A transfer of a certificate is the registry action of moving it from one account holder to another. Transfers are the principal mechanism through which EACs move from seller to buyer following a trade, and they are recorded in the registry as a permanent change of ownership.
A transfer instruction is initiated by the account holder currently holding the certificates, specifying the recipient account, the certificates to be transferred (typically identified by serial range or batch), and the volume. The registry validates the instruction, debits the sender's account, and credits the recipient's account. Once executed, the transfer is recorded in both accounts.
A transfer moves certificates between accounts; the certificates remain valid and in circulation, just under new ownership. A cancellation permanently removes the certificate from circulation to back a renewable energy claim, and the certificate cannot be transferred again afterwards. Transfers happen during the trading and intermediation phase of a certificate's lifecycle; cancellation happens at the end.
Within a coordinated registry system such as the European EECS for GoOs, certificates can be transferred between accounts across borders. The Association of Issuing Bodies (AIB) coordinates these cross-border transfers via the EECS Hub. Outside that framework, certificates generally cannot be transferred between separate registries: a US REC tracked in WREGIS cannot move into a European GoO registry, and vice versa.
Once executed in the registry, a transfer is final and the recipient becomes the new account holder. A reversal is only possible if the new holder initiates a separate transfer back to the original sender. In effect, an erroneous transfer can only be corrected with the cooperation of the recipient.
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Transfer (of a certificate)
