What do I need to do to have energy certified under the naturemade label?
You can have energy generation plants or energy products certified under the naturemade or naturemade star schemes:
Please contact the VUE executive office for an initial consultation.
Licensing flowchart for all energy systems except naturemade star hydroelectric power plants
Licensing flowchart for naturemade star hydroelectric power plants
Select a VUE-accredited lead auditor from the list provided and organise a time for your audit. The audit will examine whether the naturemade certification criteria are complied with.
Please note that the certification of hydroelectric power plants (except drinking water and waste water power plants) under the naturemade star quality label involves additional steps.
Complete the following application forms and the required declaration in preparation for the audit and collate the necessary documentation:
- Application for membership (for non-members only)
- Application for recertification of energy products
- Application for (re-)certification of energy generation plants
The lead auditor will submit all documents including the audit report to the VUE executive office. Please note the submission dates (four dates per year).
The VUE Board examines the applications for certification it receives and decides whether the respective plant or product warrants certification.
The lead auditor then carries out annual review audits, which involve checks of the energy accounts, a review of existing requirements and a brief check of compliance with criteria (see the documents on Review audit preparation for energy generation plant licensees (in german).
The certification of hydroelectric power plants under the naturemade star scheme involves additional steps
Swiss rivers are already being used extensively for energy generation, which can have substantial environmental impacts. New hydroelectric power plants built since 2001 are therefore subject to additional rules if they are to be certified under the naturemade star quality label in order to prevent any further impacts as far as possible.
You need to submit an application for a preliminary examination to the VUE Board, which will decide whether certification is principally possible, based on the documentation submitted.
For hydroelectric power plants built before 2001 and those that have passed the preliminary examination stage, it is recommended that a management strategy is developed, ideally in cooperation with an expert in aquatic ecology. This strategy should address details of the naturemade star greenhydro® criteria and comprise an action plan.
Relevant aquatic ecology criteria are examined not only by the VUE-accredited lead auditor, but also by a VUE-accredited expert auditor as part of a special audit. The special audit is based on the management strategy, and the auditor may not have been involved in the development of the management strategy.
In contrast to the certification of energy generation plants, the certification of energy products no longer requires an audit by an external lead auditor.
Please contact the VUE executive office for an initial consultation.
Please complete the following documents to apply for a license for your energy product.
- Application for membership (for non-members only)
- Application for certification of energy products
Please submit the completed documents to the VUE office. Please note the submission dates (four dates per year).
The VUE Board examines the applications for certification it receives and decides whether the respective plant or product warrants certification.
Annual review audits must be carried out by a VUE-accredited lead auditor. Review audits involve checks of the energy accounts, a review of existing requirements and a brief check of compliance with criteria (see the documents on Review audit preparation for energy supply licensees (in german)).