The Energy Industry Is Due Its Big Bang Moment

theenergyst.com June/July 2019

Money talks: Net zero: What Electric cars: The energy industry is due its 7 Government must 24 are the options 36 DNOs ask what incentivise lexibility to decarbonise heat? smart charging means Big Bang moment – p13

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

48 Hospitality focus How pubs and restaurants are sharing knowledge to boost energy e iciency and cut costs and carbon 22 Local energy 18 markets Bristol’s big plan Centrica aims to prove Bristol City Council aims that local energy to ind strategic backers in markets can unlock the order to fund a massive lexibility required in a decarbonisation programme decarbonised system that could top £5bn

38 06 Electric vehicles News Can electric vehicles be used As 1.5 gigawatts of coal to balance the power grid, and prepares to close, Statkraft what does the vehicle-to-grid strikes gigawatt virtual power roadmap look like? plant deal with Statera

If you want to get rid of natural gas, large scale in the short term, we see no 22 alternative to biomass Green energy

theenergyst.com June/July 2019

Money talks: Net zero: What Electric cars: The energy industry is due its 7 Government must 24 are the options 36 DNOs ask what Big Bang moment – p13 30 26 incentivise lexibility to decarbonise heat? smart charging means DSR & Storage 14 Should energy companies be Green energy willing to guarantee revenues Hydrogen is expected to do a Cover for smaller battery storage lot of heavy lifting. But there projects? Plus more big deals are signi icant hurdles to clear Story for Anesco to make it a reality SystemsLink

News & comment 4 Green energy 24 Hospitality focus 48 Procurement 12 DSR & battery storage 30 Viewpoints 50 Insight 18 Electric vehicles 38 Products 55 Local energy markets 22 Onsite generation 44 Q&A 58

To subscribe please visit: theenergyst.com/subscribe theenergyst.com June/July 2019 3 COMMENT Warm words and cold realism

The Committee on Climate Change (CCC) has target. Targets rise and those signing up to them will be advised government to set a net zero greenhouse long gone by 2050. There is a need to get serious and gas emissions target by 2050, rather than its form a strategy about how it is to be done. The CCC is previous recommendation of 80 per cent – and convinced that nuclear power and carbon capture with the government appears to have accepted. This is a storage or usage are necessary tools to achieve net zero, recurrent position in UK politics. That is, to lead the yet implementation of these technologies has reversed in world in targets and ambition. Unfortunately, rhetoric the past few years. is not a known form of decarbonisation. While it is admirable to have high aspirations, a methodology to painlessly raise the standards making the UK built While it is admirable to environment low carbon is urgently required. have high aspirations, a methodology to painlessly One sector that has been active is the power sector, raise the standards making where the improvement in the carbon content of the UK built environment electricity generation is impressive. However, there is low carbon is urgently little to celebrate elsewhere. Lord Deben, chairman of the Committee on Climate Change, made the point required in a report to the government last year. “There is a danger that progress in decarbonising electricity is Many reports highlight the potential for ramping up masking a lack of progress elsewhere. The legally energy effi ciency both in homes and businesses and binding carbon budgets will only be achieved if effective there are fi ne examples of best practice in all sectors. policy extends beyond waste and power, into sectors Yet concurrent to the exemplars, I regularly hear of that have not so far achieved signifi cant reductions.” manufacturing companies’ making vast savings by employing variable speed The lack of progress includes buildings – commercial drives, widely available for most and domestic; agriculture, construction, transport – applications for over 30 years. Zero which EVs cannot solve overnight in terms of storage carbon is achievable and perhaps and low carbon generation capacity and there is also management and householders in the thorny question of aviation and how to tackle the the run up to 2050 will act differently issue of large scale zero or ultra low carbon heat. than at present. But lofty ideals need to be grounded by direction, education The annual Energy Barometer survey of the Energy and action; elements that Institute’s members refl ects scepticism about the UK often appear to be missing meeting its 2050 emissions target, with more than from government thinking. two-thirds suggesting that we will fall short. And the survey was conducted before the net zero announcement, Tim McManan-Smith, so this was doubt about hitting the 80 per cent reduction Editor

Editor Sales director Tim McManan-Smith Steve Swaine [email protected] [email protected] Energyst Media Ltd, PO BOX 420, Reigate, Surrey RH2 2DU t: 020 3714 4450 t: 020 3714 4451 m: 07818 574308 m: 07818 574300 Registered in England & Wales – 8667229 Registered at Stationers Hall – ISSN 0964 8321 Contributing editor Commercial manager Printed by PCP Brendan Coyne Daniel Coyne [email protected] [email protected] No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written permission of the publishers. t: 020 3771 1267 t: 020 3751 7863 The opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. The Energyst is a controlled circulation magazine available to selected professionals interested in m: 07557 109724 m: 07557 109476 energy, who fall within the publisher’s terms of control. For those outside of these terms, annual subscriptions is £60 including postage in the UK. For all subscriptions outside the UK the annual Design & Production Circulation enquiries subscription is £120 including postage. Paul Lindsell [email protected] [email protected] Follow us for up-to-date news and information: m: 07790 434813

4 June/July 2019 theenergyst.com Switch once. Change forever.

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UK. Its German VPP currently stands at about 12GW. Virtual power plants aggregate lots of distributed generation and use their power to trade into wholesale markets or balance the power system using algorithms and human traders to determine where the power will fetch the best returns. “Statkraft recognises the importance of flexible power generation for the provision of secure energy supply in the years to come until multi- day mass energy storage becomes economically viable,” said Duncan Dale, head of Statkraft’s UK markets business. “It is vital that any new generation capacity is Statkraft strikes gigawatt highly efficient and ultra- flexible, like Statera’s.” He said the utility had partnered with deal with Statera Energy Statera due its “relentless optimisation” of projects. Statkraft has stuck an Pelham battery near Given limited visibility “Everything about these agreement with Statera Bishop’s Stortford, and of future revenues, the projects suggests that new Energy to bring a gigawatt of a similar unit at Creyke 15-year agreement with a efficiencies can be made, gas and battery storage into Beck, co-located alongside state-backed utility provides which means lower carbon its virtual power plant (VPP). a 49.9MW gas peaker. Statera and its investors emissions and lower costs to It is expected Statera will Under the plan, Statera with additional confidence the consumer,” said Dale. amass that portfolio over the will add new storage and to build out the portfolio. “The energy market next three to four years. gas assets to Statkraft’s Providing route-to-market and the UK’s transition The firm already operates VPP as they come online, services is one of the ways in to a low carbon future some large storage facilities, and Statkraft will optimise which Statkraft aims to build should benefit greatly from such as the 49.9MW and trade their flexibility. a multi-gigawatt VPP in the unlocking this potential.”

SSE to close Fiddler’s Ferry coal- ired power station SSE is set to shut down Fiddler’s Ferry power station by 31 March, taking 1.5GW o f the system. The company has been mulling the decision for several years as Fiddler’s Ferry became increasingly reliant on ancillary services to make revenue. It said the power station’s ‘limited success’ in the capacity market and ongoing heavy losses made up its mind. SSE will consult with employees and try to redeploy people. Stephen Wheeler, managing director of Thermal Energy at SSE, said the station was “unable to compete with more e icient gas and renewable generation”. He added: “We have a talented and dedicated team at Fiddler’s Ferry and our priority is to support employees and ensure they have a range of options available to them for the future. SSE is proud of the social and economic contributions the station and our employees have made for the local area and wider society.” All coal generation is set to come o f the UK system by 2025. Pic CreativeCommons_Benkid77 Pic

6 June/July 2019 theenergyst.com Second-life Banks ‘won’t lend on a battery irm merchant wind farm’ lands £5m Banks are unlikely to put debt return in the period that you Connected Energy, the finance into merchant – or have visibility over”. Investors, company that uses second- unsubsidised – wind farms, he said, “accept the back-end life electric vehicle batteries according to a major renewables can be unknowable, provided to provide energy storage infrastructure fund. they have [secured] returns in solutions, has received “Our approach is completely the early years [of a project]”. £5m investment from unlevered,” Laurence Fumagalli, ScottishPower Renewables Engie, Macquarie and partner at Greencoat Capital, CEO Lindsay McQuade said the Japanese trading giant told Aurora’s Summer merchant model “introduces an Sumitomo Corporation. Renewables Conference. awful lot of risk” for investors. The cash injection is “You won’t find a bank lending “There will be a shift in Connected’s second in two you any significant amount relevance of the wholesale years. Engie and Macquarie on a merchant wind farm.” power price to the investment invested £3m last year in the Even where a project case and we will have to learn a Newcastle upon Tyne-based secures a government-backed lot more about ancillary firm, which takes second hand Contract for Difference, the There will be a markets,” she suggested. battery packs from Renault same applies, said Fumagalli. shift in relevance Brian Davis, vice-president electric vehicles to create “[Greencoat] only invests of the wholesale Energy Solutions at Shell storage systems ranging in merchant wind farms on International, said the industry from 60kW to megawatts. an unlevered basis. Frankly, power price to the would need to rethink some CEO Matthew Lumsden that is the only way I would investment case. of the market’s current said the company would invest in a CfD wind farm.” We will have to learn fundamental mechanisms. use the cash to expand. The conference discussed the “How does dispatching in “The time is now right for impact of price cannibalisation a lot more about a merit order work in a world us to scale up the business as growing renewables ancillary markets where assets are essentially and the investment will penetration increases zero marginal cost?” he asked. enable us to do so. We have curtailment and drives down the Renewable UK deputy CEO some exciting times and wholesale cost of power, creating Emma Pinchbeck suggested projects ahead of us and uncertainties for investors in government would need look forward to further long-term power projects. to “redo electricity market capturing the benefits of Fumagalli said the key reform” to create more suitable the circular economy.” element for investors is “making structures for renewables The firm has installed 11 of sure you have enough of a financing and flexibility markets. its E-STOR systems to date. Energy Institute: Government should incentivise lexibility

An overwhelming majority barrier to scaling up flexibility. grid-scale battery storage electrification of heat and of Energy Institute members Other barriers were ‘lack and demand-side response transport would be attractive, say government should of integration between (DSR) have the greatest which appears at odds with incentivise flexibility, energy systems’ and ‘current growth potential over carmakers pushing en masse either through markets or market structures around the next 10 years. to electrify their models. other forms of support. flexibility’, both of which Some 62% of members Members were less Polled for the Institute’s were identified by about said tariffs that reward certain about technologies annual energy barometer, a third of respondents. householders for flexible with the greatest short- members suggested Peer-to-peer energy will demand (dynamic to mid-term potential. minimal progress has been be the least attractive future time-of-use tariffs) are Grid-scale battery storage made in energy system energy service to consumers, likely to be attractive to was cited by 32%, non- flexibility, and 82% support tariffs that reward flexible consumers by 2030. domestic DSR by 26%, flexibility incentives. demand the most attractive, Only 15% said peer-to- likewise small-scale battery EI members view lack of according to the poll. peer would be attractive. storage (26%). Vehicle-to- political will as the main Meanwhile, they believe Fewer than a third thought grid was cited by 23%.

theenergyst.com June/July 2019 7 NEWS & COMMENT

Engie acquires electric vehicle charging irm Charge Point Services

French-owned utility Engie “a major player in electric Engie is has acquired electric vehicle vehicle fuelling in the UK”. scaling charging provider Charge Point Engie said it is the world’s up it EV Services (CPS), which owns second largest provider of ambitions the Genie Point nationwide EV charging stations, with EV charging network. 75,000 installed worldwide. The charging company’s Locally, the ﬁ rm was business customers include appointed last year by the Ford, Microsoft, Waitrose, West Yorkshire Combined Morrisons and Siemens, and Authority to install 88 rapid it works with about 30 local charge points throughout authorities on rolling out the region. Engie will install, charging infrastructure. own and operate the charge Engie said the deal buys it points for at least 10 years. 20,000 Genie Point network In June, Engie, alongside customers and a cloud-based hour, plus a further 500 ‘fast’ provide energy and transport Italian utility Enel, struck data and control platform. It stations by the year end. solutions to its business and a deal with Fiat Chrysler to will create a combined public Engie UK & Ireland public sector customers. provide customer charge rapid charging network of CEO Nicola Lovett said the CPS managing director points for its forthcoming some 400 stations that can acquisition scales up its EV Alex Bamberg said the Fiat 500 BEV and plug-in charge cars in less than an ambitions, and means it can deal enables it to become hybrid Jeep Renegade PHEV.

Tesco cuts £37m through energy e iciency Tesco’s energy efﬁ ciency initiatives have yielded £37m in two years, according to the company’s annual report. Across the group, the retailer now procures 58 per cent of electricity from renewables (up from 55 per cent last year) against a target of 65 per cent by 2030 and 100 per cent by 2050. The retailer committed to buy 100 per cent renewable power in Bentley installs the UK and Ireland in 2017. Meanwhile, Tesco has reduced carbon emissions by 2.7MW solar carport 31 per cent against a 2015/16 Bentley Motors has installed a 2.7MW solar carport at its Crew headquarters. Carport specialist baseline. It has committed to FlexiSolar believes it is the largest of its kind in the UK. Bentley hopes it will reduce its carbon cut emissions by 35 per cent footprint by 3,300 tonnes a year, depending on light levels and output. by 2020, 60 per cent by 2025 Work started on the project in April 2018. It is being inanced by a power purchase and 100 per cent by 2050. agreement (PPA) and takes Bentley’s installed capacity to 7.7MW, following a rooftop The company’s Little Helps installation in 2013. The company, a century old this year, said completing the project means that means that all the electricity used to manufacture every Bentley is solar or certi ied green. Plan, published alongside its “It’s important to look ahead and prepare the business for the next 100 years by investing annual report, also states that signi icantly in our products, our people and our site infrastructure. This includes new supply chain emissions were initiatives that reinforce our commitment to the environment,” said Peter Bosch, Bentley’s down 6.2 per cent in 2017/18 member of the board for manufacturing. against a 2015/16 baseline.

8 June/July 2019 theenergyst.com Brown power can receive smart export guarantees

The government has lowered without the kind of investment the threshold at which certainty provided by Fits. It suppliers have to offer suggested power purchase customers with small-scale agreements (PPAs) may be a generation export payments. better option for those projects Meanwhile, it says brown but added it is exploring new power can receive those public-private models for these payments where co-located. schemes that might make Suppliers with 150,000 them attractive to investors. customers will need to offer Generators receiving SEGs some form of payment for can also receive other support power exported by 1 January measures. Meanwhile, SEG 2020. The rate is not set – payments can also be made just more than nothing at all on grid-sourced electricity times of export and metered where storage or a non-low- generation. The government carbon generator is co-located said it will review potentially with the SEG installation. setting minimum tariffs if Suppliers do not have to the market doesn’t deliver a make SEG payments on the competitive range of options. ‘brown’ element of exported Suppliers can decide power though they can if how to set up Smart Export they like, but would require Guarantee (SEG) tariffs – for separate metering if they example, flat payments or want to claim REGOs. time of day. Non-domestic Ofgem will report annually suppliers are excluded on how the SEG scheme is from the obligation but can working, and what suppliers offer SEGs if they choose. are offering small generators. There is no requirement to The arrangements apply meet any particular energy to anaerobic digestion, efficiency standards to hydro, micro-combined receive export payments. heat and power (with an Government said it electrical capacity of up to recognises that community 50KW), onshore wind, and generation schemes may find solar photovoltaic exporters it difficult to get off the ground with up to 5MW capacity. Project Terre balancing market launch delayed The launch of the European operators to collaborate balancing scheme slated to to build a European go live at the end of this year balancing market that is set to be pushed back until will facilitate balancing June 2020 at the earliest. in different regions. Project Terre (Trans National Grid ESO said the European Replacement French transmission system Reserve Exchange) obliges operator, RTE, was not ready National Grid and other to go live, effectively blocking transmission system the UK’s route to market.

theenergyst.com NEWS & COMMENT

Seven sign up to DSR assurance scheme

The Association for The Flex Assure scheme information: the pre- Decentralised Energy has aims to address those aspects contracting process must be launched an assurance scheme via a common set of standards transparent, not make false in a bid to improve market through which businesses can promises to customers and be transparency and trust in compare aggregators and their representative of true savings demand-side response. ADE’s Flex Assure aims to claims, giving them greater and payback to customers. The scheme is based on the give businesses greater confidence in signing flexibility • Customer contracts: contracts ADE’s code of conduct, which con idence in signing contracts. The code covers: must be accurate and clearly sets out minimum standards lexibility contracts • Sales and marketing: reps indicate any potential that DSR aggregators must meet must be properly trained obligations customers to achieve Flex Assure status. most of which is via aggregators and provide honest and may be committing to. The association spent two – some businesses have reported factual marketing material • Complaints: there must be years developing the code with bad experiences with certain to customers. Sales clear, transparent processes industry in a bid to improve aspects, such as misleading sales, records must be kept. for recording, processing and outcomes for businesses that lower than anticipated returns • Technical due diligence: responding to complaints. provide flexibility either through and poor dispute resolution. critical energy assets must be To date, seven firms have load or generation assets. Businesses have also safeguarded from the threat applied to join Flex Assure: While The Energyst’s annual suggested that it is also of cybercrime, requiring best Centrica Business Solutions, DSR survey has consistently difficult to compare like for practice to protect customer’s Enel X, Engie, Flexitricity, found broad satisfaction from like as aggregators offer data and infrastructure. Grid Beyond, Kiwi Power and those that provide flexibility – different services and terms. • Proposals and pre-contractual Npower Business Solutions.

Reading University hits Viridor plans to supply decarbonisation target businesses via private wires

The University of Reading continue to run a strong says it has reduced its carbon sustainability programme to footprint by 40 per cent in deliver lasting change. We about 10 years – and should are committed to embracing hit 45 per cent by 2021. new and innovative ways Dan Fernbank, the to help the university wipe university’s energy and out its carbon footprint.” sustainability manager, In the past year, the said students, staff and university has extended the community expect its district heating scheme Viridor plans to build a new plastics recycling plant and environmental leadership. and added further solar PV more energy parks as the energy from waste (EfW) business continues to drive pro its at Pennon Group. “With a large and evolving across the campus. It has also Posting annual results, the company said the plastics estate, there is always more introduced an app that rewards processing facility would be co-located with its new work to be done and we will staff for taking environmental Avonmouth EfW, using heat and energy o ftakes. actions, while a furniture and The company believes creating energy parks – supplying equipment recycling scheme heat and power via private pipes and wires to local has saved approximately businesses and potentially building wind and solar assets as £100k over two years. well as supplying waste-derived energy – will increase pro it Fernbank added that the at its EfW sites by up to 10%. university has cut waste “We already have several such connections, including our produced per person by 17 per Runcorn ERF that has a heat and power o ftake to Inovyn, cent, with only 1 per cent of Peterborough ERF where we provide a heat connection waste now going to landﬁll. to a council depot, and our land ill gas engines and ERF at He said one of the tasks Beddington, which provide heat o ftake into a community heating network,” stated the company. for the year ahead is to gauge “We believe there is signi icant potential to do more with how the university’s energy energy parks supporting Viridor’s own activities, other The University of Reading centre, which provides heat Pennon Group operations such as South West Water’s is committed to o setting and power to 16 buildings, treatment plants, or third-party energy intensive facilities.” its carbon footprint might be decarbonised.

10 June/July 2019 theenergyst.com Whey to go: Cheesemaker turns waste into energy

Say cheese: Wensleydale Creamery’s David Hartley (left) with Iona Capital’s Mike Dunn

Iona Capital has struck a deal topsoil quality. This shows with Wensleydale Creamery the real impact of the circular in the Yorkshire Dales to use economy and the part whey by-product as feedstock intelligent investment can play for its Leeming biogas plant. in reducing our CO2 emissions.” It will produce 10,000MWh The Wensleydale Creamery’s of thermal power, enough to managing director, David heat 800 homes per year. Hartley, said: “The whole The fund manager process of converting local has already established milk to premium cheese and nine anaerobic digestion then deriving environmental facilities across Yorkshire, and economic beneﬁt from investing £100m. the natural by-products is an Mike Dunn, co-founder of essential part of our business Iona, said: “Once we have plan. To sign this agreement converted the cheese by-product and have the opportunity to supplied by Wensleydale into convert a valuable by-product sustainable green gas, we can of cheese making into energy feed what’s left at the end of that will power hundreds of the process onto neighbouring homes across the region will be farmland to improve local fantastic for everyone involved.”

SEEIT strikes Tesco solar deal

SDCL Energy Efﬁciency Income Trust (SEEIT) has struck a deal with Tesco to deploy solar PV projects across some of the retailer’s properties. The two have agreed a power purchase agreement for each individual site, with the PV to be installed in 1MW batches. SEEIT said the ﬁrst phase is for about 5MW, with additional projects scheduled under a framework. SEEIT will install, own, operate and maintain each project and has partnered with Kingspan for engineering, design, operation and construction. Kingspan will also handle O&M.

theenergyst.com PROCUREMENT A big carrot: Octopus seeds new business energy verticals The Energyst sat down with Octopus Energy for Business director Zoisa Walton to discuss new approaches to business energy procurement, and why she sees the SMEs of today as the I&Cs of tomorrow

ctopus Energy for utility Eneco prior to joining takes priority and Brighton Business plans Octopus, has signifi cant is next on the roadmap. to quadruple its experience of the industrial Ocustomer base in the and commercial energy Sustainable growth next couple of years. Director market. But she believes Though Walton has ambitious Zoisa Walton thinks creating the SME to mid-market is targets to hit, she says Octopus products for business verticals where opportunity lies. will not undersell itself. will help power growth. “We call them the industrial “I want to achieve that The company has just and commercial customers scale of growth using our launched a new tariff for of the future,” says Walton. technology and insight, vertical farmers – companies She thinks Octopus can and by adding value, not developing novel agricultural amass 20,000 of them over from buying contracts.” methods, and who tend to grow the next 12-24 months and She says that if businesses indoors (Bristol-based Lettus The new tari s – one creating niche products is a key can adapt to time of use tariffs Grow is a good example). avoids evening peak costs, strategy. The company already and change their behaviour Powering indoor lamps burns the other priced half hourly has Arsenal FC on its books, as a result, the GB system will a lot of energy, which can make – enable vertical farmers and Walton hinted further become smarter and leaner up to 40 per cent of operating to cut energy bills by products for sports venues and that much sooner – laying costs, hampering the sector’s 812 per cent breweries may be in the offi ng. the foundation for SME growth potential, according to involvement in things like Walton. She says Octopus’ new Local energy demand-side response. tariffs – one avoids evening Local energy models and tariffs “That will come for small peak costs, the other priced half are another strategic aspect. businesses, but fi rst we have to hourly – enable them to cut The company launched its fi rst get them engaging with time of energy bills by 8-12 per cent. local tariff in Leicester, using use and dynamic tariffs,” says She says that is quite a local solar asset to supply Walton. “That is what we do.” te a big carrot, literally. local fi rms. Walton says the “Currently, vertical farmers reaction has been “fantastic”, might be [billed] using average with hundreds of businesses energy pricing, but through signing up within the fi rst few these tariffs we can help them weeks, and Octopus targeting fl ip the day into night,” she says. a further 500 by the year end. “It doesn’t matter to a carrot “They are extremely engaged if it is day or night [when the and extremely loyal – and they lights are on], because it is an want to know what comes next,” artifi cial environment. So using says Walton. In future, that may these tariffs, and by altering be packaging on-site solar the circadian rhythm of the or other generation assets carrot, they can cut their costs, to business customers, which helps them to innovate says Walton. But for and scale more quickly.” now, replicating the Since launching in January model in other cities 2018, Octopus Energy for Business has accrued 5,000 Zoisa Walton: customers, mostly SMEs, ‘We have to get supplying them with 100 per businesses engaging cent renewable power. Walton, with time of use and a country director at Dutch dynamic tari fs’

12 June/July 2019 theenergyst.com A global peer-to-peer energy exchange? Energi Mine is working on plans to launch ‘a global energy exchange that enables peer-to-peer trading’ underpinned by blockchain. Brendan Coyne reports

hief executive Omar price transparency, Rahim something very soon and will says. “The energy industry is Rahim, a former believes, which is lacking make a very big announcement due its Big Bang moment.” energy trader with in the current market. in six to eight weeks,” says Rahim. CEngie, SSE and “A broker is typically “We’re not waiting for regulation Liquidity Vattenfall, says Energi Mine dealing with procurement for to catch up. We are pioneering If the platform is to be more is building “an AI-driven the consumer, who probably and keeping regulators abreast than a damp squib, it will marketplace where trades can doesn’t have a good handle of what we are doing.” require liquidity. Rahim believes occur between two parties”. on true prices. They take the buyers and sellers will provide He says the aim is to match broker’s word, who in turn is Big Bang that due to mutual benefits, business-to-business buyers taking the supplier’s word,” Rahim thinks regulators will which, he reiterates, can be and sellers, and while the goal says Rahim. That creates “a not stand in the way, provided “significant” for generators too. is to shift the balance of power huge opportunity” for margin platforms are sufficiently “If my asset is locked into a towards end users, Rahim says padding, he adds. “So moving robust and demonstrably 10-year PPA I am not seeing generators will benefit too. onto an exchange-based benefit consumers. any upside beyond what’s on “If you are asset owner, you platform creates a benchmark in “We look at this pretty my contract. The market price might have an index-linked each of the respective markets.” simply as sell-side and buy- could double and I don’t see a product, perhaps a three, five or 10-year power purchase agreement (PPA). But there is We are unapologetically on very limited optionality [within the side of the consumer and that], it is difficult to squeeze out want the industry to be shaped extra value,” he suggests. “We around that want to change that and give generators access to end users.” Omar Rahim, Energi Mine

Weekly contracts Regulatory risk side,” he says. “If you are a penny of that as a generator,” Rahim says both parties Is the UK ready for a peer- big seller of energy, you want says Rahim. “That cannot will benefit from a more to-peer exchange? Rahim the client to have as little be right. So generators also efficient route to market. says regulatory risk is flexibility as possible and want more reflective prices. “At the moment, end users “one of the most acute” sell as far out as possible.” It all boils down to liquidity, do not have a lot of say. We call challenges to work through. That is not in the buyer’s but with enough buyers and it trading in slow motion. To “Generally, regulators want best interest, he says, and sellers, an efficient marketplace buy energy they have to assess more competitive markets. requires disruption. benefits all parties.” 40-page supply contracts, They want to see this model “We are unapologetically on line them up against each – Ofgem’s annual report quite the side of the consumer and Market-driven other, and it takes months. deliberately mentions peer-to- want the industry to be shaped On the buy side, Rahim We are standardising these peer markets and how they can around that. We believe strongly says Energi Mine, through contracts so that can be done be a good thing,” says Rahim. that the market will adapt to the its brokerage business, has in seconds,” claims Rahim. “But they want to see business needs of consumers, and that created a working group of Via the platform businesses models that can be successful. is our model going forward.” large energy consumers to could “buy from a different They need credible partners Rahim points to help shape its designs. seller every week if they that can execute and deliver “fundamental shifts” in financial “We have the ear of wanted”, rather than sign more credible markets.” markets, where ‘fintech’ has some of the largest energy multi-year contracts. He says that is “the gap challenged the established consumers in Europe. When Energi Mine is looking to order and forced incumbents we mention the idea of Transparency fill”, but that the company to adopt approaches driven by moving to a fully transparent, Moving to an exchange- will move at its own pace. start-ups. “We don’t see this liquid energy exchange, it based model will create “We are planning on launching market as any different,” he really excites them.” te theenergyst.com June/July 2019 13 Sponsored Cover Story The eye-opening world of true data visibility Mark Robinson, Managing Director at SystemsLink

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This new piece of opportunity to deliver tangible savings. metered energy used over the last 12 months can be a regulation applies to a far greater number of companies True data visibility taxing process for councils and local authorities. However, that were required to report this information than under One of the primary benefits of energy management Data is king software that gathers reliable data for each site can make the previous Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy software is the ability to effectively profile sites, Having a good handle on an organisation’s energy data is this a far more straightforward process – particularly Efficiency Scheme (CRC-EES), meaning many may not establishing patterns and benchmarks while creating crucial – only by understanding something is it possible when tools are available to maintain an up-to-date be routinely capturing data. To avoid SECR being an tolerance levels. These can then be monitored on an to effectively manage it and drive change. Yet this isn’t database of existing information, current ratings and due annual headache, putting in place continuous monitoring ongoing basis through interval data collection, identifying always a simple step to take, particularly for organisations dates for each individual site. allows organisations to record this data and identify with large and complex site portfolios. anomalies that suggest wastage immediately to be opportunities to reduce usage year-on-year (and, through dealt with. Financial processes and billing can also be simplified, SECR, place these achievements into the public domain). Organisations now have access to more energy data from validating the complexities of utility invoices Such enhanced visibility also enables organisations to than ever before. The introduction of P272 means (identifying discrepancies and consumption anomalies) Energy management software is an invaluable tool to rank sites by performance, simply compare individual or half hourly data is available for a vast number of non- to producing invoices for tenants. From local authorities manage compliance, from extracting annual reports multiple sites with targets or benchmarks and run trend domestic energy users, but making sense of it can be an to property management companies, apportioning costs and maintaining records that are easily auditable and analysis and comparison with previous performance. arduous task for stretched energy managers who often to individual sites or within buildings based on accurate correctly formatted for evidence packs. Energy or facilities managers can also set up alarms have to process hundreds of spreadsheets for hundreds data can make significant administrative savings and of properties to get a full view of their utilities usage. and tolerance checks, using real-time management ensure that billing processes are automatically reflected Prioritising action information to identify consumption issues or equipment Monitoring and targeting software simplifies that task in accounts systems. Faced with such a broad remit and ever-increasing by bringing together realms of data into one place and faults and act swiftly to resolve them. workloads, finding ways to minimise data processing making it easier to extract actionable insight. Simplifying compliance and administrative tasks to free up time to focus on Armed with such information, teams can focus on Both public and private bodies are required to provide an action is crucial. The right energy management software implementing the behavioural change or energy Energy management software like SystemsLink collates increasing amount of data on their energy consumption transforms data into actionable insight and simplify efficiency measures needed to avoid wastage, drive utilities data from multiple sources and for multiple sites to comply with reporting schemes – further adding to an arduous financial and reporting processes, making down consumption and improve consumption profiles into one place. ever-growing workload for many stretched teams. it easier to target time and energy to driving down to reduce both consumption and cost. consumption, cutting carbon and delivering cost savings In 2019, compliance requirements are set to increase at a time when reducing energy bills is a top priority for for many organisations: along with the Energy Savings organisations of all sizes. Realising the benefits of true Opportunity Scheme (ESOS) Phase 2 deadline in data visibility has never been more important. December 2019, requiring eligible companies to submit detailed energy audits on their consumption and Powering energy management in the public sector opportunities to boost energy efficiency, around 11,000 Over half of England’s largest 150 councils use SystemsLink to manage their energy data, along with 63% of organisations will need to comply with new reporting Scottish councils and over half the councils in Wales. From easier portfolio management and spotting cost-saving regulations this year, requiring a strong grasp of opportunities to simplified tenant billing and Financial Exports or compliance, SystemsLink has bespoke modules to consumption data across portfolios. help power energy management programmes in the public sector and drive down costs across all types of portfolios.

“SystemsLink have already helped us to create thousands and thousands of pounds in savings on Council energy bills, with more predicted as we find out more about what SystemsLink can enable us to do.” – Durham County Council www.systems-link.com Sponsored Cover Story The eye-opening world of true data visibility Mark Robinson, Managing Director at SystemsLink

“SystemsLink have already helped us to create thousands and thousands of pounds in savings on Council energy bills, with more predicted as we find out more about what SystemsLink can enable us to do.” – Durham County Council www.systems-link.com PROCUREMENT After serious growing pains, Yü Group promises prudence Business energy and water supplier Yü Group had enjoyed meteoric growth, until an accounting hole discovered last October sent shares crashing. As it continues to rebuild, the company says lessons have been learnt. Brendan Coyne reports

usiness energy and signifi cantly, from revenues of fi nancial hit from the share for the fi rst four months of 2019 water supplier Yü less than £4m in 2015 to price collapse, Kalar said there are “signifi cantly down” and Group said it will revenues in excess of £80m in remains “a huge opportunity year-on-year growth rate will Bgrow at a slower 2018. The board recognises to grow our business”. likely be “signifi cantly below” pace after suffering the affects that this rapid growth, despite He added that Ofgem’s previous years, he added. The of rapid expansion without continued investment, moves to tighten up licensing company is targeting a margin of suffi cient checks and balances. outstripped the capabilities of rules for new suppliers 7.5-10 per cent for full year 2019. The company posted a net loss the Group’s systems and should also ease competitive CFO Paul Rawson said it of £6.3m for full year 2018 and controls,” said chairman Ralph pressures, though market would “take time” to roll off restated 2017 profi t to £700,000 Cohen in the company’s annual volatility remains challenging. low margin contracts taken on as a result of serious accounting report, published at the end of in 2017 and 2018 in a bid for issues discovered last year by May. Risk management growth. incoming CFO Paul Rawson. The fi rm appointed PwC in As commodity prices have Yü Group’s share price Those problems stemmed November 2018 to lead a review increased, Kalar said more climbed 20 per cent on the from taking on too many of accounts and business. businesses are turning to third back of the report. te customers with poor payment Following the review, Cohen party intermediaries. However, records and inadequate said the board is “confi dent that Yü’s business via TPIs has controls and processes. our controls and processes are diminished as it focuses on less Last October, the company’s more robust and that the risky, better margin customers. share price collapsed 80 per cent necessary foundations are in “We are working hard to be on the news. It has since partially place to deliver, in a controlled selective in what contracts we recovered, though remains a manner, the future growth of take onboard, with particular fraction of its March 2018 peak. the business”. emphasis on credit risk, sector It also attracted the He added that Yü Group and margin,” said Kalar. As a attention of the Financial is now “more selective” in result, average monthly bookings Conduct Authority, though taking on new customers. the FCA said in May it had CEO Bobby Kalar owns 53 Bobby Kalar: ‘A huge discontinued its investigation. per cent of the company’s shares. opportunity to grow “The group has expanded Despite suffering a signifi cant our business’ Collapsed energy suppliers leave £172m bill K energy customers are resort levies (which will be Citizens Advice also bound by the same rules as facing a potential bill of passed through to consumers estimates that at least suppliers licensed by Ofgem. U£172m from the collapse under Ofgem processes) and 32,000 have been left open This means they can pursue of 11 suppliers since January £71m of outstanding service to potentially aggressive debts much more aggressively 2018, says Citizens Advice. costs, such as network charges debt collection practices by and can lead to people being The charity says that was and metering services (less 10 the administrators who took contacted by debt collectors the total in unpaid industry per cent likely to be recouped) over these companies. and asked for sums they bills left behind by failed Citizens Advice is calling When energy suppliers can’t afford at very short suppliers – a cost that will for legislation to ensure more fail, Ofgem appoints a new notice – with the risk of big likely be paid by consumers regular payment of industry supplier for customers to hikes in what they owe. through their bills. It costs – in particular the ensure a continued energy Government should legislate comprises £120m to cover Renewables Obligation – to supply, while the old supplier is to apply the same rules to Renewables Obligation, Feed- prevent big debts being left taken over by administrators. administrators as to suppliers, in Tariff and supplier of last to be paid by consumers. Administrators are not said Citizens Advice.

16 June/July 2019 theenergyst.com

INSIGHT

Bristol has agreed plans to ‘decarbonise, decentralise and democratise’ the city’s energy system. Now it is trying to ind a partner to fund its ambition. Brendan Coyne reports Bristol’s £5 billion decarbonisation plan

n recent years, Bristol City Leap project. “But it was a exercise to find that partner”. and Transport, says the Council has invested around fascinating exercise. What As cabinet meetings go, “it council estimates it will cost £50m in energy projects, we got back was astounding was one of the most exciting approximately £5bn to fully Iranging from wind and – and we came away with a I have ever been in,” says decarbonise the city’s energy solar to district heating. Now it menu of emerging options to Sterling. “Our politicians and transport system. is planning to step that up by formulate a master plan.” are really engaged in doing “All the enabling technology two orders of magnitude and From those options emerged this, delivering something is there,” says Dudd, “the decarbonise the entire city. a preferred approach: a joint transformational to meet our only piece that is missing Bristol’s City Leap programme venture with an institutional decarbonisation targets.” is the investment.” aims to find financial, technology partner, or consortium, to fund While Bristol has undertaken If government is serious and services partners to deliver everything from a massive heat more energy projects than most about hitting net zero by its bold ambition. Following network expansion, through over the past decade, much 2050, says Dudd, it needs to the launch of its prospectus last renewable energy of it has been “in a piecemeal immediately “step up” with fashion, based on specific funding. “But we in Bristol are we need a partner technology to solve particular not waiting around for that – it challenges”, Sterling admits. is a climate emergency. Hence that can look at a “City Leap is about developing policy like City strategic level across bringing all of that together Leap; a partnership between the the whole system and transforming the system council and strategic investors for Bristol – creating a to help us drive change.” James Sterling, City Leap decarbonised, decentralised That strategic partner – and democratic system,” he potentially an institutional year, 180 organisations from (including marine energy) and adds. “So we need a partner investor – must share Bristol’s around the world have expressed battery storage, to a city-wide that can look at a strategic level values and ethos, says Dudd. interest in working with Bristol energy efficiency programme. across the whole system.” “They have to be in it for – and the council has met the long-term and share the each and every one of them. Political will Unlocking investment journey,” he says. “We accept “That was 180 important Cabinet gave the plan the green While the City Leap prospectus they need to make a return; meetings that weren’t previously light on 2 April, says Sterling, looks out to 2027, outlining there must be some margin in in the diary,” says James Sterling, “and we now have approval an £875m investment it for them, but we will need who manages engagement from the mayor to go forward plan, Councillor Kye Dudd, a partner that is willing to and partnerships for the City and undertake a procurement cabinet member for Energy commit long term to Bristol.”

18 June/July 2019 theenergyst.com Bristol has already invested £50m in energy projects Incentivising including district heating and solar behaviour change Underneath the investment framework, delivery work is Alongside infrastructure, open to all parties, says Dudd. Bristol is also trialling “SMEs, local businesses, initiatives to incentivise communities: We want the energy e icient behavior. widest possible involvement.” The council recently signed-up to pilot Energi Spend to save Mine’s blockchain-based rewards system, whereby Investing £5bn means one sta f earn redeemable way or another, ratepayers points for making energy will have to pay it back. But e icient choices. Dudd believes residents will Councillor Kye Dudd says benefit financially. He cites the concept is win-win: the the council’s district heating council saves money on its schemes in Hartcliffe and energy bill, and “hopefully Redcliffe, commissioned in some of those positive 2015/16, which predominantly behaviours will overlap into heat social housing. people’s home lives and in “The city centre and Redcliffe time in luence friends and are my wards,” says Dudd. relatives”. “I had residents coming into In the long run, he says, “behaviour change at a city- surgeries to complain because level will be key” to hitting their bills had been cut in half Bristol’s carbon goals. – they said they must have been overcharged previously. They could not believe a largely biomass and gas physical intervention could City-wide smart network powered, but Sterling says the reduce bills by that much.” long-term plan is to phase out Similarly, says Dudd, The City Leap prospectus outlines a broad range of projects natural gas. He points to the by decarbonising the city, to take forward, with approximate investment values out to Geneco biogas operation with “we can reduce bills and 2027 for district heating (£300m) domestic and commercial Wessex Water and says sewage protect people from market energy e iciency (£400m+) and renewable energy (£40m). could also fuel heat networks It also outlines a £125m plan for a city-wide smart energy volatility,” while the council in future, while local solutions system, combining demand-side response, storage, electric will also make a margin to like ground and watersource vehicles and vehicle-to-grid, networked heat pumps and recycle into other initiatives. smart appliances. heat pumps will play a key role. James Sterling adds that investing in energy efficiency What next? and generation across the development of 350 homes, out to five energy-from-waste Since gaining cabinet approval, council’s estate will also create “which we hope will be the facilities, clustered eight Bristol has been working on revenue and savings that can first of many”, says Sterling. miles north-west of the city, “a robust procurement process be passed on to ratepayers. at Avonmouth. “That’s a long that ensures a good quantity of Heat networks dig,” admits Sterling. “But quality bids from organisations Business engagement Heat is regarded as the most our calculations indicate the that could play that strategic While the council has control difficult aspect of decarbonising waste heat from those plants partner role”, says Sterling. over its own estate, it needs the economy. If Bristol can would deliver 40-45 per cent “We only get one shot, so businesses to get on board. secure a suitable financial of the city’s heat load.” it’s important that process Although engaging with firms partner, the plan is to extend At present, the city’s heat is right to ensure we form to decarbonise is high on the the heat network all the way networks are the best partnership that agenda, the council can also delivers all of our objectives; pull some levers. For example, environmental, social and planning conditions require any All the enabling economic,” he says. As such, new city centre development technology is there, the tender launch date is not within the planned heat the only piece that is yet firm, but Sterling suggests network expansion to connect missing is the investment it will be in the fourth quarter. to it. As such, the council Other councils serious has just signed its first Cllr Kye Dudd, about decarbonising will no commercial customer, a private Bristol City Council doubt be watching closely. te

theenergyst.com June/July 2019 19 Advertorial

Ready to flex? Unlocking the power of flexibility in our low-carbon future By Vincent de Rul, Director of Energy Solutions at EDF Energy

Challenge and opportunity change is rapidly closing, with just the way they Disruptive trends – whether economic, 11 years to take effective action left manage and social or environmental – are according to the UN Intergovernmental motivate dramatically changing the commercial Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). employees, landscape for all of us. If we continue to At the same time, our world is being with studies behave in the same way, we can wave revolutionised in the post-digital era, showing goodbye to business as usual. transforming whole sectors at an the positive Our natural resources are getting increasing pace. impact scarcer and more costly. Our global All in all, we face many challenges, of more population is getting wealthier and more and some that aren’t immediately the flexible working urban, making the scarcity of resources preserve of an energy or facilities practices. more acute as increasing numbers of manager to grapple with. However, The same approach – not simply people buy into our fast-retail consumer for those who are switched on to the switching to low-carbon energy sources, culture and energy-intensive possibilities of the low-carbon economy, but flexing the way that they use and lifestyles. there is the opportunity to make great manage energy – is opening up new Meanwhile, strides through energy flexibility, starting opportunities for businesses to drive our window with just one change. sustainable growth. for tackling Many organisations are already climate familiar with the concept and practice Adopting a flexible mindset of flexibility in different areas of their To start taking hold of these business. Some have introduced opportunities, businesses need to shift flexibility into the way they manage their the way they think of themselves, the premises, with new practices such as way they see energy, and the way they hot desking helping to make the most use it. of the office space that they have. Firstly, they need to change the way Others have brought more flexibility into they think about their own business, Advertorial

practice of simply switching it on and G eneration E lectric off, businesses can start to actively ‘ flex’ The current conditions the times at which they choose to use are ideal for energy energy to respond to the market’s rising sharing. Regulations and falling prices. are in place. New technologies are D igging a little deeper ready to go. New Many energy managers, who markets are understand the great benefits of energy emerging all the flexibility, are worried that their business time. is simply too rigid to flex. The idea that This is good there might be spare energy capacity news not just for in the business is often dismissed by the businesses who senior management. are getting involved, But looking at capacity differently but for the UK as a might uncover some surprise ‘ extra’ whole as we continue to capacity within existing assets and shift to a low-carbon economy. business operations. Finding demand In fact, the National G rid is capacity – which can be created simply banking on the flexibility potential by dialling back unnecessary energy which lies latent in businesses use, or switching the time that activities across the country. As we continue take place to move away from demand to transition to a low-carbon energy peaks – is as simple as making one mix, as much as 5 0 % of the balancing change to an asset that you already action which is needed to keep the have in your operations. Anything that grid stable will come from the external consumes energy, whether it is lighting, response of businesses who start to heating, machinery or air conditioning, make these simple changes . can reduce or shift usage from demand At EDF Energy, we’re seeing a new peaks. generation of businesses emerge Supply capacity, on the other hand, who are not only recognising the from being a consumer of energy could simply involve switching on a opportunities presented by the low- to a proactive ‘ prosumer’ of it. A back-up generator to create energy to carbon economy, but who are beginning business that thinks in this way may share, or storing energy from an onsite to tangibly benefit from it. begin to produce and use their own renewables source to sell later. There is no single common energy, generated through solar panel The reality is that most businesses denominator that unites these installations for instance. have some spare capacity in their businesses: they are not from a single Bound to this change comes another; energy operations, even if it isn’t sector, they are not defined by their seeing low-carbon energy as a valuable immediately obvious where it might be. ownership structure, and they are not ‘ commodity’ rather than a mandatory This means that – perhaps with some defined by their size . ‘ cost’. This means that the business assistance to review operations and Instead, the thing that unites them may begin to store the energy they reveal which assets offer the most flex is their ambition: to drive sustainable generate to use when the market is potential – they can join the many other growth while creating increased value experiencing high prices, or businesses who are flexing for their shareholders, customers, even choose to sell it to energy right now. Often and the nation at large. W e call these make an extra profit. by making just one businesses ‘ G eneration Electric’ Thirdly, these change to a sole because they are part of a global organisations asset, these movement to use, generate and share need to alter organisations low-carbon electricity. the way in are releasing, Everyone is welcome to join this which they sharing and movement. If you’re interested in use low- monetising working out what change is right for carbon the spare your business right now, get in touch at: electricity. capacity energysolutionssales@ edfenergy. com Moving that exists or find out more about the power of away from within their flexibility at: the passive business. edfenergy. com/ positiv edisruption LOCAL ENERGY MARKETS Local lex: eyes on the prize

Centrica aims to prove local energy markets can deliver the lexibility required in a decarbonised, decentralised system and an electri ied economy. Brendan Coyne reports

entrica is working sellers will place offers. WPD to build a viable can review the offers and then system to enable local make a commercial decision C energy balancing on whether to contract with and trading, involving small those assets,” says Cornwall businesses and households. Local Energy Market product Its test bed is Cornwall. manager Sam Wevers. Whereas other platforms That is the relatively are trying to match buyers and straightforward aspect, sellers of flexibility, Centrica and other companies are headroom nor creates conflict The product is “intentionally has bigger plans – if it can working towards broadly between network operators a broad church” to maximise prove its model works. similar platforms. and system operators, rules participation, says Wevers. The second is a more Centrica has been working Asset requirements are Flexible approach complex model, aiming on with National Grid and a 20-minute response The local energy to deliver a pay as WPD for more than a year. time with delivery in half market plan cleared market-based hour blocks. “Essentially involves two mechanism for flex Assets required constraint management type streams. First is a procurement by The plan is to run auctions capabilities, not the kind ‘quote and tender’ multiple parties, from three months out to of requirements demanded model, where rather than tendering. intraday, giving buyers and for frequency response, for “Western Power A key aspect sellers some flexibility on example,” says Wevers. Distribution will Sam Wevers: “We is to ensure the bids and buys. Centrica That could be batteries, CHP, place a bid onto have to get it right in platform neither is keen to engage with all biodiesel gensets, industrial the platform and Cornwall irst” violates substation parties to ensure liquidity. load, “any demand or generation Making SMEs part of the future grid s part of the trial, Centrica marketing and development care about environmental from Centrica’s trial will has been engaging local manager, says it needed to credentials, “so sustainability help shape its involvement Abusinesses, auditing their centralise heat infrastructure is very important to us”. in future smart grids. energy consumption, assessing instead of “bolting on” boilers as Allister says there are other potential to provide flex and the site expanded. Even with the benefits. “The local grid supply is A licence to save money installing new kit where new lodges, the energy centre poor. We have suffered outages – Printing firm Deltor applicable. is expected to reduce the hotel’s and this gives us the opportunity Communications is also part The Carbis Bay Hotel in St energy bill by £30k/year, cut to get some resilience and of the trial. Managing director Ives, for example, is part of maintenance bills and save 70 consistency,” he says. Sam Shannon says clients are the trial and has installed two tonnes of carbon per annum. The set-up also enables increasingly environmentally 35kWe CHP units – which The carbon aspect is the hotel to feed surplus focused, driving the company provide heat and power to increasingly important for the electricity back into the local to cut its carbon footprint the 46-bedroom hotel, its hotel’s marketing, says Allister. market as of this summer. wherever possible. Moreover, swimming pool, plus 17 “But not just as a PR exercise,” Allister is comfortable with the firm is ISO14001- self-contained cottages and he says, adding guests who the requirements of becoming certified, which requires eight new luxury lodges. may be paying £1,000 to stay in a flexible energy provider continuous improvement. Dan Allister, the hotel’s senior beachfront lodges increasingly and says the experience “We heard funding was

22 June/July 2019 theenergyst.com Solving low-voltage network constraints through lexibility could save a lot of money, suggests Centrica

to access national markets market for flexibility anticipated, but which in a way that doesn’t conflict services might work has a 30MW export with local substations.” in the UK – and agreement with Given the pressure on how different types WPD. The council Cornwall’s grid infrastructure, of prosumers, has consent for up the county is a fitting place aggregators, to a 5MW battery to trial a local energy market. suppliers, and and is in commercial But if it can hone and prove generators might be James Atkinson: discussions its model, Centrica hopes to able to play in that “making the case for with Centrica. commercialise the technology market,” he says. non- irm connections” Should it go with other network parties “There are ahead, the battery and potentially overseas. very few, if any, – located at one “But we have to get it projects doing that at this of the most constrained parts right in Cornwall first,” says level of complexity. It is an of the network – would be Wevers. “We need to take one opportunity is to see how the able to wrap £189/MWh red step at a time. At this stage energy market might look in band credit from WPD into the focus is on bringing new the next few years: All different its revenue stack, according to projects on board, growing types of actors playing in a Atkinson. “I think that is the the footprint – and being single platform that is efficient, highest in the UK, so the battery able to show other interested transparent and drives value would provide some really parties a working model.” for consumers and the system.” useful services from day one.” Part of the challenge is Atkinson says if the battery technical, particularly low Enabling lex connections – and the broader trial – can voltage network data. The other As part of the project, which prove that DNOs can use flex to is commercial and setting out is co-funded by the European alleviate constraints, allowing asset that can be flexible – we rules everyone can agree on. Regional Development Fund, more people to connect to are tech agnostic”, says James “This is a new market model. Centrica has installed 100 the network, “they can start Atkinson, energy engineer and We are trying to do things in residential batteries, which to offer non-firm connections commercial analyst for the LEM. reality that have only been talked will provide flex into the local as business as usual”. about in abstract. Taking Beis market. It has also installed “As soon as they have that Local trial, international scope? policy goals and putting them flow batteries (relocated from a proof point and you have Unlocking assets capable of into a platform is tricky, as is previous project) at a working this liquid market, instead of managing constraints will building a platform and coming farm in order to store and shift spending millions or billions to be necessary as heat and up with the clearing engine. power from its 150kW PV array. upgrade their substations, they transport electrify, increasing It is hard and we don’t have There is also potential for [can instead] pay people to use congestion on low voltage all the answers,” says Wevers. Cornwall Council to install a the network in a smarter way.” networks, says Wevers. “But that’s why it is fun.” battery adjacent to the now That approach could “So that’s our aim: to The potential prize is also defunct Wave Hub, a socket deliver “huge” cost savings, work out how to enable worth the effort, he adds. “We’re for testing wave energy devices says Atkinson, “if and distributed energy resource trying to see how a multisided that did not materialise as when we can prove it”. te

available as part of the trial, power unnecessarily. have actually installed another the South West,” says Shannon. applied to take part and Centrica “That created big savings, huge press and not seen any rise “We believe we are – and we can came in and installed its particularly the air leaks, because in energy bills, because one has quantify that. If the University Panoramic Power monitoring we were basically bleeding counteracted the other. So for of Exeter comes to us and wants system,” says Shannon. money,” says Shannon. Once customers, per sheet of paper, to know the carbon footprint The system, which involves those losses were quantified in we have reduced its carbon of its prospectus, we can tell clip on sensors and analytics, financial terms, the investment footprint. And we are using them – not many others could.” highlighted inefficiencies decision was easy, he adds. the savings to fund growth.” The company also uses in Deltor’s operation, As a result, Shannon says Shannon says payback on the Panoramic Power app to and helped justify the company has reduced the compressor is “ridiculously monitor generation from its investment in a power consumption by 11 quick, a year and a half ”. 120kW rooftop PV. Shannon variable speed per cent. “Compressed says investing in battery storage compressor. air was our biggest Quantifying credentials is next up for consideration. It also helped draw, about 50 per The company’s clients include the “We would love to do that, the company to cent of the business Houses of Parliament, the Eden or another form of generation. identify and fix air consumption. It’s Project, universities and local We use all the energy we make leaks throughout huge, so the variable councils, for whom sustainability [via PV]. We operate 24/7 the factory, plus Sam Shannon: speed compressor credentials affect business but most of our workforce equipment that “We were basically has made a massive decisions. “We want to tell clients are in during peak demand was drawing bleeding money” difference for us. We we are the greenest printers in – and that is costly.” te

theenergyst.com June/July 2019 23 GREEN ENERGY Net zero: How to tackle heat? Heat is the toughest aspect of decarbonisation. Brendan Coyne asked utilities, investors and industry associations for some thoughts on how to do it

ccording to (see bit.ly/2DGNrkU) Rotheray says pumps. Rotheray says industry Committee on have suggested lobbyists will always is working on solutions, but Climate Change CEO that hydrogen, forward their own “government needs to put A Chris Stark, “it will particularly if interests, “as do we”, policy in place to ensure that be extraordinarily diffi cult to hit produced by but he questions heat resources are exploited”. 2050 [net zero] without a plan electrolysis rather the credibility of in place for heat very quickly”. than reformation, some of the gas Merit order So what are the options? could deliver benefi ts Tim Rotheray: networks’ plans. Vattenfall is grappling with across industries “Hydrogen has “The question how to decarbonise heat Hydrogen and economies. to be used in the is, if you have a networks, having committed There is a lot of faith being Others believe right places” high value fuel that to do so by 2040 in Holland. pinned on hydrogen, and the hydrogen for can fl y planes and Bart Dehue, sustainable Committee’s report suggests heat is a waste of resource, power ships … do you use it heat programme manager at in one net zero scenario that particularly if carbon capture to heat air to 21 degrees? My Vattenfall, says some of the heat around 270TWh will be needed and storage (CCS) is required expectation is that you do not.” in its Dutch networks currently to help decarbonise peak heat, to bury emissions from comes from incinerators – and industry and transport. But hydrogen production via steam Heat networks WBR, the Rotterdam heat that comes with a number methane reforming (SMR). Rotheray and the ADE have company, has plans to build a of fi nancial, technical and “The Committee on Climate pushed hard for heat network 40km pipeline to take heat from regulatory hurdles (see p26). Change rightly states that CCS support and suitable regulatory waste plants and refi neries in The gas networks are keen to is a technology that has to be frameworks for several years. Rotterdam to Lieden to replace use hydrogen as a replacement used in the right places,” says Heat networks can reduce the current gas source. for natural gas, with projects Tim Rotheray, director of the carbon emissions In Amsterdam, heat such as H21 (which envisages Association for Decentralised from heat due to comes from a mix switching Leeds to hydrogen) Energy (ADE). Heating homes the effi ciencies of of waste and gas and Hydeploy (taking place with hydrogen is not one of centralised plant. CHP. That saves at Keele University) touted as the right places, he suggests. But most use about 50 per cent pathfi nders. Government is “That would be an extremely natural gas, usually CO2 compared with also keen, with energy minister poor use of the resource, via combined heat a domestic gas Claire Perry stating there are because it is too valuable to and power (CHP) Bart Dehue: “We boiler, says Dehue. “enormous opportunities aviation and heavy industry, plants. How to think there will be “That’s nice but it to work with the hydrogen where it makes much more decarbonise them? a mix of heat has to go to zero. economy”. Meanwhile, energy sense. So government Rotheray suggests sources” That is our ambition companies such as Shell needs to think very carefully waste heat is one by 2040, so no (see p34) and Vattenfall where to deploy it.” under-utilised option (Bristol more room for natural gas.” City Council thinks waste heat from incinerators can So what are the options? provide 40-45 per cent of “We think there will be a mix of the city’s heat load, see p18). heat sources,” says Dehue. One Another is large-scale heat is geothermal, “meaning deep geothermal, 2-5km deep, where you can achieve temperatures

A plan for heat is urgently needed to hit net zero by 2050 Pic: Creative Commons_Marco Verch Commons_Marco Pic:Creative

24 June/July 2019 theenergyst.com of 100 degrees plus,” [other sources] come Stewart thinks “in time” more yet professionalised. There will he suggests. in the merit order producers will start injecting be casualties along the way.” Amsterdam also before biomass – and biogas into the grid – and will From an investor’s has a lot of data that works, because need to do so if the government perspective, Barker suggests centres, whose low pellets are expensive, is serious about net zero. But, “the battle for renewable heat temperature heat, versus geothermal, given the current economics and and energy will be won at typically 20-30°C, which would always incentives, Stewart questions, micro scale”. That is, “corporate could be boosted by Doug Stewart: have to be “who will build the anaerobic rooftops, behind the meter a large industrial “Who will build the dispatched fi rst,” digestion (AD) plants?” commercial batteries”, and other heat pump to anaerobic digestion suggests Dehue. That is a good question, pools of distributed assets. In 65-70 degrees. plants?” Over time, says Richard Barker, commercial terms, he “We think that geothermal could adviser and investment says the winners of is probably a cheaper way therefore become baseload, committee member at that battle will be [than putting heat pumps into then heat from data centres and Iona Capital, which “fund managers every house],” says Dehue. water sources in conjunction has invested in a and players that can Another option is to take heat with heat pumps, which require signifi cant chunk aggregate loads of from water bodies. “Holland some electricity, and therefore of the UK AD fl eet. distributed energy has quite a lot of water,” notes some cost, and then biomass. Barker who used solutions, implement Dehue, especially sewage water, “So as we inject more heat to run BioGen, Bean Beanland: effectively, and then which has a higher temperature sources to the mix, biomass the UK’s biggest “Heat pumps can fi nd innovative throughout the year than will step from baseload to AD producer, has be part of the fi nancing surface water, that could be towards peak production both a practitioner solution” approaches to combined with a heat pump. only in the colder months, and investor push them into Biomass will also likely gradually to the point that perspective – and he says the the big fi nancial markets”. play a signifi cant role, he says, you do not need biomass at answer is not straightforward. and Vattenfall has proposed a all,” says Dehue. “This could “A lot of [AD] projects Heat pumps ‘transitional’ biomass scheme be around 2040 … but we do are not making money,” Bean Beanland, chairman of in Amsterdam to replace the not yet know how successful says Barker. Food waste AD the Ground Source Heat Pump current gas power plant. geothermal will be in this area.” makes up the lion’s share of Association, thinks heat pumps “The UK has an equally UK biogas production. can be part of the solution. But fi erce debate [around the Green gas “For me, that is quite the rate of installs to date is sustainability or otherwise Biogas may also have a sick sector,” he adds. nowhere near that envisaged by of biomass]. In our view, it a role to play in “The majority of the the Climate Change Committee’s has an important transition decarbonising heat. 300+ food waste AD report. Beanland says uptake role. I think the other options Doug Stewart, CEO projects in the UK has been hampered by fl awed [detailed above] can become of energy supplier are not full – there building regulations, specifi cally very important in the long Green Energy UK, is not enough food carbon factors as set out under term. But they are very diffi cult says there has been waste to fi ll them.” Standard Assessment Procedure to implement at large scale in a fourfold increase Richard Baker: At least, “collectable, (SAP) within Part L. Under the short term,” he explains. in production “The majority of the suitable” feedstock. those rules, grid electricity is has “So if you want to get rid of biomethane 300+ food waste AD Meanwhile, gate been recognised at 519g/CO2/ of natural gas, large scale, since 2015, to projects in the UK fees have collapsed kWh. Because heat pumps use in the short-term, we see no 2.5TWh – the are not full” from £40-£70/ electricity, it pushes up their other alternative to biomass.” equivalent to supply tonne, to “quite recognised carbon emissions, a million homes, he says. often less than £10/tonne”, says while over-rewarding other How long might that Yet in the context of UK gas Barker, “sometimes zero”. technologies, says Beanland. transition period be? demand (800TWh+) that He thinks that makes Government has consulted “The honest answer is that it is tiny. As such, businesses consolidation inevitable. about reducing that fi gure depends on how fast we can that seek to decarbonise Meanwhile, Barker believes gas to 233g/CO2/kWh, and the deploy other alternatives. If gas must pay a premium, prices will have to “at least” Greater London Authority is geothermal is very successful, though it is less than 10 per double for many AD operators to moving to implement the factor than by 2040, we may no cent compared with standard inject gas to grid rather than for new planning applications longer have to use biomass. But methane, suggests Stewart. burn for electricity. That may from 1 January. Beanland it could also be a mix so that While many biogas producers require a signifi cant believes commercial projects have largely burnt gas in CHP environmental levy on gas, or will then favour heat pumps engines to generate electricity, other incentives. over other technologies. “When I see headlines “The fact that heat pump around ‘enough biogas for sector has survived in the UK one million homes’, that’s is a miracle, but it’s the light great,” says Barker. “But it’s a at the end of a long tunnel,” rocky market. It started as a he says, “and the supply cottage industry and has not chain is gearing up.” te theenergyst.com June/July 2019 25 GREEN ENERGY Green hydrogen: Industrial challenge ‘Green’ hydrogen could be a signi icant pillar of a decarbonised economy. But there are signi icant challenges to overcome. Myles Mantle, project development and inance partner at law irm Haynes and Boone, provides the lowdown

n 15 June, at the method accounts for about ‘blue’ hydrogen (not grey, but proton exchange membrane G20 Ministerial three quarters of global not quite ‘green’ either). (PEM) electrolysers. The main Meeting on production of approximately At the same time, water drawback to PEM so far is O Energy Transitions 70 million tonnes; and electrolysis (which only the high cost of use, although and Global Environment • Coal – through gasifi cation requires water and electricity) is this is rapidly falling, and for Sustainable Growth in (reacting coal with high- being developed as a promising projections by the International Japan, the EU, US and Japan temperature steam plus solution for production of Renewable Energy Agency announced their trilateral oxygen under pressure, and ‘green’ hydrogen, on the basis (IRENA) are that the cost will cooperation on hydrogen and then reacting the resulting that the electricity comes be equivalent to ALK or lower fuel cell technologies, that synthesis hydrogen and from renewable sources. within the next six years. hydrogen and fuel cells are part carbon monoxide gas Currently only 0.1 per cent of Other technologies of a sustainable energy portfolio with steam to separate the global hydrogen production for extracting ‘green’ key to opening up opportunities hydrogen). is from electrolysis and a hydrogen, including biomass and value in transportation, industry and other sectors, as well as enabling reliable, clean The main drawback to PEM so far is and affordable electricity. the high cost of use, although this This announcement is rapidly falling, and projections coincides with a report from the IEA, entitled The by IRENA are that the cost will be Future of Hydrogen, and the equivalent to ALK or lower within the announcement that there next six years – Myles Mantle are now 60 major global corporations signed up to the Hydrogen Council. Both techniques result in small proportion of that gasifi cation, biomass This all points towards ‘grey’ hydrogen (ie hydrogen utilises renewable energy, derived liquid reforming, serious support for hydrogen production resulting in but this is expected to rise thermochemical water splitting, production and utilisation, excess CO2 or CO as well dramatically with new photoelectrochemical water and in particular where as other pollutants). technology, cost reduction splitting and photobiological that production and Given the desire to produce and the presence of so many processes look very promising utilisation is CO2 neutral. CO2 neutral H2, various major industrial participants. but are largely in the initiatives (eg the Carbonnet Currently most electrolysis is research stage. Also being Production and utilisation project in Australia or the through alkaline (ALK) researched for potential Currently the majority of global H-Vision project in Rotterdam) electrolysers. production is naturally hydrogen production is from: are looking at sequestering A newer technology that may occurring hydrogen at various • Natural gas – through the produced CO2 or CO using deliver faster dynamic response locations around the world. steam methane reformation carbon capture storage (CCS) times, larger operational Currently the produced (which releases signifi cant techniques, the resulting ranges and higher effi ciencies hydrogen is used by industrial amounts of CO2). This production being labelled with very high gas purities is customers (in particular for

26 June/July 2019 theenergyst.com Challenges and risks even penalties that might analysis in development arise through contracting of H2 value chain to supply hydrogen by a While the production and particular date and failing, use of hydrogen looks very 0.1% or not be able, to take power compelling, to create an entire Percentage of global from the renewable source. infrastructure, and even hydrogen production Current proposals for economy, gives rise to many from electrolysis selling produced H2 through challenges, for example: electrolysers using renewable • H2 contains less energy energy to existing industrial per unit volume than all justify making the relevant customers (eg for the other fuels and has smaller capital expense. This is production of mineral fertiliser, molecules, and it has little ‘project on project’ risk, where steel, methanol or ammonia), understood corrosive the first project only works if where this creates demand properties in some situations, the second project is actually for hydrogen production, so storing, transporting and built and up and running. seem like a sensible way of delivering it to end users keeping it simple and avoiding can require new expensive To succeed in developing the for now the need to align equipment and technology. entire value chain, developers the different components. • Building filling stations for will need to align the renewable In this way the technology fuel cells, a new pipeline energy production, the for the production of H2 can network capable of handling alkalyser H2 production plant, be finessed incrementally, Pic: Creative Commons_Dave Snowden Commons_Dave Pic:Creative hydrogen and new storage the distribution network, with the development or oil refining and production and transportation facilities storage facilities, transportation upgrade of distribution of ammonia, methanol and will involve extremely high infrastructure, industrial networks, transportation steel), in fuel cells for transport capital costs. However, customers, power customers and more widespread applications, and there because a wide variety of and transport customers utilisation coming later. are various demonstration processes and resources can (all fundamentally different projects and plans for use produce hydrogen, regional industries). The developer will Regulatory development in commercial buildings or even local hydrogen then need to address technical At the same time as considering and multi-family units and production can maximise and operational interface the technical, legal, financial for power generation. use of local resources and issues between the various and political challenges, One particularly interesting minimise distribution components of the value chain. stakeholders will also need proposal is to inject hydrogen challenges, although a cost Risks associated with each to develop the underlying into existing natural gas analysis would need to be part of the entire chain will regulatory frameworks in each networks. Studies show carried out to determine need to be fully understood by particular country or region. hydrogen can comprise whether or not local each relevant party and then Governments and up to 20 per cent of the or regional production those risk should be allocated stakeholders will need to work mixture without the need makes better sense. appropriately between the together to develop regulations to upgrade networks (eg • Transitioning demonstration various stakeholders: the host that are permissive to the the HyDeploy project in the projects into commercial government, the developers, production, storage, transport UK and pilot projects in the reality give rise to high the suppliers, contractors, and distribution of H2, the Netherlands and France). technology risks, which need any lenders, customers and use of hydrogen as a fuel and For power generation, work to be addressed. Government suppliers. This will also in vehicles, use of hydrogen is being carried out on how grants or multilateral support need tremendous political in the electricity grid and development of gas turbines for plays a role but the risks support, especially where gas grid as well as in homes, use with hydrogen as the fuel. often need to be carried by governments are being asked offices and industrial facilities. H2 derived from renewables the developers themselves. to share some of the risks. This includes permitting the is being considered as part • At each stage of the value Mitigating these risks use of H2 as a hazardous of the concept of ‘power to chain – from production, to would include synchronising material, regulating standards gas’, where excess renewable transport, to distribution to completion, testing, for components along the power production is used to end user – there must be a commissioning and acceptance value chain especially in the drive electrolysis for hydrogen source of future revenue to of the alkalyser plant with the consumer context, potentially production, which can be renewable power generation providing certificates of origin stored as a fuel for use in all facilities as well as the gas for ‘green’ hydrogen, creating sorts of other applications, transportation and storage a framework for power to gas including further power infrastructure, industry systems and standards for production when the utilisation and/or fuelling home and office use systems. renewable energy sources station infrastructure and The development of the H2 can no longer produce any H2 power facility. This economy will be complex but (eg overnight or in is in order to minimise also tremendously rewarding

Pic: Creative Commons_DSH Trains Pic:Creative windless conditions). any potential delay or as the beneﬁts are very clear. te

theenergyst.com June/July 2019 27 Advertorial THE UK’S ‘NET ZERO’ TARGET Ten years after the Climate Change Act (2008) became a law, The UK’s Climate Change targets have recently been tightened, from 80% reduction in total carbon emissions by 2050, to ‘net zero’

he Climate Change Act (2008) to reduce emissions from activities we allowed the formation of the can – electricity production, transport Committee on Climate Change etc. And then we need to get better (CCC)T to advise government on tackling at capturing and removing emissions and preparing for climate change. In that would otherwise escape into the October 2018, Claire Perry MP, energy environment from everything else. and climate change minister, along with her Scottish and Welsh counterparties, What needs to be done? What can I do? wrote to the CCC asking for their Ultimately, we need to redefine how Your daily diet recommendations on how to achieve we live our lives. To fully reach net zero A person’s diet can contribute to more net zero greenhouse gas emissions by everything we do needs to be rethought carbon emissions being used than we 2050 in line with the Paris Agreement. and redesigned. actually realise, something not many In May 2019, they released their We need to use our resources better of us actually think about. “Meat free findings, a 277-page report on the and put the environmental impact of Mondays” is an international campaign steps the UK needs to take to achieve every decision in the home and the that has been a running trend for a net zero emissions by 2050. board room at the forefront of our couple years, designed to improve both This report could so easy have been minds. the health of people and the health of brushed under the carpet where all planet. Each Monday that you leave great ideas go to die, but with the How much will it cost? meat out of your diet, you can reduce Extinction Rebellion protests around the The Committee on Climate Change your carbon footprint by nearly 200kg world and Greta Thunberg’s dressing has estimated that reaching net zero per year. down of MPs in April 2019, this meant will cost £50bn a year; BEIS thinks it is that climate action was at the top of closer to £70bn. Travel everyone’s minds. Where the cost of the changes Air pollution is a major global issue As a country, we are already leading required fall is a topic of hot debate, and a lot of it is caused by traffic in the world in tackling climate change would the UK government legislate the prominent towns and cities due to and if the new target is hit, the UK is cost of replacing traditional gas boilers congestion. To assist with reducing to be the first G7 country to reach net onto homeowners? carbon emissions, electric vehicle zero. Increases in taxation on UK (EV) sales must speed up, but with business could also stall the economy, government grant levels dropping in What does net zero mean? something the current government is late 2018, is this sending the right Net zero means just that, there are no very wary off. message to consumers? As technology emissions entering into the atmosphere It has been feared that due to the progresses, EV batteries will last longer, from anything we do. cost of becoming net zero by 2050, less and may even have a second life as Ultimately, with current technology money would be available for schools, domestic storage batteries – reducing we are not able to do this. So, we need police, hospitals and other public areas. overall environmental impact. time but since the use of fossil fuels “WHILE MOST OF THE by humans, carbon dioxide has risen to levels never seen before. Global IMMEDIATE IMPACTS temperatures are rising, and what is expected to follow next? Sea level OF CLIMATE CHANGE rises. Too often, we only decide to do ARE FELT FAR AWAY things after it has already happened. We only built the Thames Barrier to FROM OUR SHORES, protect Greater London from flooding after the North Sea floods of 1953, LIKE AN ONCOMING when 307 people were killed on land in the UK. The London sewer system was STORM, WE KNOW built following the ‘Great Stink’ in 1858, after being dismissed as being too IT IS COMING, WE expensive, but three cholera epidemics and tens of thousands dead changed CAN SEE IT ON THE people’s mind. Now is the time to drive forward and HORIZON BUT WE be bold in our aspirations. If we fail to take this opportunity, it will be future HAVE A CHANCE generations that pay. Thankfully, however, the UK TO STOP IT” government is taking up the challenge. Outgoing prime minister Theresa May has tabled legislation to amend the Climate Change Act (2008) to bring the net zero target by 2050 into law. The UK looks likely to host the COP26, the UN’s 26th Climate Conference, due to be held in November 2020. With the backdrop of the US pulling out of the Paris Climate Agreement, the COP26 event is due to be held just a few days after the 2020 presidential election. The UK needs to take this opportunity to bring the world’s largest economy and second largest carbon In the haulage space, companies will and interconnectors helping meet emitter back into the fray and lead the need to replace their diesel fleet with demand. world on a Greener more sustainable a compressed natural gas (CNG) fleet, future. with the CNG coming from biomethane Why does it matter? (green gas). While it is true that most of the Read the full article at Those flights away may also need immediate impacts of climate change to become a lot more expensive, with are felt far away from our shores, like https://green.energy increased carbon taxes incentivising an oncoming storm, we know it is people to look closer to home. coming, we can see it on the horizon Green is a new energy but we have a chance to stop it. supplier based in the north- Energy Climate change has a The future of domestic heating in the disproportionate impact on people in east of England with artificial UK is looking like the full electrification developing countries, even though the intelligence and renewable – gas heating will be banned from new vast majority of carbon dioxide pumped energy at the heart of its ethos homes from 2025 – but what about the into the atmosphere is from developed existing 23 million homes in the UK countries. Climate change is impacting with a gas boiler? Are district heating on life in the UK with extreme weather schemes and heat pumps ready to pick fluctuations: 2018 was one of the up the strain? hottest summers on record, and that Other home remedies to help control caused a 6% and 10% fall in wheat and heat and power use are things like spring barley production respectively; insulation and double glazing – cutting 2019, however, has seen flooding in the energy bills as well as carbon emissions middle of June. being used. The UK government tried Increases in carbon dioxide in the this in the past with the ‘Green Deal’ to atmosphere is linked to rises in global not great success. temperature and sea levels. Simply All of the UK’s electricity needs put, the more carbon dioxide in the will have to be met by zero carbon atmosphere, the warmer the global production, renewables such as wind, temperature, the higher the sea level. solar and hydro with nuclear energy Carbon dioxide naturally fluctuates over DSR & STORAGE Energy irms: Guarantee revenues for small storage Richard Palmer, senior consultant at Roadnight Taylor, says energy companies could de-risk smaller storage investments by providing minimum revenue guarantees for ive years

here have been two exciting items of news in recent T weeks which seem to pave the way for a bright future for battery storage. However, more must still 35% be done by the clean energy and the rate of cost reductions for example, if a business industry to become less has accelerated. According planned to invest £100,000 reliant on government to Bloomberg New Energy in a solar PV scheme, it Reduction in the levelised support and allow Finance, the levelised cost of would have considered investments in battery storage cost of electricity (LCOE) electricity (LCOE) for battery the cost of investing, the to flourish, particularly in for battery storage since storage – that’s the average revenues it was going to smaller organisations. June last year cost for building and operating get from their investment a scheme – has fallen by 35 per and how certain those Price guarantees cent to £141.5 per MWh since revenues were going to be. EDF Energy has struck a June last year. This has opened With government subsidies deal with Anesco to provide the door for more businesses for renewable electricity a guaranteed floor price for to invest in batteries to generation it was guaranteed its co-located 16MW solar increase their energy resilience a double-digit return, indexed and battery storage site at and generate revenue by to RPI for 20 years. There Clayhill. This is a significant If the wider providing services to the grid. would have been other risks to step forward for the UK industry could consider, but in principle these renewables industry, whereby o er guaranteed But risk remains investments were something a Big Six supplier is providing minimum revenues Despite the falling costs, of a no-brainer. From the a guaranteed minimum battery storage investment still £100,000 investment, payback revenue for the battery storage for smaller, behind- carries a high element of risk. would be within 10 years, and output. EDF Energy will bid the-meter sites – say The multiple revenue streams, there would be a safe and the output into wholesale for ive years – the savings and returns you can guaranteed “pension style” markets through its 24/7 make from the investment in a income for up to 20 years. trading platform and secure reduced investment battery are highly complicated With battery storage, it contracts with grid operators. risk would make and offer little certainty. There is different. If you invest any battery storage have previously been no £100,000 in a battery today, Falling battery costs project look more guarantees of income levels for while there are guarantees The price of lithium-ion any storage scheme operator. around a limited slice of the batteries continues to fall; viable Looking back three years, revenue stack, the certainty of

30 June/July 2019 theenergyst.com Flexitricity to trade 19.5MW battery’s lex Flexitricity will act as trading partner for Anesco’s 19.5MW Larport Farm battery after the two irms struck a deal. The aggregator and supplier will bid its power into wholesale markets, the Balancing Mechanism and attempt to secure FFR contracts. “With the competition in reserve and response services increasing rapidly, trading in the Balancing Mechanism is key in helping customers optimise the revenue from their energy assets,” said Flexitricity head of business development, Andy Lowe. Flexitricity claims it now has more than 450MW of lexible assets under management. Anesco hopes to amass a 380MW battery portfolio by the end of next year. The company works with various aggregators and suppliers, including Shell-owned Limejump, EDF Energy and Upside Energy. In 2017, it developed the UK’s irst subsidy-free solar scheme (Clayhill Farm) by combining it with batteries at a site with a good existing export connection. In June, the company completed work on a 20MW battery storage project at Lascar, near Manchester, taking its storage portfolio to 147MW. Limited revenue visibility is a challenge for irms investing in Anesco’s Clayhill storage. But Anesco executive chairman Steve Shine said the Farm subsidy-free company has built a tool “capable of predicting whole-life cost, solar and storage IRR and long-term revenue streams,” based on actual data and scheme revenues from its storage portfolio. these revenues only extends the-meter sites – say for installations. We recommend this by providing certainty to one, two or three years. five years – the reduced developers engage early in the on payback periods through There are also fundamental investment risk would development cycle with off- guaranteed fixed, or minimum, technical considerations to make any battery storage takers to find the best offtake revenue streams for a number consider which underpin project look more viable. structure for their project.” of early ‘behind the meter’ the investment returns: the This would encourage more storage assets at customer capacity and the duration investment in the technology David Taylor, sites that it supplies.” of the battery. Indeed, and be a huge boost to the Bryt Energy: “As cannibalisation of savings battery storage market. well as providing Tim Wynn-Jones, and revenues can occur, in customers with Good Energy: particular where demand- Industry responses: greater site resilience and “The value of side response, or other onsite peak capacity, ‘behind the battery storage assets could perform the James Hunt, meter’ storage also has access to small businesses goes same function as the battery. Vattenfall: “It’s to a number of potential beyond a traditional return fair to say that cost savings and revenue on investment model. Guarantees please financing new streams; avoidance/reduction Simply looking to reduce Nevertheless, by offering a solar and battery projects has of peak charges, grid service investment risk by replicating guaranteed minimum income, become more challenging revenues, and short term the existing model for large- EDF Energy is giving Anesco without subsidy support or trading/arbitrage revenue. scale batteries misses the certainty in the investment long term ancillary service Each of these in their own wider benefits of storage of its large 6MW battery arrangements. Floor price right carry uncertainty and, to smaller companies. storage scheme; of course, structures are not new to without any government “Suppliers should be the level of the floor price the market but now more support schemes, make the working with these businesses and the management fees than ever there is a need for returns from investment in to better understand these EDF Energy charges are these structures to enable storage far from certain; a practical benefits – whether critical to the equation. investment. At the right level situation which is impacting it is to maximise onsite If the wider industry could they can provide a good basis the uptake of energy storage generation, supporting new offer guaranteed minimum for managing risk and raising at customers’ sites. EV infrastructure, or as a revenues for smaller, behind- the finance needed for new “Bryt Energy is changing backup power source.” te theenergyst.com June/July 2019 31 DSR & STORAGE

Renewables can bid Capacity market auction into Capacity Market clears at 77p/kW The T 1 capacity auction for delivery next winter has cleared he government plans commissioned. “Plant which at 77p/kW, a fraction of prices achieved in previous auctions. to run a capacity has commissioned in the Some 129 units have been awarded an agreement, totalling Tmarket (CM) auction last year has demonstrated 3.6GW of capacity. for delivery in 2022/23 (by commissioning) that By volume, reciprocating engines (gas recips) took the early next year. It intends it does not need such an largest number of agreements (19 to existing engines, 26 to to allow renewables to bid agreement in order to secure new build); CHP took the next largest number of agreements for contracts and make financing,” stated Beis. (29 existing plants and one new build). The auction results do not make great reading for changes to methodologies The government will demand-side response, with swathes of units from Eon, EDF, that govern de-rating factors suspend credit cover Enel X, Flexitricity, Grid Beyond, Kiwi Power, Scottish Power, for interconnectors. requirements for the 2022/23 Smartest Energy and UK Power Reserve dropping out as the All of this is subject to T-3 auction, the 2023/24 price plummeted. successfully reinstating T-4 auction and the 2020/21 Some 29 DSR agreements for approximately 200MW were the CM following its T-1 auction during the awarded to DSR providers, with Limejump suspension by the European standstill period. But credit taking just over half of them. Commission, which upheld cover will be required with The clearing price was also a turnof a legal challenge by Tempus 15 days of the standstill for storage, with just six projects, totalling Energy over the treatment ending, said Beis, though 22MW, taking agreements. of demand-side response. DSR and interconnectors The Capacity Market is currently Beis said the Commission will get 40 days to pay. suspended following a legal challenge by is likely to have made a Renewable technologies Tempus Energy that was upheld by the decision by early next year. will be allowed to bid European Court of Justice. The government hopes to for agreements on reinstate the market this year Agreements and credit cover an ‘equivalent or next. Last year’s T 1 auction New build plants that pre- firm capacity’ cleared at £6/kW. qualified for the postponed basis – provided they do T-4 auction and hoped to get not receive subsidies such 15-year terms will only be able as the RO, Fit, CfD or other those that use the Enterprise have to declare it and see to bid for one-year agreements benefits, which Beis said could Investment Scheme or Venture payments deducted from any in the T-3 if they have already constitute state aid. As such, Capital Trust set-ups would CM agreements awarded. te

K Power Networks has As such, the company UK Power Networks offered contracts worth has offered contracts to six U£450,000 for 18MW of businesses via an auction run flexibility. Six companies made on the Piclo platform. To fulfil buys £450k of DSR successful bids and will now those contracts, winners will now need to install generation or need to install – or in the case recruit demand-side response of aggregators, recruit – new providers at eight locations. capacity at Brandon, Leighton The distribution network Buzzard, Lewes, Newhaven, operator is attempting to manage Lithos, Merton, Mill Hill, network constraints by paying Romney Warren and St Helier. businesses with generation UK Power Networks said in assets or that can adjust power February that it has set aside consumption within buildings £12m to buy flex, or demand- and processes to respond at side response services. It is certain times of the day. also attempting to widen the The alternative is to pool by reducing the minimum invest more in network threshold to 50kW, enabling infrastructure, such as new smaller assets to provide services. substations and transformers. Last summer UKPN UKPN director of asset indicated it could require more management Barry Hatton than 200MW of demand- said all the bids accepted side response to defer load- represented cheaper solutions related reinforcement over than building new infrastructure. the next four years. te

32 June/July 2019 theenergyst.com

DSR & STORAGE

he UK government should consider targeted support for Tsmall-scale battery Shell: Subsidy storage if it wants households to participate in a smarter, lower carbon energy system, according to Brian Davis, vice- would unlock president, Energy Solutions at Shell International. Shell New Energies acquired German battery storage fi rm lex faster Sonnen in February. The company has deployed Shell’s vice-president of Energy Solutions hundreds of megawatts of on storage, shifting markets and why gas storage into households and small businesses in its home will still exist in a net zero world. market, where domestic Brendan Coyne reports storage penetration – roughly 600MW – is greater than industrial storage (about 380MW, according to Bloomberg). Sonnen and others use domestic battery to help balance the German grid. While there are companies in the UK providing grid balancing services via domestic batteries, the market provide that fl exibility faster in the parts that are right for be molecules out there… in is small in comparison. and deliver lasting benefi ts. specifi c markets. I don’t see an affordable economy”. Speaking at Aurora’s Summer “Our batteries last 10,000 network assets as a pre-requisite That may ultimately be Renewables Summit, Davis cycles, they are a long-term as the UK is unbundled.” biomethane or hydrogen said said storage, both short term asset,” said Davis. “They can He said Shell’s focus is Davis, with UK natural gas and seasonal, “is critical to get be aggregated to provide grid “value chain integration infrastructure potentially acting the system to balance” in a resource and services over versus vertical integration”. as seasonal storage for those decarbonised power system. what a household needs.” Davis said that approach fuels. “So no, it’s not the end Yet while renewable gives the fi rm optimism it can of gas.” generation creates an Power play profi tably continue its own pivot Davis said hydrogen created “increasingly intermittent Davis helped conceive Shell’s as the energy sector undergoes from renewables (using excess supply picture, the demand New Energies business and systemic change: Shell aims wind to power electrolysis, picture is becoming the company is busily buying to become the world’s largest for example) could become increasingly controllable”, up energy companies and power company by 2030. a signifi cant business. said Davis. Technologies investing in cleantech. Davis “The energy system of the “Globally, some areas don’t such as electric vehicles, heat said the unit’s “overarching future is different to the past. have the landmass for pumps and batteries “all perspective is starting with The value chains in 2040 will renewables, so they will require internet connected” can help the customer, understanding be different… margins will some other form of clean energy “balance what can’t be what they want across shift over time.” As such, said solution. We believe hydrogen controlled on supply”. markets and working Davis, any energy company that [can work] particularly through Asked if there was back from that”. thinks revenues can be mapped electrolysis. You can liquefy the a policy impediment While smarter power out “is probably wrong”. hydrogen and ship it around the to unleashing storage, grids are central to “Portfolio diversifi cation world. That is no more Davis replied that decarbonised power creates resilience… we think incredible than in the 1950s “some form of focused system, Davis indicated that is the way to create a when shell was creating the subsidy” for domestic it has no current plans business that in aggregate is LNG business.” batteries to get into UK more stable.” Asked if that might be too would help distribution. expensive, Davis suggested “It’s good Role for gas markets tend to provide to have a Gas remains part of the answers. degree of future. Even in a world of “What do people value and Brian Davis: value chain net zero emissions, Davis what will they pay for? It will “It’s not the integration, suggested there is “an ongoing always work if cost is below end of gas” playing role for gas, there will still value.” te

34 June/July 2019 theenergyst.com

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

De ine ‘smart’ charging, urge DNOs UK Power Networks and Northern Powergrid on the need to de ine what smart charging actually means, greater low voltage network visibility, and how businesses and local authorities can ensure a smoother EV charging infrastructure rollout. Brendan Coyne reports

K Power Networks network,” says Laguna. “And that smart charging should fl eets, a smart approach is has one key message we need visibility both ways, happen, so how do we as necessary to mitigate cost. for organisations so understanding where EVs networks enable anyone that Laguna cites UPS as an Uplanning electric are connecting is a good start; wants to do smart charging exemplary case study vehicle charging infrastructure the better data we have today, to do so and what do we (published in The Energyst’s rollouts, says Adriana Laguna, the better we can plan.” need to have in place?” April/May edition). senior innovation strategy UKPN’s Smart Car “UPS is embracing change. manager at the distribution How smart is smart? innovation trial examined They approached us, we worked network operator. Deploying a smart approach different smart charging with them to defi ne their “Talk to us. Consider your to charging is necessary in models, from DNO controlled minimum power requirement long-term needs, then we can areas that are likely to become to free market approaches. and how to optimise behind work together towards the constrained. “That can be “The conclusion was the the meter, how to maximise best long-term solution.” anything from a simple timed market approach was generally the connection [capacity] As EV chargers increasingly connected to active network favoured by customers,” says that they have on site.” connect to the low voltage management,” says Laguna. Laguna. “So the next phase at The benefi t goes both ways, network, lack of visibility is But one of the challenges the project aims to test what a says Laguna. “Partnering a key challenge for DNOs. facing industry is defi ning market signal looks like, on that project and taking “We traditionally have not ‘smart’. “What does smart working with suppliers, a different approach to monitored secondary charging mean, what does it operators and owners to see connections has been substations – and that is a require from an IT architecture how effi cient that is.” very eye opening.” shift the industry is going perspective and how do Meanwhile, deploying through. What was a top down you make it standardised,” Capacity unchained storage and active network network is changing, all the Laguna explains. For business deploying EVs, management at the UPS site action is taking pace on the LV “We [the DNOs] all agree particularly those with larger shows what is possible.

36 June/July 2019 theenergyst.com on the need to define smart in the first place. From charging. a domestic perspective, “Getting government using rooftop solar is policy right, that in itself is a ideal, he says, because smart option,” he suggests. We [the it then never needs to be Miller says intelligence is also exported onto the network. required around price signals DNOs] all agree Bundling EVs, solar and for smart charging, given the that smart charging storage would enable a “useful, changing generation mix. should happen, joined up” approach, from While there is a view that so how do we as that perspective, says Miller. charging might best occur It would also help enable overnight when demand is networks enable new network models. lower from businesses and anyone that wants “We like the idea of fractal households, there is also less to do smart charging balancing or nested microgrids, generation output overnight. essentially the same thing,” “So it makes sense to charge to do so and what says Miller. That is, balance vehicles during the day as well,” do we need to have the house and transfer as little he says. in place? Adriana through the meter as possible, Should solar generation Laguna, UKPN then incentivise balancing of continue to grow, charging the local distribution substation, during the day might become to minimise usage of the more attractive in future, says high voltage system, which Miller. But if EV owners react in turn is balanced to en masse, it could create minimise use of the extra challenges for DNOs, whose high voltage network. networks are built around a We like Theoretically, that diversified maximum demand. approach could lead to “a “If a signal comes through the idea of point where you almost never that says, ‘it’s sunny, power’s fractal balancing or call on National Grid, which cheap, start charging’ and nested microgrids, total changes the way the everyone reacts, that would be essentially the same energy system runs”, focusing more than the system is on the user upwards rather designed for and may cause thing than top down, says Miller. significant issues,” says Miller. Iain Miller, However, Miller also sees “Equally, we should not be Northern merit in laying fatter LV cables, telling people they cannot do given it adds little cost if that when wind and solar are Powergrid networks are digging up the available.” road anyway. “These are the kind of solutions customers definitely Local balancing Better visibility need to look at to optimise their He says one solution is to Meanwhile, he says it is connection,” says Laguna. consider where solar is located incumbent to direct local “Storage is a fantastic example authorities, communities and of technology evolving to get business to the best places to the most out of the network – Free electric vehicles report install charging points. and to put back in. Again, there Northern Powergrid will is a lot of education required, This article was published in launch a mapping tool later this and that is where we can The Energyst’s 2019 EV Report. year that allows developers to definitely help.” The report includes a survey 2019 EV Report input what they wish to install, The broader challenge for of more than 100 businesses EVs | Smart charging | V2G and the system will show businesses is that “they are and details their EV and charging “feeder segment by feeder not energy specialists”, says plans as well as attitudes to segment” where they can Laguna. The transition to smart charging and vehicle-to- install, with or without grid services. electrification demands wider reinforcement. Miller says in It also contains interviews investment and “will not be some case that can differ from with other businesses switching easy for a lot of companies … leets to EVs, charging point one side of the road to another. so partnering to develop the It will also give a budget companies, distribution Partners Produced by optimum solution is key”. network operators, consultants, quote in real time – or minutes carmakers, technology irms and EV report v4.indd 1 4/2/19 3:58 PM at least – depending on Smarter thinking required energy suppliers. Download the location. Iain Miller, head of innovation report, free of charge, at theenergyst.com/EV “That should make life at Northern Powergrid, agrees easier,” suggests Miller. te theenergyst.com June/July 2019 37 ELECTRIC VEHICLES V2G: The journey to commercialisation

Alexander Lewis-Jones, head of electric vehicles research at Delta-ee, gives a snapshot of vehicle-to-grid developments

ehicle-to-Grid is Several pilots have been Nissan in the project team. Four factors need to be the technology that carried out in the Netherlands. In 2017, the Italian utility considered for V2G to become enables bidirectional Many Dutch cities have smart Enel acquired US-based fully commercial across Europe: Vcharging – where and innovation-focused eMotorWerks, a charging an electric vehicle can both programmes typically infl uenced and platform developer and 1. The duty cycle of the EV – charge from and discharge by research institutions, such has gone on to explore V2G when is the EV available for onto the grid. With V2G, EVs as TU Delft and Hogeschool under the new brand. V2G and how predictable is can play the same role as static van Amsterdam, with Horizon Nuvve is a California-based this? Fleet applications may batteries in managing local 2020 or similar European technology developer with a be fruitful early markets loads and participating in innovation backing. Local DSOs decade of V2G experience. It 2. The volumes available – energy market value streams. have considerable interest in provides software and can act what is the potential when The technology could the control of EV charging as the aggregator. The fi rm, in the EV batteries are stacked become a powerful disruptor to because it pairs with the growth which EDF Energy has invested, up? How many will be European electricity markets, but of intermittent renewables. already has a commercial available simultaneously? is not yet commercially available. The UK government has client via the Denmark project 3. The customer – how many Apart from one instance in been a major driver for the outlined above. Its proposition customers are there and how Denmark, all V2G has been development and deployment is designed to lower the willing are they to contribute? deployed in the form of trials and of V2G on a global scale. cost of the infrastructure, 4. The value streams of V2G pilots over the past fi ve years. Not only is V2G seen as a overcoming a potential – will V2G fi nd its feet So, what can be observed technology that provides grid barrier to V2G technology. best providing grid level from current developments? benefi ts but it is seen as a part fl exibility services, or at a What is happening, where of the industrial strategy that Will Nissan stay dominant?’ more localised level such as and involving whom? will enhance the country’s Nissan has been the car maker for cities or homes? This will automotive and electrical of choice for use in V2G projects vary country by country. Where is V2G happening? manufacturing sector. For but other vehicle manufacturers There is interest in V2G this reason, Innovate UK (the are gearing up. Renault is On this basis, buses and technology across Europe but UK government’s innovation trialling V2G; Volkswagen’s large vehicle fl eets operated certain countries are emerging body) launched a £30m newly launched energy business, by individual clients are likely as frontrunners in terms of the competition for V2G projects. Elli, is talking about it; Honda to offer the earliest market number and maturity of projects. Twenty-one projects shared is investing in it (see p40). opportunities. Pools of privately In 2013, Denmark hosted the funding, with eight ‘real However, there is still some owned cars and vans plugged one of the fi rst demonstration world’ demonstration projects work to be done before these into distributed networks projects for V2G. The success taking most of the money. While manufacturers have established of domestic chargers could of this research project opened these are now live, 2019 will a V2G charging standard ultimately offer greater stacked up interest in developing V2G only see the recruitment phase. that can seriously challenge value but the stack will take further. Subsequently Denmark It will be in 2020 and 2021 CHADeMO (the charging longer to develop. By this point, hosted what we recognise as before results are announced. standard preferred by Nissan static solutions may be too the fi rst commercialised V2G which can accommodate V2G). powerful to compete against. project in Europe. Nuvve’s Who are the leading players? Though VW remains behind With Innovate UK’s 2018 V2G project is delivered for Nissan’s LEAF and eNV200 the pack on V2G deployment, demonstrators due to complete a business fl eet for electricity vehicles are already its high level of investment in in 2021/22, the next few years retailer Frederiksberg Forsyning. commercially available and EV solutions and publicly stated are critical for the future of The predictability of fl eet V2G-enabled. So, they are ambition to lead the sector could V2G technology in Europe. te vehicle use can make the being supplied to many of the see it leapfrog competitors such opportunities for V2G services ongoing V2G demonstration as Nissan and establish a leading For more information on EVs more reliable for the market. projects, even without having position in the years to come. research, visit delta-ee.com

38 June/July 2019 theenergyst.com

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

Honda makes energy management shift Honda has led an £8.6m funding round in Moixa. The carmaker struck a deal with the UK smart grid irm earlier this year as it bids to join the dots between the batteries in its cars and the global energy system. Brendan Coyne reports

oixa controls Virtual interconnector is at all stages: house, incentive for businesses given batteries in Moixa aims to “scale to street, local, national and the additional cost of bi- homes and gigawatt hours” with the international,” he explained. directional chargers, Daniel Mcars to provide ultimate goal to become not Much of the fl exibility suggested broader benefi ts energy and grid services. just a virtual power plant but it currently provides to should be taken into account. CEO Simon Daniel says it a “virtual interconnector”, National Grid, distribution “If you can help address has about 70MWh of home Daniel suggested. network operators and local issues [through smart batteries under management He said the company “already aggregators is currently under charging/V2G], that is a in the UK and Japan. sub-aggregates large fl eets project or trial frameworks, benefi t to everyone, and all the It will use Honda’s of domestic energy storage though Daniel said Moixa assets seeking to connect. So a investment to work out how and will do the same with does have commercial lot of the value lies in network to best apply its platform EV storage,” packaging up contracts with DNOS via deferrals,” said Daniel. to “moving batteries, to fl exibility for utilities to manage recent fl exibility tenders. He said that V2G income improve the economics of imbalances, network companies cannot be valued in isolation, electric vehicle ownership”, to manage constraints, “or Vehicle-to-grid pointing to lower maintenance said Daniel, “which helps to another aggregator or Moixa had some input into costs and reduced fuel costs the overall economics of direct to National Grid”. a UK vehicle-to-grid study for electric fl eets versus car ownership, charging “The role Moixa plays as that found V2G services petrol and diesel. “So the infrastructure and enables an aggregator is core to our might earn £400/year at best. economics of electrifi cation deferral of grid investment”. model, but our defi nition Asked if that is suffi cient already work for fl eets – and

40 June/July 2019 theenergyst.com Vehicle-to-grid study Centrica bundles suggests £400 max per EV EV charging, solar A UK study into the income potential of using electric vehicles to balance the grid suggests approximately £400 per annum may be the upper limit for cars plugged in 75 per cent of the and storage time The indings contrast with headline igures touted by entrica Business Solutions angle today is focused on vehicle-to-grid (V2G) proponents such as Nissan and Nuvve, hopes to take a slice [customers’] wider estates in which have suggested earnings of €1,300-€1,800 (£1,150- Cof the burgeoning EV terms of on-site generation and £1,600) have been achieved, albeit in an application-speci ic market by bundling charging storage, and managing that trial in Denmark. infrastructure with solar, alongside the chargers so they’re The report by Cenex took data from three electric vehicle trials storage and energy supply. all working in harmony.” and demonstrators and overlaid it with simulated new data to The company says businesses She added that while determine a mean plug-in rate. That data suggested a 28 per aiming to install large numbers larger businesses, particularly cent mean plug-in rate across the sample over a year. The lowest of chargers are often falling those with fleets, are keen to rate was 6 per cent, the highest plug-in rate was 80 per cent. at the first hurdle: sufficient understand smart charging Researchers then created use cases and modelled di ferent grid capacity. It believes onsite solutions in order to cut running types of charging approaches – from dumb, to unidirectional controlled or ‘smart’ charging, to bi-directional vehicle-to-grid generation can help address costs and avoid grid upgrades, charging – all using a 7kW charger. the issue and potentially bring “a lot of businesses are literally The study assessed all potentially available revenue streams firms into its virtual power plant, just looking for chargers for both smart and V2G services, ran the numbers and come enabling them to cut energy bills and finding the whole thing up with some igures based on currently available tari fs, grid through load shifting or earn massively confusing, hence services and prices. revenue from balancing local the single supplier offer”. For V2G, it found the most suitable revenue streams over and national grids, wholesale Jorge Pikunic, global managing the next ive years include National Grid ESO balancing markets or enabling Centrica director for Centrica Business services FFR, Stor and Demand Turn Up, plus imbalance to reduce imbalance penalties. Solutions, said distributed management, arbitrage and local grid peak tari f avoidance. A spokesperson told energy solutions will be “key However, the most important component of that stack is The Energyst that Centrica to supporting the cost-effective FFR, where prices are declining due to an in lux of batteries. will fund solutions so that rollout of EVs, reducing the need Adding electric vehicles to that pool would exacerbate price they are capex-based. for costly grid upgrades and new cannibalisation. “We have a range of funding centralised generation capacity”. Of a total of £414 annual revenue for grid services available to vehicles plugged in for 75 per cent of the time, the study options including a PPA solar If companies buy-in to that found FFR would deliver £358, or 86 per cent. product, which allows businesses approach, it will also boost The study acknowledged that its igures do not take into to immediately benefit from Centrica’s distributed energy account any costs associated with battery degradation as a savings from having their own business and help deliver the result of increased cycling. on-site generation capability with global scale it seeks to achieve See the report at https://bit.ly/30mwcSO zero capital outlay,” she said. “We with flexible power. The company also have a combined solar- bought flexibility aggregator storage solution that provides Restore in late 2017 for £62m in flexibility and reduces energy a bid to build a multi-gigawatt any kind of income from automotive companies. spend when it is at its most virtual power plant. grid services is going to Their customers will need expensive during peak hours.” Centrica is planning a major tip the scales in favour of a large amount of power.” While Centrica ultimately aims EV rollout of its own. It aims to accelerated adoption of EVs.” Some carmakers are to enable vehicle-to-grid (V2G) electrify 10% of its 12,000 vans shifting to include electricity services, that remains “a way off ”, by the end of next year – though Honda energy management with the car. On the flip according to the spokesperson. may face challenges sourcing that Honda is moving closer to side, making money as a “We are very much looking many vehicles, as others have the energy market, as are standalone energy retailer is at [V2G], but the optimisation found (see April/May issue). te other carmakers. Daniel increasingly challenging in wouldn’t speculate on some markets, “so the value whether Honda would is shifting,” said Daniel. become an energy supplier in Whether or not carmakers future but said the sector is become energy suppliers, undergoing a pivotal shift. “they will increasingly play “Electrification of the a role in overall energy global automotive sector will demand,” said Daniel. “The Distributed energy require a rethink of electricity better they can manage that, solutions will be ‘key supply – so the supply moves the better it is for everyone. to supporting the away from the pure [energy] If you integrate and deliver rollout of EVs’ retailers and towards the well, everyone benefits.” te theenergyst.com June/July 2019 41 Advertorial Conway’s travels Newcastle, Belfast, Coleraine – Joe Conway travelled around Ireland’s green countryside and lively cities for several months, visiting the country’s supermarkets

oe Conway, commercial manager at Cross Group, examined Northern Ireland’s supermarkets; counting all the fans and every single light fitting within each refrigerated Jdisplay cabinet (RDC). The cooling technology expert had to replace 2,000 fans and just as many light fittings in the freezer cabinets and RDCs in 70 of the Henderson Group’s stores. The company is one of the largest retail brands in Northern Ireland. In addition to the company’s own 85 stores, it has the SPAR and EUROSPAR brand franchise for the country, comprising more than 450 stores. One of the biggest challenges this project faced was keeping the stores open while replacing the parts. Dr Glen Crumley, energy manager for Henderson Group, approached Tony Wright from ebm-papst UK at a conference in London, after hearing Tony’s presentation on the potential energy savings from replacing AC fans in cooling systems with EC fans. Knowing that cooling Nothing left to chance systems consume between 30 and 60% of the energy in Management at Henderson gave its approval, and the Cross supermarkets, Dr Crumley considered it a key point for Group started the planning phase. improvement. Conway received information from the store managers. “I was impressed by the numbers, but also appreciate “But I couldn’t use it for detailed planning. So I went to each the quality of the products and ebm-papst’s guarantees and of the 70 stores myself. This was the only way to pinpoint the company history. So I gave the order for the retrofit to Cross project’s scope,” Conway said. Group and required them to procure the EC fans from ebm- The Cross Group trained six subcontractors to do the papst.” he explained. replacement work. Conway supplied them with detailed plans Alongside the fans, they that told them everything from where they could park to avoid were asked to replace any inconvenience to store customers, to how many fans all the light bulbs had to be put in which refrigerated display cases, which ones in the freezer needed adapters and what precautionary safety measures cabinets with they would need to take. LEDs. Since the Cross Group needed the assistance of the store employees, who had to empty the refrigerated display cases before their arrival and fill them immediately after the work was completed, the work could only be done during the day

“The project was definitely one of our largest and most complicated, but it was well worth the effort” JOE CONWAY “I went to each of the 70 stores myself. This was the Conway’s travels only way to pinpoint the project’s scope” JOE CONWAY

although some of the Group’s stores are open around the clock. fter a si-month planning phase, the subcontractors started retrofitting. They replaced between 0 and 0 fans and light fittings per store, which took anywhere from a few hours to a maimum of two days. “The retrofit went smoothly,” said Dr Crumley. “They did not have to do any mechanical work on the unit bases and the fans could be replaced one-to-one. nly 5 of cases required an adapter. nd for the most part, the stores could operate normally.” fter three months, the retrofit was completed.

avns or te otto lne an te envronent The Henderson Group is really saving now. The retrofit reduced the energy usage of the fans and lights by 70. s Conway eplained “The C fans are not only more efficient, they give off less heat which translates into less cooling. The savings are tremendous.” In total, the old C fans consumed almost 800,000 kh per year, but the new aial C fans use just under 50,000 kh. By replacing the fans and lighting, the Group saves over 00,000 euros per year. The investment will be paid off after 0 months and the new fans are more reliable, quieter and have longer service lives. The environment also benefits, as after the retrofit, the Henderson Group emitted 550 tonnes of carbon less, per annum. “The project was definitely one of our largest and most complicated,” said the commercial manager. “But it was well worth the effort.” l ONSITE GENERATION Generation game changer As the market for embedded generation evolves, organisations with onsite generation may need to re-evaluate their approach. Engie’s Russel Reading explains

he market for A changing environment embedded generation The government’s aim in is changing. incentivising small-scale TElectricity prices generation was to help secure are increasingly volatile future energy supplies in and revenue streams are an increasingly fragmented under pressure. Many of the market. These incentives have benefits and incentives for grown onsite generation in onsite generators are being the UK from 25GW in 2015 removed or adapted. Further to more than 40GW in 2018. changes to balancing services, Now many of the cost- distribution and transmission avoidance and charge-reduction network charges and the benefits are potentially being benefits associated with Triad removed, so organisations avoidance are imminent, as with onsite generation need Ofgem conducts its significant to rethink how they use their code review. assets. For most businesses these assets are required first and foremost to fulfil specific operational tasks and any financial benefits from exporting electricity or avoiding Organisations peak charges are incidental. In the new world, businesses with onsite will still need their CHP for generation need to heating, and manufacturers rethink how they will still need onsite generators use their assets for back-up power. Russel Reading, Fresh thinking required Engie In the absence of cost-

44 June/July 2019 theenergyst.com reduction and other incentives, and prevailing market rates. businesses will need new For any businesses that don’t strategies to get the most yet have onsite generation, but from their generation assets, are considering it, now is the above and beyond operational time to engage with an energy OF THE CURVE FOR T requirements. That means export specialist for advice. EAD IER 3 working out when assets need Another option, if green AH to run to fulfil their roles, power is the main driver, when they can be used to could be to set up a form of capitalise on higher market corporate power purchase prices for exported energy, agreement, which establishes or on lower prices on gas to a direct supply arrangement fuel controllable assets. between a renewable energy Embedded generation generator and a business. plant can still be valuable in Such agreements enable earning extra revenue for a the business to benefit from business, or helping operations renewable energy sourced run more efficiently, but from a named generator at businesses may need the help a fixed fee, while giving the of a specialist energy partner generator a guaranteed buyer to maximise those benefits. for its output. Businesses can Optimising onsite even agree such contracts for generation assets requires an a proportion of their energy efficiency understanding of a business’s requirements, allowing them energy or heat requirements, to purchase the remainder at our core of its onsite generation at market-reflective rates. capabilities, and of its attitude to risk. This knowledge and Consider the bigger picture understanding, combined What becomes clear when with energy market insights you start to investigate the and expertise, can enable opportunities for optimising It was in reality a ‘no brainer’ to select the Wilson e2 for two recently informed decisions to be onsite generation is that any completed substation made about when to run decisions must account for upgrade projects. generation assets, when to operational requirements, ELECTRICAL DESIGN ENGINEER export and when to self-supply. energy purchasing contracts, THE UNIVERSITY OF WARWICK energy management systems, Balancing controllable and carbon emissions and a host renewable energy assets of integrated factors. It means Managing the output of embedded generation and How low can we go? generation assets, such as CHP associated power purchase With significantly and gas-fired plants, is relatively agreements cannot be improved losses that straightforward since these considered in isolation. A more not only exceed Tier 2 are controllable, fuelled assets. holistic approach is required, Eco Design requirements, Adding wind turbines, solar which factors in when and the Wilson e3 next generation ultra low loss amorphous panels and other renewable where energy is consumed, how transformer sets ambitious generation plant to the mix that energy is supplied, from new standards ahead of the creates further complications, where it is sourced, and the curve for Tier 3. since businesses have no control costs associated with generating over when the sun shines and consuming energy. The Wilson e3 transformer is or when the wind blows. Looking at the bigger picture delivering Total Cost of One solution is to combine means finding ways to manage Ownership you can count on: renewable generation assets with energy inputs and outputs in - lowest combined losses battery storage, so businesses the most efficient way, to help - significant lifetime savings can better control when to use save money and reduce carbon - tried and tested technology the energy they have generated, emissions. Low-carbon or - lower carbon emissions accounting for operational needs renewable onsite generation certainly has a key role to play, Optimising onsite generation but it must be considered assets requires an as part of an integrated understanding of the energy approach to business energy or heat requirements of management, cost reduction businesses and resource optimisation. te Westland Works Westland Square Leeds LS11 5SS UK T: +44 (0)113 271 7588 E: [email protected] theenergyst.com WILSONPOWERSOLUTIONS.CO.UK ONSITE GENERATION

well as being deployed on Rail irms switch the trackside, where 200m of battery-powered link lighting was also used and column street diesel for solar lights were positioned along the access road to the site. Matthews continues: “It was just as important to explore and extend the range of renewable applications, including a new solar-powered camera security system. We were also able to demonstrate the versatility of using portable lithium battery packs, recharged as necessary from the solar generators to power dust suppression systems, water cooler stations and point motors.”

Cutting pollution Using diesel generators to A major rail renewal project in south Wales saw Network Rail support rail renewal work has and Colas Rail massively reduce diesel consumption and been the only option for reliable off-grid power. Now viable emissions by using solar PV instead of traditional gensets solar technologies are being seen as a vital contribution to non-traction carbon targets, project led by two per cent gain is considered as well as to reduce the noise, Network Rail and significant, so to achieve 97 smell and air pollution from Colas Rail has used per cent at the first attempt diesel exhausts, especially Asolar lighting and is simply staggering. Saving next to residential areas. power generation to prove close to 6,000 litres of diesel “The environmental the viability of a sustainable is the same as driving a family impact of running diesel ‘Site of the Future’, achieving car at 40mpg twice around the generators all day on a major 97 per cent diesel-free circumference of the world. worksite like Llanwern is operation in support of a “It’s also very clear where Solar technologies are absolutely huge,” explains major rail renewal project at we have learnt the lessons seen as a vital to non- Matthews. “It’s not just Llanwern in south Wales. from Llanwern so we can traction carbon targets about carbon emissions; our The initiative used solar close that small gap. We really lineside neighbours are very and battery technologies from want to get to that 100 per important to us. By using solar Prolectric instead of diesel cent fuel free-figure by the where the London to Cardiff harvesting, we’re not polluting generators to save 6,000 litres time of our next challenge, main line meets the Llanwern their environment with of fuel and more than 15 tonnes planned for a rail renewal steelworks spur, near Newport. unwelcome fumes and noise.” of CO2 during a 14-day project project later in the summer.” Three 25kW solar generators Ryan Ballinger, production centred around a 72-hour replaced conventional diesel manager for Colas Rail, possession over the early May The kit generators providing light and explains: “We have worked bank holiday weekend. Solar lighting and power heat for seven welfare cabins, closely to drive the development The results are seen as a generation technologies were including site offices, a canteen, of suitable onsite solar tower significant achievement that used across the site covering toilets and a drying room. lights and walking lights. Now, marks an environmental more than 8.5ha. This included A total of 21 solar tower at Llanwern, we have been milestone towards clean, access roads, the welfare lights illuminated the site able to add solar generators carbon-free, off-grid working in cabin area, car parking and compound, car parking and for the first time and moving support of Network Rail’s target the track working area itself, work preparation areas, as forward we want to add to reduce non-traction energy smaller plant and tools such consumption by almost 20 as disk saws and band saws. per cent and carbon emissions It’s not just about carbon “There’s no doubt these by 25 per cent by 2024. emissions… By using solar technologies are going to be a Nick Matthews, Network harvesting, we’re not polluting complete game changer. Now Rail programme engineering we need to push on and get manager, says: “In business the local environment with to the point where they are improvement, generally a one or unwelcome fumes and noise just business as usual.” te

46 June/July 2019 theenergyst.com Advertorial

FACILITIES MANAGERS: TAKE CONTROL OF IT LOADS

Facility managers are ultimately availability throughout their operational deployed in the correct application and accountable for sourcing the most lives. The design of modular UPS systems, environment. appropriate and e cient equipment. integrates hot swappable power, bypass, The key to achieving overall site e ciency control and monitor modules, allowing Ever-tightening energy regulation puts is understanding the performance of them to be removed or replaced without facility managers under increasing pressure IT loads and managing their eective disturbance to the load. This can mean a to source leaner systems and adopt more application. From initial user hardware such more reliable, ecient power supply. ecient processes. The greatest way to as computers and phone systems, through achieve this is to view IT infrastructure in its to site applications; lighting, CCTV, entry UPS redundancy can also be easily achieved entirety and not in isolation. Power Control systems, production and plant equipment, with spare modules used in the same Ltd has worked with facility managers for and emergency power systems. framework. A single UPS power frame over 25 years to deliver best practice with accommodates multiple power modules the latest power protection technologies. Focusing on the latter, the successful and can be arranged in an N+1 redundancy Power Control looks at the complete deployment of modern UPS technologies configuration, enabling a faulty module to power protection landscape, environmental can significantly contribute to lower energy be hot swapped without the need to power factors and physical infrastructure and expenditure. Modular UPS systems deliver down the load or bypass the UPS; exposing provides solutions that meet exact business maximum flexibility and eciency via a the load to unprotected input power. needs - not just now but in the future. ‘scale as you grow’ approach, which means This approach minimises repair time and that they only need to operate for the maximises achievable power availability to CONTACT current load requirements. Power demand is 99.999%. For more information please visit then reflected in UPS capacity as and when www.powercontrol.co.uk it is needed, without wasting initial capital, Traditional static UPS systems often come space and capacity overheads. with the misconception that they are inecient. This may be true for units over Modular UPS systems also provide a smaller 10 years old but today’s static UPS systems footprint, easier manageability and greater deliver eciencies of up to 98% when HOSPITALITY FOCUS Systemising food for thought The Hospitality Carbon Reduction Forum is putting best practice around energy and sustainability on the menu, with rival pub, restaurant and co fee chains all willing to collaborate. Brendan Coyne reports

ark Chapman runs efficiency benchmarking project the hospitality sector driven to grow their topline, so everyone Carbon Statement, each year, and are currently by reputational risk, financial is focusing on taking out cost.” an energy analytics collectively resourcing a and internal stakeholder Mand sustainability plastics initiative. The aim is pressure,” says Chapman. Speci ics, not boilerplate consultancy that specialises to create a best practice action He says CSR and Esos phase one was regarded by in the hospitality sector. His plan on minimising single use environmental reporting many as a missed opportunity, mission is to “systemise plastics in the sector – with requirements are also boosting a tick box exercise that sustainability” so that even the specifics of how to do it. board-level interest. “Companies delivered little outcome. small pubs and restaurants That’s key to the forum, says have to have a story around this Chapman thinks it was can reduce their carbon Chapman, “it is actions-based; – if nothing else, they have to too generic, with “boilerplate footprint and energy overheads implementable actions that implement actions or risk having findings insufficiently actionable using the same best practice can be taken to the board, nothing to put in the director’s for most companies”. honed by large operators. rather than a talking shop.” annual report.” Tailoring Esos to specific Chapman also founded the That is partially why sectors increases the likelihood Hospitality Carbon Reduction Momentum Chapman thinks Esos will be of businesses implementing Forum, where pubs, quick- Chapman says the forum has different second time around, recommendations, says service restaurants and coffee been running for the best part but there are some other Chapman, which is the chains share best practice of a decade but that momentum fundamental reasons. approach Carbon Statement around energy and sustainability. around sustainability has “Firstly, you have to tell people takes. The Energyst attended the last increased markedly over more than once to do something, “Before Esos, we were forum in May, hosted by pubco the past 12-18 months. that’s human nature,” he says. doing energy audits anyway – Young’s. Perhaps most striking “We’re seeing increasing Secondly, there is Brexit and its benchmarking [clients’] energy was members’ willingness to adoption [of energy and associated economic torpor. efficiency in the sector and its collaborate, given many compete sustainability measures] in “It’s difficult for all businesses implications for profitability,” directly for share of wallet. “They don’t see this as a competitive area, they’re keen to We show them how much more carbon share and learn,” says Chapman. they are emitting than their competitors. “Life’s too short to make your Combine those two messages – inance own mistakes – and too expensive.” and sustainability – and it hits all of the All 40 forum members stakeholders in the business collaborate on an energy Mark Chapman, Carbon Statement

48 June/July 2019 theenergyst.com Bringing the c-suite into sustainability

Tim Doubleday is group CFO at Burger King. He This forces both public and private equity is also chair of the environment leadership team investors to push the sustainability agenda, said at Business in the Community – and gave a Doubleday. snapshot of how to engage the c-suite Meanwhile the environmental in sustainability at the May Hospitality agenda is working its way into the Carbon Reduction Forum. home, and into the mindset of the Doubleday outlined the next generation of employees and simultaneous snowballing of customers. environmental regulation and “So if you have the investors taxes and growing public concern pushing from behind and your around climate issues. customers and employees pulling That has created a climate of fear from the front, then from a business Tim Doubleday and risk for businesses, said Doubleday, perspective, the c-suite has to take which feeds through to the CFO as “if notice,” said Doubleday. you do not respond, your regulatory and tax His takeouts were: burden will increase and your customers will go • Present opportunity, not threat elsewhere”. • Benchmark where your business stands among peers Present opportunity • Map a journey of changes you can make that It is time to change the message, said Doubleday. are materially relevant to your business “Don’t talk about risk, talk about opportunity. • Collaborate with other businesses to drive If you present opportunity to your CEO or step change chief marketing o icer, they will be onboard straightaway. So change the agenda.” Doubleday also advised appealing to leaders He pointed to the $12tn opportunity identi ied from a personal perspective. by United Nation’s Sustainable Development “As you get older in business, you don’t Pic: Creative Commons Marco Verch Commons Marco Pic:Creative Goals; hundreds of thousands of UK jobs – and remember the numbers. What you remember says Chapman. “That meant the trillions of pounds in green funds looking is the experiences you had, the good things we could show people energy for good, sustainable receptacles. that you did, and the legacy you created. That Doubleday suggested talking to CFOs about is a powerful message to take to the c-suite.” cost per pound of turnover the UN Principles for Responsible Investment comparisons against their (UN PRI), which require investors to ensure Business in the Community represents about competitors and highlight, that the companies in which they invest make 750 members, including more than half the for example, that they are continuous, demonstrable sustainability FTSE100, SMEs and academia. losing 2 per cent on margin.” improvements. See bitc.org.uk Putting energy into financial metrics tends to sharpen board engagement, says Chapman, and engagement programmes ongoing business processes.” system uses smart meter data placing margin-boosting to reduce energy use, says The first step is to establish an to highlight areas requiring solutions in front of them Chapman. Using that approach, owner, says Chapman. “That attention and send weekly improves the chances of action. he says hospitality companies doesn’t mean they have to do reports with “actionable The carbon aspect is also have saved 30 per cent of energy everything, but they are the insights on how to improve, increasingly important, consumption via non-capex project lead. It could be the FD, and what it will cost if they Chapman reiterates. projects. “That equates to the ops director; it could be don’t,” says Chapman. “We show them how much £4,000-£5,000 in additional health and safety. It doesn’t That approach means more carbon they are emitting profit per outlet,” says Chapman. matter, as long as somebody “everybody has a template, than their competitors. Engaging all stakeholders is takes ownership.” an action plan, so they are Combine those two messages – critical, he says. “If it is not floundering around,” says finance and sustainability – and uncoordinated, it leads to Smarter approach Chapman. “So if you are a it hits all of the stakeholders uncontrolled energy use. So we Using energy data from smart pub operator, here’s the plan in the business, because if the try to create structures that meters is another cornerstone to and here’s how you execute,” public becomes aware they are engage all internal stakeholders driving down consumption. he says. “Then you can emitting twice as much carbon – property, maintenance, Because smart meters are widely quickly embed sustainability as their competitor, and they operations, finance and deployed across industry, within your business – and have not done anything about it, marketing.” Chapman says there is no need improve margin to boot.” te that becomes brand damaging.” Equally, he says systems, for additional kit. not one-off exercises, breed “That’s the key starting If you would like further Take ownership success. “It has to be an point. If you are not doing information about the Hospitality Carbon Statement uses its ongoing process in the same anything with your smart meter Carbon Reduction Forum, custom energy and analytics way that health and safety, data, it’s a massive waste.” contact mark.chapman@ platform combined with sales or customer services are Chapman says the analytics carbonstatement.com theenergyst.com June/July 2019 49 VIEWPOINT Why small loads matter… …Or how to charge 87,705 electric vehicles a year without additional UK generation capacity. Colin Grenville, director at UKAEE, highlights two examples that show why it is important to keep perspective when pursuing energy e iciency in order to correctly prioritise investment and action

hile these are plan of action is even more in their own world and occupancy sensors it has domestic energy relevant in a business context. frequently head out to school limited effect. After berating usage examples, Firstly, despite knowing that leaving their rooms lit up. the kids repeatedly, I sat W the principle of my job entails helping people Naturally, I have tried down and calculated how having clear energy saving save energy, my children are various approaches to tackle much energy they were objectives and a well-crafted oblivious to applying this fact this but short of installing wasting and, as the lights are all LEDs, the answer was not Figure 1: Daily electricity usage (kWh) that much since I check regularly and switch them off 20.0 myself. A 10W load left on for kWh/day 18.0 an extra hour a day is only linear (kWh/day) 3.65kWh a year. 16.0 £138 This led me to undertake a 14.0 Energy wasted by a 20-year- more systematic review of energy-consuming equipment 12.0 old freezer compared with a in my home, which revealed 10.0 new, A+ rated appliance the most addressable energy 8.0 saving opportunity was an old freezer in the garage. Using a 6.0 simple plug-in power monitor 4.0 revealed the 20+-year-old New Broken 2.0 182 GWh appliance was using at least freezer boiler The saving if 50% of households 3kWh every day. 0.0 switched off their broadband After benchmarking against router for five hours each night real measurements of a few 12/12/201712/01/201812/02/201812/03/201812/04/201812/05/201812/06/201812/07/201812/08/201812/09/201812/10/201812/11/201812/12/201812/01/201912/02/2019 operational A+ rated freezers, I swiftly realised it was using about ﬁ ve times as much Figure 2: Estimated UK home broadband router electricity demand electricity as a modern equivalent and wasting about No. of households 27,200,000 % with broadband 98% £130 a year. A high-efﬁ ciency Therefore # of routers 26,656,00 replacement was swiftly Average W/router 7.5 acquired and the offending Average kW/router 0.0075 appliance removed. Total kW demand 199,920 national It is easy to spot where the new freezer savings start in Figure 1, followed by a further BASELINE Per day Per year Tari f/kWh Annual saving dip while we were on holiday, kWh/router 0.18 65.7 £0.15 £9.86 and then a massive spike due kWh/national 4,798,080 1,751,299,200 £0.15 £262,694,880 to temporary electric heating when the boiler died. You Figure 3: Estimate of potential annual electricity savings would think the moral here is “don’t sweat the small stuff ”, Switch o f start 1am which is good advice when Switch o f end 6am there are bigger issues to deal Hours saved/night 5 % of routers switching o f 7.5 with, but the small loads really do matter over longer time periods or when you SAVINGS Per day Per year Tari f/kWh Annual saving look at the impact of many kWh/router 0.0375 13.7 £0.15 £2.05 such loads at a national scale. The second example is kWh/national 499,800 182,427,00 £0.15 £27,364,050 something found in 98 per

50 June/July 2019 theenergyst.com cent of UK homes – a electricity demand required to collectively have a massive broadband router. These control the routers, and that impact on national energy typically demand between 6 none of the routers are performance. Perhaps we and 20W. My own currently being switched off. should sweat the small stuff measurements found our The example Now 182GWh of saved after all. te router draws about 7.5W. electricity, it turns out, goes a Unless there is a need for illustrates that big surprisingly long way when it Colin Grenville runs scheduled overnight internet numbers, whether comes to charging electric Erebus Environment use, it is reasonable to routers or kids’ vehicles. (www.erebusenvironment. consider that many of us Average annual car use in co.uk) and is secretary of the could probably switch off our bedroom lights, the UK is about 7,800 miles. UK Association of Energy router from say 01:00 to collectively have Taking a typical EV with a Engineers (UKAEE) supporting 06:00 daily. Individually, this a massive impact modest efficiency of 3.75 miles its drive for energy education saves less than 14kWh or £2 a on national energy per kWh range, 182 GWh and action for sustainable year but there are 27.2 million provides over 684 million development. UKAEE covers UK households and therefore performance miles range – equivalent to a range of expertise in the some 26.6 million routers. juicing up 87,705 EVs for a energy management and Figure 2 shows the impact whole year based on average energy efficiency sectors. It of so many devices at a mileage. delivers a range of technically national level. If 50 per cent of With increasing use of focused seminars and these could be switched off for connected services in the offers excellent networking five hours each night this home there are clearly reasons opportunities for energy and would avoid using more than why it is desirable for many sustainability professionals. It 182GWh of electricity (see routers to be left operational offers Continued Professional Figure 3) and a temporary Membership to the UKAEE 24/7 so the estimated savings Development opportunities demand reduction of nearly is currently free. For more above are not necessarily for AEE certifications such 100MW. information on UKAEE or deliverable. However, the as Certified Energy Manager, Estimated savings assume a how to join, please visit example illustrates that big Certified Measurement and software time control www.ukaee.org.uk numbers, whether routers or Verification Professional and solution, ie no additional kids’ bedroom lights, Certified Energy Auditor. VIEWPOINT

Dan Shields, CEO of Shields Energy, says IoT-enabled smart buildings and Smarter building, spaces allow businesses to retain and attract talent, investment and clients, as well as cut consumption smarter business

he deployment of IoT spaces, defi ned as interactive building and boost wellness of Then connect systems technologies is aiding environments where humans staff. Businesses with clear together, such as HVAC&R in the creation of and technology can openly ESG strategies can tap into alongside the deployed sensors. T smart spaces and communicate with each other untapped opportunities Now you can see what your smart buildings, enabling in a physical or digital setting. including: systems are doing and how business benefi ts including This enables “a more • Staff retention and attraction they are impacting on internal energy and operational immersive, interactive and (engaging with talent that conditions and energy effi ciencies and carbon and automated experience for a selects employers based on consumption/costs. cost reduction. target set of people and their environmental Once systems and sensors According to the International industry scenarios”, according credentials) are connected, two-way Energy Agency, commercial to research fi rm Gartner. • Client retention and communications from the buildings account for 36 per cent attraction central IoT control device can of global electricity consumption More than operational • Brand reputation happen. The IoT device and 18 per cent of all energy. performance (environmental stewardship transmits data to the cloud- IoT technologies could cut Because of the development in is increasingly considered by based software platform where consumption – and therefore smart spaces, businesses are stakeholders) clever analytics and control energy costs – by up to 30 per starting to realise the non- • Financial growth and strategy design is created and cent. energy benefi ts that IoT investment (investors are executed, tweaked and However, there is an devices can bring to under increasing pressure to monitored. increasing focus on the employees within a building favour companies with Finally, confi gure your IoT importance of wellness within such as improved productivity defi ned ESG strategies and control strategy to help deliver buildings, and with it the and employee retention. In goals) effi cient and effective building emergence of environmental, that sense, building IoT is and system controls with the social and governance (ESG) much more than operational Is IoT right for my business? purpose of achieving building strategies. Moving forward, this performance Firstly consider what you want operation and performance is what smart spaces and smart management; it can to achieve, eg operational management, improved cities are focusing on. But have a huge improvements, reduced energy maintenance as well as energy intelligent system design and impact on the consumption and/or wellness. cost and carbon reduction – operation mean the two aspects feel-good factor Defi ning this from the outset all optimally balanced to are not mutually exclusive. for those helps to shape your IoT and maximise occupant well-being working data analytics strategy. and productivity. What’s a ‘smart within Next, gather the data, eg For buildings with an space’? a deploy temperature or CO2 existing BMS, IoT technology Commercial sensors throughout the can run in harmony, extracting buildings building to understand internal and delivering information to are a environmental conditions. improve the local BMS control great and and deliver remote very real Dan Shields: IoT can communications to users example of the boost sta f wellness through cloud-based software growth of smart and productivity platforms. te

52 June/July 2019 theenergyst.com Pushing at sustainability barriers Ashden UK Awards manager Mike Pepler outlines some of the innovative UK companies tackling world energy issues

ast October, the Clockwise from top: IPCC explained the Energiesprong UK; Highview consequences of Power; Guru Systems Lglobal temperatures rising by more than 1.5°C. We expensive for more than a few are already getting a foretaste hours’ worth of energy storage, of this in the flooding in lose capacity over time and Midwest USA, where farmers cause environmental damage and food production are through mining to access being seriously impacted. minerals. Highview Power has We were told that limiting addressed this by developing global heating to 1.5°C “would a system to liquefy air when require rapid, far-reaching and electricity demand is low, hold it unprecedented changes in all in insulated tanks until demand aspects of society”, and that is high, and then allow it to global greenhouse gas emissions return to its normal state – would need to roughly halve driving a turbine in the process. by 2030. Incremental changes By capturing and reusing and gradual improvements will waste heat and cold, a round- not suffice – we need radical trip efficiency of 60 per cent has ideas scaling up quickly, with been achieved and can reach no segment of society, business 70 per cent if a local source of or government left untouched. to be manufactured off-site, this, and the lack of access waste heat is available. Although The Ashden Awards are reducing waste, cutting costs to operational data makes this level of efficiency is lower pivoting to focus on work that is and minimising disruption. them hard to track down. than a lithium battery, the plant meeting the challenges the world The retrofitted homes appear Guru Systems is addressing is built from readily available faces. We are not completely new from the outside and can this by installing a small device components, maintains its there yet but this year’s finalists reduce net energy use to almost in each home on a district performance over many years are taking significant steps along zero while remaining warm, dry heating network to gather data and is easily scaled up by adding the road. Here are three that are and healthy. Energiesprong UK on temperatures and flow rates more insulated steel tanks. working on retrofitting existing is working to build the market that is currently only used for Highview has already buildings, decarbonising heat with new ‘solution providers’ billing. The device has a screen completed a demonstration and long-term energy storage. offering retrofits and large social to enable households to manage plant and has plans to build landlords getting involved. their energy use and bills and several larger capacity plants Energiesprong UK Funding is a combination of passes data back to Guru’s for customers imminently. The Before looking to renewable landlord maintenance budgets Pinpoint software for automated plants will provide flexibility heating systems to reduce CO2 and pay-as-you-save from analysis. The heat network services to the grid, and as emissions from buildings it is tenants, with a 30-year energy manager is then presented renewable energy capacity important to improve efficiency. performance guarantee from with diagnostics and options to grows, they can be expanded However, insulating and the solution provider. Grant- improve efficiency. The system to store surplus renewable draughtproofing millions of funded top-ups are also required has been installed in more than generation for use at a later time. older properties in the UK to the at present but costs will reduce 100 district heating and cooling Although none of these required standard is difficult and as the market scales up. networks and can reduce heat finalists will turn the world tackling each one individually losses by over 60 per cent. upside down overnight, they can be costly and disruptive. Guru Systems are pushing at the technology Energiesprong UK’s approach District heating is often put Highview Power boundaries and we at Ashden treats the entire home in one forward as a solution to Significant progress has been will be helping them to reach go, fitting new walls and a roof decarbonise heating but many made in decarbonising the UK their goals. If you know of around it to give the required projects fail to deliver the electricity supply but there is a organisations engaged in insulation and airtightness and promised efficiency. A range growing need for energy storage similarly inspiring work to cut adding heat-recovery ventilation, of issues during design, to ensure the grid’s stability CO2 emissions, point them to the solar PV and a heat pump. This implementation, commissioning and to store renewable energy. Ashden website to register their enables wall and roof sections and maintenance can cause Lithium batteries are still too interest for future awards. te theenergyst.com June/July 2019 53 RENEWABLE ENERGY National Trust to upgrade o f-grid energy tech at t’mill Work under way to ensure heritage building remains entirely self-su icient

he National Trust’s Built in about 1800 as solar photovoltaic system, work to upgrade Gibson Gibson Mill is one of the fi rst mills of the and a battery storage system. Mill’s sustainable energy installing battery industrial revolution, Gibson The combination of these system commenced in June. Tstorage, solar PV Mill has had an extraordinarily technologies was chosen to The modernisation work and upgrading its hydro varied life. After a century as ensure that the site’s electricity will include the replacement to ensure it remains fully a cotton mill, it was converted needs were met through of the original battery storage powered while totally off-grid. to provide entertainment for sustainable means at all times. system with a new battery The mill, located at local people, offering a dance bank that offers 30 per cent Hardcastle Crags in Hebden hall, a roller-skating rink, Evolving needs more storage capacity. The Bridge, West Yorkshire, was refreshments and boating on Jonathon Brewer, general site’s three inverters will also the fi rst heritage building with the mill pond. The National manager for the National be replaced and reconfi gured a visitor centre and associated Trust acquired the mill Trust at Hardcastle Crags, to satisfy greater peak facilities to operate 100 per following a period of disuse in says: “While this combination power demand and provide cent off-grid and through 1950. In 2005, with support of sustainable technologies greater system fl exibility. The National Trust’s the sole use of renewable from Dulas, it launched previously produced an Chris White, technical energy technologies. a project to make the site excess of electricity for the consultant for Dulas, says: “It’s Gibson Mill is installing entirely energy self-suffi cient. site, Gibson Mill’s needs fantastic to see Gibson Mill battery storage, solar PV Increase in visitors The initial work carried have evolved dramatically in remaining independent from Renewable energy fi rm Dulas out by Dulas included the the last 14 years. Upgrading national power supplies over and upgrading its hydro is undertaking the upgrade restoration and reinstatement and refurbishing the 2005 the last 14 years. Regardless to ensure it remains fully work, which is required as the of the cotton mill’s original system will make sure of this achievement, the powered while totally o f- mill’s visitor numbers have 1926 Francis hydro turbine, this extraordinary site Mill’s sustainable energy swelled, increasing energy use the installation of a smaller can manage the power system needs to evolve grid by 200 per cent since 2005. Crossfl ow hydro turbine, a challenges raised by public to meet the changing and private events, as well as requirements of the site. While a combination of increasing visitor numbers.” “These improvements will Following a consultancy provide more instantaneous sustainable technologies period where Dulas reviewed power from storage when previously produced an excess the existing system together needed, delivering greater of electricity for the site, Gibson with more than a decade confi dence for the National of data on the site’s energy Trust that the site is able to Mill’s needs have evolved consumption and renewable meet the needs of large events dramatically in the last 14 years energy performance, the and the busiest open days.” te

54 June/July 2019 theenergyst.com PRODUCTS

Bridging the gap to decentralised energy Energy security and cost concern for most respondents investment costs associated generate their own energy, concerns are highlighted as (82 per cent), while reducing with purchasing a system. adhere to their sustainability key barriers for UK industry energy consumption is viewed Aggreko believes hire can be targets and sell their surplus to realise the benefits of as a medium or high priority a bridging solution between back to the grid. Though this decentralised energy, according for the vast majority (94 per current reliance on the grid and technology already exists, to a report launched by Aggreko. cent) of correspondents. a future where the majority of cost is a significant barrier to Bridging the Energy Gap According to Aggreko’s electricity is generated on-site. its implementation. We hope is the result of 200 energy report, decentralised energy Chris Rason, Aggreko’s that by providing a long-term decision-makers across solutions such as solar power, managing director – hire solution, we can provide a industry offering their views CHP systems or wind power, Northern Europe, comments: bridging gap between current on decentralised energy in the may offer the answer. However, “Decentralised energy solutions overreliance on the national UK. It finds that energy security a potential barrier to its offer a tantalising glimpse of grid, and a future of secure remains a major or significant adoption has been the high a future where companies can power generated onsite.”

Zinc hybrid battery irst Birmingham-based renewable capacity charge avoidance, energy company Bryt Energy optimised by Bryt Energy’s has collaborated with Eos software. Enabling energy Energy Storage and Connected resilience, businesses can Energy to develop what is gain security, avoid grid claimed to be the EU’s first capacity restrictions and zinc hybrid battery system. make the most of their onsite The Eos system has a high generation, said the firm. energy to power ratio, enabling Statkraft-owned Bryt said greater flexibility during it will provide the Eos battery peak load periods. Its low system to the UK market as part Hotel in sustainability switch hazard risk makes it suitable of a package, supplying zero Stonehouse Court Hotel the site, ethical purchasing for COMAH sites (Control carbon, 100 per cent renewable in Stroud has switched as well as a dedicated onsite of Major Accident Hazards). electricity with options for onsite to SSE Business Energy’s bottling system to meet It is also environmentally generation and optimisation flagship green energy the hotel’s water needs. friendly – at the end of its life, solutions. Together they can be contract. This is part of a SSE Green, the electricity parts can either be reused, combined to maximise value for committed sustainability contract the hotel has opted recycled or safely disposed of. customers, said Bryt. The battery drive for the award-winning for, is sourced solely from The battery’s economic system is also being developed Gloucestershire hotel, which wind and hydro assets and potential includes grid service to integrate with electric vehicle has, with support from Green fully backed by Renewable income, peak shaving and charging and demand-side Tourism, already implemented Electricity Guarantee of management solutions. sustainable practices across Origins (REGOs), which It will be tested under UK all areas of its business. proves the electricity comes conditions before being targeted These include waste from a renewable source. at universities for research minimisation schemes, This will help the hotel purposes. It is expected that energy saving measures towards its goal of reducing the first EU-certified system such as using 95 per cent its carbon footprint and allow will be provided to the UK LED lighting throughout it to report zero emissions. I&C market next year. theenergyst.com June/July 2019 55 PRODUCTS

Algorithmic power price predictions

Kinect Energy Group is predictions and assist with and more unpredictable touting new advanced increased trading volumes for weather – forward pricing machine learning capabilities forward pricing contracts. can be difﬁ cult to predict. that predict electric spot Richard Delisser, “Working with Amazon prices for regional power vice-president of Global Web Services, we have created markets using real-time Infrastructure at World Fuel something that will transform weather tracking. Services, Kinect Energy the way energy spot prices The technology uses the Group’s parent company, are predicted. By tracking Amazon SageMaker DeepAR said: “The volatility of the the weather more closely, time-series forecasting energy market is at some of and better understanding model and incorporates the highest levels it’s ever that relationship to market historical pricing and been. Affected by factors pricing, we will be able to weather data to drive the such as the increased support our customers in machine learning models. Kinect’s technology adoption of renewable making more informed The technology has been incorporates historical energy, geopolitical choices about their designed to improve price pricing and weather data tension, macro-economics energy purchasing.”

Arm lexes IRIS eyeballs for detailed analysis of performance increase operational data of renewable (potential gain). This number muscle with higher returns energy facilities for a given is one of the key analysis point in time. The data results and is regarded analytics tool from wind intelligence provides quick as a ‘magic number’ for Arm has launched a work- assets insight into the status of stakeholders along the entire space analytics tool, Space assets, said the fi rm. Smart investment cycle, according to Analytics, to give property Kaiserwetter Energy Asset data analytics and the the company: It shows wind managers of coworking Management has launched subsequent implementation farm operators the potential spaces, commercial offi ces new technology to provide of machine learning allow for that exists from a technical and hotels a view of the data on operational wind practice-oriented predictive perspective for improving utilisation and availability of farms. The so-called ‘IRIS analysis and are the key their investment return. offi ces and hospitality spaces. – analytics machine’ is a elements for a swift analysis Kaiserwetter said the Dogpatch Labs, an Irish spin-off from its Aristoteles of renewable energy facilities, tool is suitable for wind startup hub and home to 80 platform, the company said. added Kaiserwetter. energy facilities and entire startups, has deployed this Kaiserwetter says IRIS’s The tool includes is an wind parks. In addition solution to optimise coworking algorithms are the basis assessment of possible to due diligence reports, space and better understand Kaiserwetter also provides movements of its members status reports and potential Property managers can analyses, the latter, it said, ‘leverage the physical being the smallest and most data insights of IoT to inexpensive analysis report design energy effi cient and option available from IRIS. monetisable spaces, as well Status reports have been as increase employee safety, created for asset holders, productivity and engagement’, fi nanciers and ratings states the fi rm’s literature. agencies of wind farms that Space Analytics gathers seek comprehensive status and analyses data from off- information regarding the-shelf IoT devices (such as performance and technical smart lighting, sensors, locks, conditions for a wind park IP cameras, badge readers) to at any given point in time. predict availability of space. If these reports are created Arm claims the tool’s machine on a regular basis, said learning capabilities hone Kaiserwetter, they can help insights on space and resource clients get a neutral and usage, all of which work toward data-based perspective on driving greater effi ciencies the wind farm in question. and maximising revenue, according to the company.

56 June/July 2019 theenergyst.com shortfall across the world’s installed solar capacity measures in the tens of gigawatts, this is equivalent to more energy than is produced by the UK’s nuclear power plants. The solar shortfall has to be therefore met by other less sustainable energy sources such as burning fossil fuels. Combining a specialised electrical and optical technique, known as ‘deep-level transient spectroscopy’ (DLTS), the team ‘Forty-year law’ in solar technology solved have uncovered the existence of a material defect which initially lies dormant within the silicon A team of scientists at The degrades solar cell efficiency. the first hours of operation, use to manufacture the cells. University of Manchester The problem has been known after installation, a solar Dr Iain Crowe, associate has solved a key flaw in about and studied for over panel’s efficiency drops from professor at the University of solar panels after 40 years of 40 years, with more than 270 20 per cent to about 18 per Manchester, said: “This flow research around the world. research papers attributed to cent. An absolute drop of 2 of electrons is what determines The majority of solar the issue with no solution. per cent in efficiency may not the size of the electrical current cells only achieve 20 per The new research shows seem like a big deal, but when that a solar cell can deliver to a cent efficiency – for every the first observation of a you consider that these solar circuit, anything that impedes kW of equivalent sunlight, previously unknown material panels are now responsible it effectively reduces the solar about 200W of electrical defect which limits silicon for delivering a large and cell efficiency and amount of power can be generated. solar cell efficiency. exponentially growing fraction electrical power that can be Now an international team of Professor Tony Peaker, who of the world’s total energy generated for a given level researchers have resolved a key coordinated the research now needs, it’s a significant loss of of sunlight. We’ve proved fundamental issue of material published in the Journal of electricity generating capacity.” the defect exists, it’s now an defect which limits and Applied Physics, said: “During The energy cost of this engineering fix that is needed.”

Lighting control system Factory shows its ‘metal’ to delivers savings of 60 per cent make large heating gains Abtec Building Technologies Cashmores is a specialist during the winter months. has provided the control coil processor in stainless The infrared heaters are system for the main steel and aluminium, controlled via localised and emergency lighting providing a bespoke service switches for individual zones, systems at a new Siemens to customers nationwide. which provide instant heat facility in Lincoln, rated by To ensure workers are and allows workers to control BREEAM as ‘Very Good’. comfortable all year round, the heating in areas only The Hydra integrated the company has installed when and where required, building energy management Tansun infrared heaters into reducing unnecessary system (BEMS) from Abtec its factory work stations. energy consumption. provides the foundation for the Following discussions solution, ensuring comfortable and a site survey, Tansun’s lighting levels for staff and the cost savings,” explains Apollo infrared heaters in testing of emergency lighting in Russell Downing, building black were chosen as the line with the safety standards. controls engineer at Abtec. most suitable solution for Moreover, Siemens is achieving Lights can be programmed the factory. Eighteen A1A energy savings of up to 60 to come on at target lux and eight A1J Apollo infrared per cent when compared with levels that are defined by the heaters were selected for the a traditional installation. user. Having this system in factory’s very high ceilings “We installed Hydra, which place means Siemens can and were specified to replace could not only control the capitalise on daylight saving the existing inefficient lighting, but also report on hours whereby lighting and costly heating system the lighting levels being comes on at a lower level and keep the area warm used and any associated during the summer months.

theenergyst.com June/July 2019 57 Q&A Robin Hale The chief executive of the Major Energy Users’ Council on the Egyptian pharaohs, keeping sane on a desert island and failing to heed the best piece of advice he’s ever been given

Who would you least like to and the short-lived Colossus of guessing that will soon become What irritates you the most in share a lift with? Anyone Rhodes. Toy Story 4 or even Frozen 2. If life? Not heeding the advice transporting durian fruit. Takes my four-year-old likes it, I get I’ve been given. Marmite to a whole new level. Who or what are you enjoying little choice. listening to? Various albums What should businesses be You’re god for the day, what’s streamed on (my now ageing) If you could perpetuate a myth doing to help themselves the irst thing you do? Sack my Sonos system from George about yourself, what would it energy-wise? In the main publicist. Religion has a lot to Ezra to Tom Walker, easy be? That as a physicist I should energy users know what needs answer for but it’s not God’s listening music on the understand all things energy. to be done and can be done, doing. While miracles are weekends playing in the but require the right support great – and as God for background. What would your super power – both externally from the day poverty, war be and why? Contagious industry stakeholders and and the global effects What unsolved Omnilingualism, because a lot is internally from the board. As of climate change mystery would you lost in translation. an industry we need to provide could be resolved like the answers in an instant – we to? To see what unfortunately live happened during Best piece of advice? in a disposable, Akhenaten’s reign, short-vision and the pharaoh who Never to answer personal short-term world. changed Egypt’s questions in the back of an We have the religious beliefs and industry magazine! answers but we all commanded a vast need to become better than empire. What happened after we are for future generations to to him, his wife Nefertiti and What would you do with a greater support to end users inherit a more sustainable and their son, Tutankhamun. million pounds? Sponsor a especially around education peaceful place to live. Nobel Prize for Energy and best practice. We have the What would you take to a Efﬁ ciency to acknowledge experience and contacts to If you could travel back to any desert island and why? game-changing technologies provide the right energy historical period when would it Wilson, the volleyball. Seemed to and solutions in the continual management and cost be and why? A day-trip to see keep Tom Hanks sane(ish). pursuit of energy reduction. reduction advice, together the Seven Wonders of the with case studies and practical Ancient World. To look in awe at What’s your favourite ilm (or What’s your greatest experience – it’s a tough the Hanging Gardens of Babylon book) and why? Frozen, but I’m extravagance? Holidays in economic climate and we Brazil to see the in-laws and should all help one another. explore such a diverse and Let’s make it happen! wonderful country and culture. What’s the best thing – If you were blessed with any work wise – that you did talent, what would your recently? Having recently dream job be and why? To be moved to a new role, the best a great innovator and inventor thing is re-engaging with end like Steve Jobs, Elon Musk or users. Visiting them onsite James Dyson. To make a and seeing the challenges and positive contribution affecting time constraints they are our everyday environment. under helps to focus on our task of making things easier; What is the best piece of advice and providing the right you’ve ever been given? Never support as we enter into to answer personal questions in perhaps the most challenging

Pic:Century 20th Fox the back of an industry decade, certainly in the past Wilson the volleyball kept Tom Hanks relatively sane magazine! 30 years. te

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