Getting Started

Account Holder Registration Process

Access the Registry home page, http://www.vcsregistry.com
Click on "Begin Registration" link
This link opens the registry login screen.
Click on the hyperlink "Register Here"
A pop-up will appear with a checklist describing the steps required to register for an account.
Select the appropriate Account Type and click the "Continue Registration" button.

General Account Holder: Account holders who want to hold, transfer and retire credits but are not project developers and are not GS Reviewers;

Project Proponent: Account holders who in addition to a General Account will also plan to submit projects for VCS accreditation;

Verifier: Account holders providing verification and validation services for VCS projects to view project information and documents for projects to which they have been assigned.

Read and agree to the Online APX VCS Registry Terms of Use (This is your next step after clicking "Continue Registration"). Acceptance of the Terms of Use must be indicated by identifying an authorized representative from your organization; review all terms with checking each section; lastly, agreeing to the Terms of Use by pressing the "I Agree" button.
Upon accepting the Terms of Use, the next screen shows the online New Account Application Form and this will need to be filled out for all required fields which are noted by an asterisk (*).
Upon completing the New Account Application form and clicking SUBMIT, the Account Manager will receive an Email notification to activate the account. This activation must occur before the APX VCS Registry Administrator is notified of your pending account. Note: It will be possible for the public to view the Organization Contact information you provide when your account is approved. Mark the account as a Private Account if you would prefer that no one other than APX know of your account in the Registry.
The APX VCS Registry Administrator will review the account application. If the account application is complete and approved, an email notification describing account approval will be sent to the designated Account Manager Email address provided in the New Account Application form. If materials are incomplete or additional information is required, the APX VCS Registry Administrator will notify the Account Manager.
Approved accounts may begin using all functions of the system available to their User Type.
Billing: General Accounts will be billed for the Annual Account Subscription Fees when the account is approved. Once the invoice is created, the APX VCS Registry sends the Account Manager an Email notification with the invoice and payment details. The Invoice is also made available online via the "My Invoices" report within the APX VCS Registry for downloading and printing. Invoices must be paid in 30 days. Failure to pay will result in account inactivation. Note: Verifiers and Project Proponents will NOT owe Annual Account Subscription Fees.
APX VCS Registry Operating Procedures are available at http://vcsregistry.apx.com/resources/OperatingProcedures.asp

*If you have any questions about the Account Registration Process, please contact the VCS Registry Administrator at APXVCSRegistryAdmin@apx.com or +1.201.222.1422.

Verifiers

Registry accounts for Verifiers are designed to assist Verifiers perform project validation and verification online electronically. When logged into the Registry, Verifiers will see the Manage Projects module which lists all projects to which they have been assigned. This module displays the project’s status and next step so it is clear what action is required next. Through this module, Verifiers will have access to the Project Setup, Project Documents, and Issuance screens. Verifiers will access the Project Setup screen to verify that the project data has been entered accurately. They will use the Project Documents screen to upload project documents and/or mark Project Proponent documents as verified, which will cause the documents to be displayed to the public. Finally, they can use the Issuance screen to verify the quantity of VCUs to be issued to the Project Proponent.

Project Registration Process

The following steps are required under the VCS Program to register a Project and issue VCUs.

Project validation and verification
1. Selecting accredited Validators/Verifiers can be done by accessing the Project Database Public Verifiers Report. This report is kept up to date by the VCSA for organization which are newly or no longer accredited for the VCS Program. Access http://vcsprojectdatabase1.apx.com for this public report.
2. The Validator and Verifier for a project can be the same organization.
Project registration
1. A Project Proponent will access their Manage Projects module from the home Dashboard and select the link, Create New Project Record.
2. The Project Setup screen will request basic data about the project. All fields marked with an (*) asterisk are required.
3. Following completion of the Project Setup Screen, the Project Proponent will need to provide the following documents prior to Issuance:
  1. Project Description
  2. Validation Report
  3. Project Proponent Registration Representation
  4. Monitoring Report
  5. Verification Report
  6. Project Proponent Issuance Representation
  7. Proof of Right *only required if the Project Proponent is NOT the Project Owner but can show proof of right to ownership for emission reductions from the project.
4. A Project can be submitted to the Registry when it has completed validation but prior to completing verification as a means to publicize the project to the public.
5. Concurrently, a Project Proponent must also upload the specific VCU Issuance data for each vintage it is requesting. This data should come from the Verification report.
6. Once the project setup, required documents and VCU data is provided, the Project Proponent will Submit the project for review by the VCS Registry Administrator.
Project review
1. The Registry Administrator will review all project information and assess if any additional questions or documents are need prior to Issuance.
2. Once the project is approved for issuance, an invoice will be sent to the Account holder for both the Registry Fee as well as the VCSA Levy Fee.
Initial VCU issuance
1. Upon payment, the requested VCUs will be serialized in the VCS Project Database, issued in the Registry and deposited into the Project Proponents account
Periodic VCU issuance
1. Additional VCU issuance for a project must be submitted by the Project Proponent with the below updated documents:
  1. Monitoring Report
  2. Verification Report
  3. Project Proponent Issuance Representation
2. Secondly, the Project Proponent will need to make any updates if needed in the Project Setup Screen.
3. Lastly, they will need to submit the new VCU Issuance data for the requested VCU Issuance.
4. The review, billing and issuance process will then be followed per steps 3 and 4 above.
Project maintenance must be completed by the Project Proponent at any time and must notify the Registry Administrator so that appropriate changes can be reflected in the VCS Project Database.

*If you have any questions about the Project Registration Process, please contact the VCS Registry Administrator at APXVCSRegistryAdmin@apx.com or +1.201.222.1422.

*Also, for additional detailed questions regarding project registration, please access the VCS Registration Process documents available at http://www.v-c-s.org.

Managing Credits

Credits can be deposited into an Account holder’s Primary Account through original issuance if the Account Holder is a Project Proponent or through a transfer from a Seller.
To review an account balance, Login to the VCS Registry with your assigned login and password. View the home Dashboard, Account Status module in the righ-hand column. This module will show the balance of credits in each account (Primary, Active, and/or Retirement).
Transfers to other VCS Registry Account holders are only initiated by the Seller in a transaction. To initiate a transfer, click on the account’s credit quantity from which the credits will be transferred. This will open a report showing all the batches of credits available for transfer. Select the batch and specific quantity from the batch and click on Batch Transfer. The next screen will allow the Seller to move the credits to the Buyer’s account by selecting the Organization from the list provided.
Organizing credits within an account can be done by creating additional sub-accounts. Active Sub-Accounts allow Account holders to organize their credits by vintage or project as desired. Create a new Sub-asccount by accessing the Account Status Module and clicking on the link, Create New Sub-Account.
Retiring credits can also be accomplished using the same steps and initiating a transfer; however, instead of selecting a counterparty, the Account holder will select the Retirement Sub-Account option and enter the required data. (See Step 3)

*If you have any questions, please contact the VCS Registry Administrator at APXVCSRegistryAdmin@apx.com or +1.201.222.1422.

Rules and Procedures

Access the following link, http://vcsregistry.apx.com/resources/OperatingProcedures.asp

Fees and Collection Process

All fees when posted generate a notification with pertinent details to the Account Manager and Billing Contact for the Account.
Accessing your VCS Registry Account also provides a “My Invoices” report.
All posted invoices must be paid within 30 days.

*If you have any questions about billing, please contact the VCS Registry Administrator at APXVCSRegistryAdmin@apx.com or +1.201.222.1422.

Forms

Sample forms for required VCS Documents are provided on the VCSA website, http://www.v-c-s.org/policydocs.html.