Its no secret that the inflated price of energy has affected us all but what can businesses do to tackle the rising cost of energy ?
Regardless of your current energy contract, all businesses need to start thinking ahead. Our energy security will only continue to weaken, as the price of electricity and gas inflate over the coming years.
However, energy prices are not the only concern this year. With last year’s COP26 reinforcing the urgency of climate change action, businesses need to consider their emissions. By reducing consumption from the national grid, you’re not only saving money, but reducing your carbon footprint too.
There is no time to wait – businesses must act now to ensure that their organisations survive the storm. But, what are their options?
What renewable technologies are available ?
There are two types of solar panels commonly available; solar thermal and photovoltaic. Solar thermal panels use the sun’s energy to heat water and are best suited for your business hot water needs. Photovoltaic (PV) panels convert the sun’s energy to electricity. In both cases panels can be mounted on the roof of your existing buildings and are relatively easy to install. For PV panels you will need battery storage.
This generates electricity from the water flowing through an immersed turbine or water wheel. The size and scale of a hydropower facility is heavily dependent on site specific conditions, in particular the volume of water flowing and the vertical distance through which the water falls. To be economical a hydro system preferably needs to generate a minimum of 50kW.
Wind turbines harness wind energy and convert it into electrical energy. In addition to the turbine itself you will need some way of storing the energy generated for use when you need it. You will need a suitable plot on which to site the turbines.
Fuel cells convert hydrogen into electricity through a chemical reaction. Hydrogen and oxygen go in and energy and water come out. The technology is still underdevelopment and the hydrogen supply chain is poorly developed in the UK
Anaerobic Digestion generates heat and/or electricity by burning methane gas which is released when organic material, such as plant and animal waste,
Biomass energy works by burning organic matter such as wood pellets or agricultural waste, typically in a combined heat and power plant. This can be used to generate both heat for space heating and hot water and electricity for business use.
Geothermal energy uses the heat of the earth’s core. Typically it requires deep boreholes (over 500m) to be drilled and is only economic in large commercial applications in the UK.
There are two main types of heat pumps, air source and ground source, but water source heat pumps are also available. They work on similar principals by absorbing heat from the environment and using it to heat water for your home. They typically generate 3-4 times more energy than you put in and can be used for hot water and space heating. You can also use heat pumps to provide cooling in warmer months.
