GQCHP refers to the outputs of CHP plants that have been certified as meeting the energy efficiency criteria under the CHPQA programme8 The outputs of schemes certified as highly efficient under CHPQA are designated as being of "Good Quality", and are thereby entitled to various financial incentives. For EfW plants, entitlement to ROCs under the Renewables Obligation, eligibility for ECAs and exemption from the Climate Change Levy are dependent on the CHP Scheme acquiring a CHPQA Certificate.
The efficiency criteria are used to establish the Quality Index (QI) of the scheme, with a QI of 100 indicating that the plant is fully qualified as being Good Quality. Where the thresholds on the CHPQA efficiency criteria are not met (i.e. QI is less than 100) the entitlement to benefits can be scaled back severely, depending on the degree of deficiency.
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8 The CHPQA methodology and criteria can be viewed at http://www.chpqa.com