FACILITATING CREATION AND SALE OF CARBON CREDITS

• US 20080201255A1
• Filed: 06/08/2007
• Published: 08/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2007
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Teravista Systems Holdings, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Teravista Systems Holdings, Inc.
• Inventors: Green, Mark L.
• Application Number:
  US11/760,577
• Publication Number:
  US 20080201255A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 60/30 Land use policy measures

Abstract

A system for facilitating creation and sale of carbon credits. A computer receives data pertaining to a plurality of credit creators and enrolls a plurality of potential and/or actual credits in the system based on the received data. After the enrolling of a credit, the system tracks a plurality of statuses for the enrolled credit, until after the enrolled credit has been sold. The system gathers data relevant to actualization of a potential credit and verifies whether the potential credit has become an actual credit. Access to the tracked statuses for a given credit may be provided to a creator of the credit, an aggregator of the credit, and an exchange.

Claims

1. A system for facilitating the creation and sale of carbon credits, the system comprising at least one processor and memory configured to:

receive data pertaining to a plurality of credit creators;

enroll a plurality of potential and/or actual credits in the system based on the received data;

after the enrolling of a credit, track a plurality of statuses for the enrolled credit, the tracking performed until after the enrolled credit has been sold;

gather data relevant to actualization of a potential credit and analyze the gathered data to verify whether the potential credit has become an actual credit;

provide access to the tracked statuses for a given credit to one or more of the following;

a creator of the given credit, an aggregator of the given credit, and an exchange.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the statuses of a credit comprise a verification status, a validation status, an ownership status, a pooling status, and a valuation status.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor and memory are further configured to:

analyze data gathered relevant to production of green energy; and

verify a carbon credit based on the analysis.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor and memory are further configured to associate an enrolled credit with a plurality of selection criteria by which the credit is selectable by an aggregator or exchange.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor and memory are further configured to enroll a potential credit based on a previously enrolled credit that has been verified.

6. A system for facilitating the creation and sale of carbon credits, the system comprising at least one processor and memory configured to:

include a plurality of actual and potential credits in a data base;

associate each credit with a plurality of selection criteria by which the credit is selectable by an aggregator and/or exchange;

include one or more of the potential credits in an account of a creator of the one or more potential credits; and

include one or more of the actual credits in an account of a creator of the one or more actual credits and in an inventory pool of an aggregator and/or exchange.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the selection criteria comprise at least one of the following:

a credit creation method, and a geographic location associated with the credit.

8. The system of claim 6, further configured to monitor a potential credit to verify creation of an actual credit.

9. The system of claim 6, further configured to:

receive from a third party a validation of an actual credit; and

include the validation in the data base.

10. The system of claim 6, further configured to include one or more credits in the inventory pool based on a specification by the aggregator and/or exchange of one or more of the selection criteria.

11. The system of claim 6, further configured to record in one or more creator accounts a purchase of one or more of the credits.

12. The system of claim 11, further configured to provide web-based communication between one or more creators and an aggregator and/or exchange as to the purchase.

13. The system of claim 11, further configured to provide web-based communication between an aggregator and an exchange as to the purchase.

14. The system of claim 6, further configured to, after actualization of a potential credit, include a subsequent potential credit in the data base.

15. A processor-performed method of facilitating the creation and sale of carbon credits, the method comprising:

enrolling a plurality of actual and potential credits in a data base, the credits associated with a plurality of methods of credit creation;

associating one or more of the potential credits with an account of a creator of the one or more of the potential credits;

associating one or more of the actual credits with an account of a creator of the one or more of the actual credits and with an inventory pool of an aggregator; and

providing creator and aggregator access to the accounts via a network.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the credit creation methods include one or more of the following:

conservation tillage, nutrient management, methane recovery, biotechnology, bio-control, nitrogen neutralization, bio-fuel, and renewable energy.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising converting green energy into a carbon offset to actualize one of the carbon credits.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the enrolling is performed as to one or more of the credits based on a request by an aggregator.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising monitoring development of an actual credit from a potential credit, and providing results of the monitoring in the data base.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the monitoring is performed using input from at least one of the following:

a satellite, and a sensor that provides the input via an internet.

21. A system for facilitating the creation and sale of carbon credits, the system comprising at least one processor and memory configured to:

provide credit accounts to each of a plurality of credit creators and each of one or more aggregators and/or exchanges;

receive from a creator a request to enroll one or more actual and/or potential carbon credits in the creator credit account, at least one of the one or more carbon credits attributable to carbon offset from green energy; and

receive from an aggregator or exchange a selection of at least one of the one or more carbon credits for inventory in the credit account of the aggregator or exchange.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the at least one processor and memory are further configured to verify actualization of one or more potential credits into one or more actual credits.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the at least one processor and memory are further configured to receive a validation from a third party of an actual credit, and make the validation available to the one or more aggregators and/or exchanges.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the at least one processor and memory are further configured to:

receive a request by one of the one or more aggregators and/or exchanges to purchase one of the credits; and

make the purchase request available to a creator of the credit.