

DEFINITIONS

SPARK Certified Green Generators (generators). Registered and approved solar, wind, biomass or other types of renewable energy generators that take part in the SPARK Green Offset Program.
ACE Green Power Rate (customers). A retail electricity option that allows residential, industrial and commercial customers to purchase Green Energy Offsets from small renewable energy generators.
Green Energy Offset (offset). A unit of energy (kWh) that a SPARK Certified Green Generator exports to the grid. A single unit (kWh) of renewable energy entering the grid = 1 unit (kWh) of Green Energy Offsets.
Exported Energy. Energy recorded at the revenue-grade (Measurement Canada certified) meter. With distributed generators, the total kWhs can be a program offset. With micro-generators, only energy exported to the grid can be a registered offset.
SPARK Offset Registry. SPARK’s database of registered and retired Green Energy Offsets.

GENERATION AND OFFSET REGISTRY

SPARK Certified Green Generators (generators) have the opportunity to sell the green attributes of their exported energy at the current rate of up to 1.85 cents/kWh. Generators will also continue to receive compensation for their exported energy as they would if they were not registered in the SPARK Green Offset Program. Only the green attributes of the exported energy are registered with ACE in the form of a Green Energy Offset for sale to its customers.
Green generators may not sell the offsets produced from their registered system to any other retailer, individual or company in the form of any GHG offsets, Renewable Energy Credits or any other carbon credit offset system. ACE customers that are leasing their solar electric systems may not be eligible to participate in the SPARK Green Offset Program, as the lessor may own the environmental benefits of the solar electric system.
- ACE micro-generators who have received funding from the new provincial Residential and Commercial Solar Program are not able to participate in the SPARK Green Offset Program or sell their offsets anywhere else, as their offsets are owned by Energy Efficiency Alberta.
Upon registration, each generator is assigned to a specific generator category. Generator categories may include:
- Calgary solar micro-generators (YYC-SOLAR)
- Edmonton solar micro-generators (YEG-SOLAR)
- Alberta solar and wind micro-generators (AB-MG)
- Additional generator categories will exist and can be created for larger solar and wind generators (both distributed generators and micro-generators)
Each generator is assigned an ID code corresponding to their generator category and the order in which the generator registered as a SPARK Certified Green Generator. (Example: YYC-SOLAR-001 corresponds to the first micro-generator registered in the Calgary solar micro-generators category.)
Monthly exported energy (kWh) as measured by the utility becomes registered as a Green Energy Offset in SPARK’s offset registry.
The registered Green Energy Offsets will remain in SPARK’s offset registry until purchased and retired by ACE Green Power Rate customers or until un-retired offsets are returned to the generator upon their exit from the program
All new and existing ACE customers are provided with the option to purchase Green Energy Offsets from SPARK.
When signing up for the Green Power Rate, ACE customers will need to select a specific generator or generator category to purchase Green Energy Offsets from.
For each kWh of energy consumed by a ACE Green Power Rate customer, ACE will provide up to 1.85 cents for purchase of a registered Green Energy Offset from SPARK’s offset registry within that customer’s chosen generator category with exceptions as outlined in point 14 below.
Total energy consumption (kWh) of all ACE Green Power Rate customers within specific generator categories are recorded on a quarterly basis. Q1 totals include energy consumed from January, February and March statements; Q2 totals include energy consumed during April, May, and June statements, etc. Statements and billing periods remain the same as ACE’s existing statement periods for our customers and may not align perfectly with each of these months. For example, January statement will generally reflect the billing period for December but may also include days from November or January.
The total combined consumption (kWh) of ACE Green Power Rate customers within a generator category is distributed and assigned to registered Green Energy Offsets within the selected generator categories in SPARK’s offset registry. Registered Green Energy Offsets become officially retired for each unit purchased by the Green Power Rate customers. Once a Green Energy Offset is retired, it is no longer eligible for sale through SPARK’s Green Offset Program or other offset markets.
Green Energy Offsets are purchased and retired in the order in which they are registered with SPARK.(See below)
Green Energy Offsets that are not purchased during any given quarter are carried forward to the following quarter and prioritized for sale. SPARK will attempt to sell all registered offsets; however, a time lag or buffer between offset registration and offset sale/retirement is required for program functionality
SPARK will make every effort to ensure that the amount of energy consumed by ACE Green Power Rate customers does not exceed the amount of Green Energy Offsets available for sale within a given generator category. If purchased Green Energy Offsets exceed amount available for sale within a given category, SPARK reserves the right to allocate and retire Green Energy Offsets from other generator categories to ensure that our ACE Green Power Rate customers have purchased Green Energy Offsets for 100% of their consumed energy.
Annual reports will be provided to SPARK Certified Green Generators 90 days following the end of the calendar year. Reports will include details specific to the generator’s category. (See below)
ACE reserves the right to refuse service to new or existing Green Power Rate customers if SPARK has inadequate offset generation to meet demand. ACE Green Power Rate customers will be notified prior to movement to ACE’s default rate or another rate of the customers’ choosing.
SPARK reserves the right to limit new generator sign up if demand for Green Power Rate is limited or insufficient to meet generation from existing generators.
When a generator leaves the SPARK Green Offset program, a summary report detailing retired offsets will be provided. Any outstanding offsets that have not been retired will be de-registered from SPARK’s offset registry for future use or sale by the customer.
SPARK reserves the right to modify the terms of this agreement with 30 days' advance notice to the generator.

Green Energy Offsets Retirement Priority:

The oldest registered offsets are retired first within each generator category (Example - Registered offsets from January 2016 are purchased and retired before offsets from February 2016; Offsets carried over from Q4-2015 are purchased and retired before offsets from January 2016)

Offsets from the same month are retired based on the generator ID; older generator IDs offsets are sold before newer generator ID’s offsets.

Example prioritization of offset sales for Q1-2016:

Offsets carried over from Q4-2015 from YYC-SOLAR-001
Offsets carried over from Q4-2015 from YYC-SOLAR-002
January 2016 offsets from YYC-SOLAR-001
January 2016 offsets from YYC-SOLAR-002
February 2016 offsets from YYC-SOLAR-001
February 2016 offsets from YYC-SOLAR-002
February 2016 offsets from YYC-SOLAR-003 (new generator signs up mid-quarter and enters queue for offset sales)
March 2016 offsets from YYC-SOLAR-001
March 2016 offsets from YYC-SOLAR-002

Annual Reports will be provided to SPARK Certified Green Generators 90 days following the end of the calendar year. Reports will include details specific to the generator’s category:

Green Energy Offsets (kWh) purchased by ACE Green Power Rate customers within their chosen generator category
Number of generators within the category
Total Green Energy Offsets registered in SPARK’s offset registry (kWh) within generator category
Total Green Energy Offsets retired from SPARK’s offset registry (kWh) within generator category
Total Green Energy Offsets carried forward to the next quarter (kWh) within generator category
Details of any offsets transferred to or from other generator categories in cases of inadequate generator offset supply
Overall program details with summary of all generator categories

Financial compensation to generators will be issued annually via direct deposit into the customers’ bank account or issued as a credit on their ACE invoice if the customer chooses not to provide their banking information.

SPARK