This page contains periodic announcements related to the operation of the New Zealand Energy Certificate System.
For more information on any of these announcements, please contact us directly.
13.03.26: Introducing a new flexible Transaction Period
BraveTrace is pleased to announce the introduction of a flexible Transaction Period process with a target go-live date of 1 May 2026.
The new Transaction Period process will enable:
- A longer period for transacting (issuing, transferring and redeeming) New Zealand Energy Certificates (NZ-ECs) – benefiting renewable generators (especially solar), Energy Users and carbon auditors;
- An earlier start date of certification when registering Energy Users; and
- Alignment of NZ-EC reporting with carbon reporting periods.
We will soon share additional information, including:
- Practical guidance on how the Transaction Period process will work;
- Transition details from the current Production Year process; and
- Guidance for parties requiring Statement of Position or Redemption Receipt reports for the period ending March 2026.
Watch this space!
10.03.26: Registry v2 is live
Registry v2 has been in development for around 2 years and we are now ready to switch over from Registry v1 to the new Registry v2. Many improvements have been made including, but not limited to, the following:
- Registry v2 has an entirely new architecture than v1 which will provide a
stable base for future enhancements and other improvements to the NZECS
Registry in the coming years. - We have been able to speed up most pages by a little, but some pages are now much faster such as the Energy User list page.
- Improved reliability of the system at both the code level and the feature level. Registry v2 also has more automated testing to minimise regressions as well as a more thorough and automatic release procedure.
Now that we are switched to the new system, we look forward to serving you in the future by increasing both the functionality of the system and the speed with which those updates are released.
Frequently Asked Questions
What password do I use on the new system?
You can still use your current email address and password on the new system, so please continue using that when logging in.
Where do I report any problems if I see them?
Whilst we have tried to minimise any bugs in the new system there may be one or two still lurking around. Thank you for finding them and reporting them to be fixed.
Please contact Andy Chilton <> and feel free to Cc Ops at the usual address. Regular operations queries should be to <> as usual.
When can I expect to see further improvements and features?
Once we have switched off Registry v1 we will be able to change and update more parts of the internal system with a view to improving your user-visible areas of the site. Over time you’ll start to see more features being released with regularity.
Is the change from the Production Year process to the Transaction Period process still happening?
We will soon notify you of our decision regarding the potential introduction of the Transaction Period process. Should we decide to proceed, regular updates, including the steps to complete implementation and transition, will be provided on the System Updates Page.
Will the changes I make on either Registry v1 or Registry v2 show up on the other system this week?
Yes. Both systems use the same database and since v2 was written as a replacement of v1, also acts in the same way, therefore any changes you make on one system – whilst we’re running both in parallel – will be made to the same data as would appear on both systems.
When does v1 get switched off and do I have to change before that date?
The schedule is as follows:
- 9th-16th March 2026 – Registry v1 and Registry v2 run in parallel.
- 16th-23rd March 2026 – Registry v1 will automatically redirect you to v2.
- 23rd March 2026 – Registry v1 will be switched off.
Please bookmark the new URL (https://nzecs.bravetrace.co.nz) so you can go straight to Registry v2 in the future.
03.04.24: 2023/24 End of Production Year key dates
The 2023/24 Production Year (1 April 2023 – 31 March 2024) is now being finalised. Please see the linked document for the list of activities and key dates by which these should be completed. This will ensure that all the transactions are completed in the Registry by the 30th April 2024 at 11:59 pm NZT, in line with the System Rules.
If you have any questions or need an extension on any activity, please contact . Our Operations team will try to accommodate late requests where possible.
20.02.23: 2022/23 End of Production Year key dates
With the end of the Production Year fast approaching on the 31st of March 2023, the BraveTrace (previously Certified Energy) team has developed a list of dates by which all the important processes must be completed. This will ensure that:
- all the transactions are completed in the Registry by the 30th of April 2023 at 11:59 pm NZT, in line with the NZECS System Rules,
- the 2022/23 Production Year is successfully closed in the Registry.
After the 2022/23 Production Year is closed in the Registry, the 2023/24 Production Year will be opened in the first week of May in the Registry for all System Users.
For the complete fall of dates, please see the detailed document below.
2022/23 End of Production Year key dates (20/02/2023)
19.04.22: Registry update announcement
The latest release of the NZECS Registry, as of early April 2022, included key feature changes such as:
- Clearly displaying serial numbers next to certificate bundles,
- Start date of certification, and two new declarations, in the form for creating or editing Energy Users
- Small bug fixes relating to uploading embedded generation data
For more information, please see the detailed release document below.
Release summary – version 1.5.0, 1.5.1 (as of 07/04/2022)
14.03.22: Registry update announcement
BraveTrace (previously Certified Energy) is committed to the ongoing improvement of our online Registry platform.
The latest release, as of the end of February 2022, included key feature changes such as:
- The capacity for Registrant to upload generation data for embedded Production Devices,
- Additional emissions fields for Registrants to populate at time of device registration,
- Energy User contact emails can be re-used across multiple Energy Users,
- Improvements to the ICP upload feature for Participants, and
- Acceptance of decimal values when inputting ICP consumption.
For more details, please see the detailed release document below.
Release summary – version 1.3.0, 1.3.1 & 1.4.0 (as of 23/02/2022)
01.12.21: Deferral of physical device audits.
In the registration of some Production Devices, required information has been captured remotely due to restrictions of movement caused by COVID-19. As a requirement of this method of registration, BraveTrace (previously Certified Energy) requested the right to complete a physical, on-site audit of the Production Devices in question within the following 12 months.
Due to on-going risks associated with the continued existence of COVID-19, we have extended the time period for physical audit of the Production Devices by three months, to 15 months. During this time, we will also be assessing the possibility of formalising the process of remote information provision for the purpose of registering a Production Device.
More information will be presented once available, including any decisions made relating to requirements for Production Device registration and audit.