Verra is the world’s leading registry for voluntary carbon credits. Its Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) is the most widely used standard for emission-reduction projects globally. Credits issued under VCS are called Verified Carbon Units (VCUs), each one representing one tonne of CO₂-equivalent reduced.
For a South African solar project, VCS registration moves through four stages in sequence.
Project design
We document your installation: system size, commissioning date, generation history, location, ownership. This documentation is consolidated into a Project Description and submitted to Verra. We use Verra’s approved methodology for grid-connected solar projects.
Validation
An independent third-party auditor (known as a Validation and Verification Body, or VVB) reviews the project design and confirms it meets the methodology’s requirements. For our portfolio, validation was completed by TÜV NORD CERT GmbH in July 2024. Validation typically takes 6–9 months.
Verification
After the project has been operational for a defined monitoring period, a separate VVB audit confirms the actual emission reductions match what was projected. For our portfolio, verification was completed by SustainCert in 2025, covering the 2021–2024 monitoring period. First-issuance verification typically adds 4–6 months.
Issuance
Once Verra accepts the verification, credits are issued to the project’s registry account. They can then be sold into the voluntary carbon market.
After the first issuance, the cycle repeats annually. Verification audits get faster (typically 2–4 months), credits issue, credits sell.
What does it cost?
Nothing upfront from you. We fund all registration, validation, and verification fees and recover them from our share of the credit revenue. There’s no contract until you’ve reviewed and signed the Client Agreement.