Energy Manager June 2019

JUNE 2019

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GETTING IN CONTROL

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FRONT COVER STORY:

Getting in control See Page 24 remeha.co.uk

JUNE 2019

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News

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Opinion

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Lighting

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Energy Management

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Monitoring & Metering

18

Digital Engineering

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Energy Supply

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Case Study

24

Heating

28

Renewable Energy

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Driving the Future

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Energy Storage

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ENERGY MANAGER MAGAZINE • JUNE 2019

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NEWS

RESEARCH UNCOVERS THE NORTH WEST’S EMERGING COMMUNITY ENERGY LANDSCAPE The region’s power network operator launches benchmark stateof-the-region report into community energy across the region

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lectricity North West, the region’s power network operator, has revealed the findings of its inaugural survey of community energy organisations in the North West, setting a benchmark for the sector. It found that communities across the region raised a total investment of £665,000 in 2018 to support at least four community energy projects, with two new community electricity generation projects completed, generating a total of 58kW. Following the launch of its Leading the North West to Zero Carbon Plan at the Greater Manchester Green Summit in March, the research reinforces the firm’s plea to people and businesses across the region to seek ways of generating their own energy.

Steve Cox, Engineering and Technical Director at Electricity North West, said: “As an organisation which plays a key role in the delivery of a future energy system, this research supports our recently launched ‘Leading the North West to Zero Carbon Plan’ and aims to set a benchmark for the sector moving forward while providing a clear indication as to where the North West sits in terms of community energy.

“Despite a number of incentives coming to an end, communities in the North West continue to show resilience and determination, having raised substantial investment to support pioneering community energy projects.

While community energy is represented throughout the region, Cumbria was revealed to be the guiding light in community energy and will provide a best practice example, not only for the North West, but for the country as a whole.”

Over 10,000 people were found to have engaged with community energy organisations in the North West in the past 12 months, with 42 low carbon events delivered to over 1,000 participants. Average community energy membership was 196 members while organisations engaged 550 community members, providing advice and support towards improving their home or organisational energy efficiency.

According to the findings, communities generated 23.5GWh of energy in 2018, equivalent to energy demand of 7,800 UK homes and reducing carbon emissions

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by 6,600 tCO2e or 3,300 return flights to New York. Meanwhile, 22kW of heat generation capacity was also identified.

Looking ahead to 2019, 575kW of community electricity generation projects are planned and over 500kW of heat energy generation is scheduled for installation. Many groups noted that storage will form a key focus in 2019.

Electricity North West worked with Community Energy England and UK community energy consultancy, Scene Connect, to compile the research and report between January and March 2019. 23 groups of community energy organisations responded who together, have 9.2MW of community owned generation capacity (equivalent to 4% of all community energy capacity in the UK).

The aim of the survey was to better understand community energy activities throughout 2018, the benefits of energy projects, the motivations and challenges faced in 2018 and the future of the community energy sector.

Steve Cox concluded: “We believe that community energy represents an opportunity to engage customers in energy issues and can deliver a range of benefits such as energy efficiency, improved air quality and community benefit funds that can help transform the communities of the North West.

Last year, we launched a Community and Local Energy strategy which set out a clear commitment to work with customers and stakeholders and support the development of the sector. This report marks the start of the next chapter of this strategy and journey to put community and local energy at the heart of our communities.”

A report outlining the results of a survey of community energy organisations across England, Wales and Northern Ireland will be published later this month by Community Energy England. www.enwl.co.uk www.communityenergyengland.org

ENERGY MANAGER MAGAZINE • JUNE 2019

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Throughout the North West, Cumbria has the greatest generation capacity Over 200 physical energy efficiency improvements were completed in 2018 In 2018, communities in the NW had accessed £204K of funding to develop energy projects.

This includes funding from the Rural Community Energy Fund (RCEF), ENWL and EU projects including RES Coop MESICE and Horizon 2020. This initial funding enabled communities to generate £665,500 in investment Across 13 organisations with community benefit funds, £70,600 was distributed via grants, loans and donations with North West communities in 2018 Communities in North West reduced carbon emissions through wider energy efficiency, low carbon transport and education projects Community energy groups are motivated by: ○○ Tackling climate change (52%) ○○ Income generation for community benefit (48%) ○○ Awareness raising (41%) ○○ Reducing energy bills (15%) ○○ Better quality of energy services (11%) ○○ Tackling fuel poverty (11%) Removal of the Feed-in-Tariff cited by 30% of respondents as major barrier to their work 22% reported a stalled project in 2018 37% of community energy groups have energy projects planned in 2019 Electricity generation tops the list of projects planned in 2019

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NEWS

CARBON TRUST AND SALIX FINANCE PARTNER TO RELAUNCH PUBLIC SECTOR NETWORK TO SERVE PUBLIC BODIES IN CLIMATE CONVERSATION

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he Carbon Trust and Salix Finance are working in partnership to relaunch the Public Sector Network to support information circulation and facilitate conversations around the topic of climate change action.

Both organisations are delighted to respond to the high demand for the network, with a new refreshed design developed to provide users with an innovative, sustainability-focused platform to support knowledge sharing and collaboration. The network will deliver easily accessible information and engaging content within a range of topics, contributing to the wider green agenda and supporting the public sector in the reduction of its carbon footprint.

The online network operates exclusively for public sector professionals,

where users can share their questions, knowledge and experience surrounding all aspects of energy and environmental management, as well as a number of other sustainability issues.

The relaunched network’s new dynamic design presents users with various categories covering topics of interest, including; electricity, heat, water, waste, management & reporting, buildings, transport, finance, and jobs. Users can start discussions, comment on existing conversations, create polls, and list relevant events. They can also see trending topics and directly connect to each other in private conversations.

On behalf of Salix Finance and the Carbon Trust, David Reilly, Director of Cities and Regions at the Carbon Trust, said; “We are delighted to relaunch the

Public Sector Network to help bring organisations together to take action on climate change and encourage learnings and experiences to be shared. The Carbon Trust and Salix Finance bring expertise and experience in enabling the UK public sector to deliver on its energy efficiency and environmental ambitions.

“We will use this network to create positive change, reduce emissions, make valuable cost savings and to improve our planet.”

The Public Sector Network can be accessed at http://publicsector. carbontrust.com. New users working for UK public sector organisations can register for an account on the site following the same link.

Renewable Power Generation Costs in 2018 – Key Findings

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ost from all commercially available renewable power generation technologies declined in 2018.

The global weighted-average cost of electricity declined 26% year-on-year for concentrated solar power (CSP), followed by bioenergy (-14%), solar photovoltaic (PV) and onshore wind (both 13%), hydropower (12%), geothermal and offshore wind (both-1%). New bioenergy, hydropower, onshore wind and solar PV projects now commonly undercut new fossil fuel-power generation.

Onshore wind and solar PV will soon offer less expensive electricity than any fossilfuel option, without financial assistance. Within the International

Renewable Energy Agency, (IRENA) database, over three-quarters of the onshore wind and four-fifths of the utility-scale solar PV project capacity that is to be commissioned next year shows lower prices than the cheapest new coal-fired, oil or natural gas option.

New solar and wind installations will increasingly undercut even the operating6

only costs of coal-fired plants.

The total lifetime costs of new onshore wind and solar PV projects installed in 2020 and beyond are set to cost less than the operating costs of existing coalfired plants, with system-wide planning keeping integration costs to a minimum.

Low and falling technology costs make renewables the competitive backbone of energy decarbonisation – a crucial climate goal. All

countries need to cut carbon-dioxide (CO2) emissions in line with the Paris Agreement, which aims to keep the rise in global temperatures “well below 2oC” this century. Beyond the power sector, cost decreases can unlock decarbonisation for industry, transport and buildings. IRENA’s analysis sees electricity use growing from less than one-fifth of energy demand to nearly half by 2050, largely on the back of cost-competitive renewables.

In many parts of the world, renewables are already the lowest cost source of new power generation. As solar and wind costs keep falling, this will become the case in

ENERGY MANAGER MAGAZINE • JUNE 2019

even more countries. Global

weighted-average costs of electricity from bioenergy, hydropower, geothermal, onshore and offshore wind have been within the cost range of fossil fuel-fired pwer generation since 2010. Utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) power fell into the fossil fuel cost range in 2014 and concentrating solar power (CSP) in 2018.

Cost forecasts for solar PV and onshore wind continue to be revised as new data emerges, with renewables consistently beating earlier expectations. At the beginning of

2018, IRENA’s analysis of auction and PPA data suggested that the global weightedaverage cost of electricity could fall to just under five US cents per kilowatt-hour (USD 0.049/kWh) for onshore wind and five and a half cents per kilowatt-hour (USD 0.055/kWh) for solar PV in 2020. A year later, the potential value for onshore wind in 2020 has dropped a further 8%, to four and a half cents per kilowatt-hour (USD 0.045/kWh), while that of solar PV drops 13%, to less than five cents for kilowatt-hour (USD 0.048/kWh).

Report available for download: www.irena.org/publications

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ENERGY MANAGER MAGAZINE • MAY 2019

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NEWS

NEW RESEARCH TO EXPLORE TECHNOLOGY NEEDED FOR PEER-TO-PEER ‘FREE TRADE’ IN EXCESS ENERGY Households and businesses that generate their own power through micro-renewables, such as solar panels and wind turbines, may soon be able to decide where to distribute their extra energy thanks to funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).

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he UK has seen an increase in the uptake of microgeneration, in which individuals or organisations install their own small scale, renewables-based energy generators to produce and use energy. These technologies will play a significant role in the UK meeting its carbon emissions targets and decarbonising its economy in line with the government’s Clean Growth Strategy.

Currently, in the UK, the householdgenerators must sell the excess of their production back to the national grid at a set price. However, now computer scientists at the University of Bristol are using a £460,000 grant from the EPSRC to research ‘free trade’ between micro-generators in a peer-to-peer energy market. In such a peer-to-peer energy market (P2P) any two individuals/households can directly buy from and sell to each other, without inter-mediating utilities or other third parties.

The key aim of the HouseholdSupplier Energy Market Project is to research the feasibility of a ‘democratised’ P2P energy market.

Dr Ruzanna Chitchyan, who leads the project, said: “Perhaps you have installed some solar panels and you would much rather contribute your excess generation free of charge to the nearby homeless shelter instead of selling it back to the utility provider.

Or sell it to someone else at a better price or give it to your neighbour. The households that produce the energy should have the power to decide on what to do with it. Similarly, consumers

should be able to decide whose energy and at what price they want to buy. The HoSEM trading platform will support this freedom of choice.

“Similar ‘sharing’ platforms are already in place in other markets, for example via Airbnb in the hotel industry, or Uber in taxi hire (though both of these still impose substantial centralisation and intermediation charges).”

The Bristol research will look at: • Whether the infrastructure for P2P energy trading is technically feasible • Who will provide it?

• What will be the role of the current major power producers in such a market?

• Whether supply continuity can be ensured under the fluctuating generation imposed by the nature of the renewable energy sources • What regulatory changes are necessary for this market to function?

• What mechanisms, including cyber security and privacy approaches, are needed to engender trust in such a market?

EDF Energy is the industrial partner in this project and is currently testing the concept of peer-to-peer trading between households as part of a trial within a block of flats in London.

Universities of Exeter and Leicester are the other partners on HoSEM project. Exeter researchers are looking at what factors will encourage households/groups to

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J. Murkin, R. Chitchyan, D. Ferguson, Goal-based automation of peer-to-peer electricity trading, From Science to Society, pp 139-151, 2018

J. Park, R. Chitchyan, A Angelopoulou, J. Murkin, IOTA Simulation Model for Energy Trading, 2019, available from: https://cloud.anylogic.com/

ENERGY MANAGER MAGAZINE • JUNE 2019

join this peer-to-peer market, while Leicester researchers are taking an algorithmic and game-theoretic view on the peer-to-peer trading.

Jim Fleming, EPSRC’s Head of Energy said: “As we move to a low carbon society, we need to make the most of the energy generated by all producers, large or small. This project will look at the technical challenges that need to be overcome to implement a peer-to-peer energy trading system.

If successful it will bring power from the people to the people.”

To enable such a P2P energy market, the project is developing a technical platform to support P2P household-level energy trading 1, 2.

This will give market participants read and write access to the records for the production, sale and purchase of energy at low cost per transaction.

Each transaction must be accurately recorded, verifiable and secured to guarantee accurate assignment of rights and responsibilities for trades and billing, allowing equal access to all interested participants.

The distributed ledger technology could uniquely meet the domain requirements for the decentralised distributed energy systems, providing an ideal technical tool for such a platform, if the households were to trust the platform providers, and were willing to join this market.

The ledgers could also be available to third party businesses that wish to provide new value-added services to the energy market.

Email: pressoffice@epsrc.ukri.org

model/966f6846-62e0-460e-bf69-2a1 b00317128?mode=SETTINGS&tab=G ENERAL

NEWS

One millionth smart meter connects to Britain’s secure network

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he Data Communications Company (DCC) has announced that one million second-generation (SMETS2) smart meters have been successfully connected to its nationwide secure network.

At 14:48 on 21 May 2019, the 1,000,000 milestone was reached when a SMETS2 electricity smart meter was installed in Slough by SSE. Significant progress has been made on the SMETS2 roll-out, with up to 20 meters now being installed every minute of the day.

Today’s milestone shows the scale of progress since just eleven months ago, when the Business Secretary Greg Clark told the House of Commons that one thousand meters had been installed.

“One million meters now connected to our secure network represents a great achievement for everyone involved in the smart meter roll-out,” said Angus Flett, DCC’s Chief Executive.

“Credit to the energy companies, distribution network operators, and

all the organisations in the supply chain who’ve worked really hard with us to make this a reality.

“Of course, there’s still much more to do before the end of 2020. Smart meters and the DCC network are digitising Britain’s energy system and enabling the decarbonisation needed to ensure our children have clean air to breathe. That’s the prize we’re all working towards.”

The volume of data carried over the DCC’s secure network is also rising: 30 million messages were conveyed over the network in April alone.

Core service providers working with the DCC on the smart meter roll-out are Telefonica and Arqiva (communications) and CGI (data). At full scale, the DCC network will provide greater reach than mobile, digital terrestrial TV and superfast broadband, bringing the benefits of smart metering to 30m homes and small businesses.

David Crawford, Managing Director of Telecoms for Arqiva, said: “The roll-out of

smart gas and electricity meters is one of the most important, and complex, infrastructure programmes going on in Great Britain today. We are proud to be playing a part, using our expertise to build the dedicated communications infrastructure that allows meters to connect seamlessly and securely with the network in the North of England and Scotland. The one millionth SMETS2 meter to be installed in Great Britain is a fantastic milestone and we join the DCC in saluting all the organisations involved in getting to this point.”

The DCC is also leading a programme to enrol first-generation (Smets1) smart meters onto the network by the end of 2020; and it is delivering Ofgem’s Faster, More Reliable Switching programme, which will enable consumers to change energy supplier smoothly within 24 hours, fostering a vibrant and competitive energy market. www.smartdcc.co.uk/

PLANS UNVEILED FOR WORLD’S MOST ADVANCED ELECTRICITY NETWORK CONTROL SYSTEM

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K Power Networks is investing £15 million in Active Network Management (ANM) – including a new intelligent software platform from Smarter Grid Solutions that will be integrated into the heart of its world class control system.

The new advanced automated control system will enable over 500MW of Distributed Energy Resources (DER), mostly renewable energy like wind and solar, to connect to the network cheaper and faster, which is enough to power more than a quarter of a million homes.

The Active Network Management system processes vast amounts of data to be able to run the South East of England’s increasingly dynamic network – that is now host to over 165,000 electricity producers – both safely and more efficiently. By having the most complete view possible of everything that is happening on the network at any given moment, the system will autonomously make complex decisions to optimise the flow of available power. The benefits include reducing the need for building or upgrading existing infrastructure, speeding up new connections, enabling new markets and flexibility services1, thereby reducing costs.

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The investment follows UK Power Networks’ 2018 commitment to offer flexible connections across its entire customer base from January 2020. Flexible connections mean

UK Power Networks believes ANM will give it the most advanced network control centre system in the world.

Head of smart grid development Sotiris Georgiopoulos explained that while many electricity networks operate some form of ANM, UK Power Networks is the first to undertake such a major investment that will see the technology rolled out across the entire network at all voltage levels.

He said: “We are creating a platform for the network of the future and we’re taking it further and faster than anyone in the world has done before. This business-as-usual project demonstrates that innovation is truly embedded in our business. Having ANM integrated into our entire network control system is going to open the door to an almost limitless range of smart grid applications.

“It’s going to function a bit like your smart phone and apps. Once we have the core platform ready, we’ll be able to add a vast number of smart applications to it without having to build and maintain individual platforms for individual projects. customers can connect energy generation like wind and solar to the network without the need to pay for new infrastructure, in return for agreeing to occasionally reduce how much power they export to the network to ensure it is kept within safe limits.

The fact it acts as a platform, as opposed to a solution to a specific problem, means it will be able to take advantage of emerging technologies around big data, machine learning and artificial intelligence.”

It will also enable the company’s innovation project Active Response to demonstrate how spare power can be moved around the network to where it is needed and help deliver the benefits of the Optimise Prime project which is creating the world’s largest commercial electric vehicle fleet demonstrator.

UK Power Networks has appointed an international consortium led by Smarter Grid Solutions, to build and deploy the ANM system.

Bob Currie, chief technology officer at Smarter Grid Solutions said “Our ANM Strata platform has been proven in commercial deployments at major international utilities across the world. ANM Strata provides UK Power Networks with the ability to manage all types and sizes of distributed energy, with a unique layered approach to optimisation, management and control of DER. Our consortium partners will augment our ANM Strata product with leading control centre analytics and a distributed energy marketplace.” www.ukpowernetworks.co.uk

ENERGY MANAGER MAGAZINE • JUNE 2019

9

OPINION

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

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he world of Energy Management can be confusing people with no qualifications and often no understanding of the subject claiming to be experts and giving themselves titles like “Energy Manager” “Energy Engineer” “Energy Consultant” and “Energy Auditor” (and things get even more confusing when you add words like “renewable” “sustainable” and “environmental”). One recently defunct Energy Broker had the gall to call their outgoing telesales people “Energy Managers” (or “Corporate Energy Managers”) when they were required to have no formal qualifications at all (and no training other than to understand some of the terminology and how to sell) and only functioned to persuade customers to use their services and sign a new gas or electricity contract from which they got a payment.

Some Energy Managers, Consultants and Engineers, however, are competent and capable of aiding you to control your energy usage and cost both contractually and technically. BUT how do you separate these from the “salesmen” who also claim competence?

To add to this there are company’s who make saving claims that are not only not verifiable they sometimes defy the laws of physics?

How do you spot the fakes?

Andy Clarke Vice President UKAEE and Vice-Chair NE Branch Energy Institute and now leading the Energy & Technology Team for the energy check So how can you identify competence? The best way is in the form of references from satisfied customers – the trouble some of the “snake oil salesmen” have managed to get case studies that look impressive at first scrutiny but are obviously unable to stand up to expert scrutiny.

Most competent professionals will have an identifiable qualification – but beware I once came across an energy auditor whose qualification was in music.

Qualifications given by a recognised body like the Association of Energy Engineers, The Energy Institute, CIBSE or Energy Manager’s Association can be checked and assessed for relevance.

One set of qualifications less well known in the UK– who have become used to the “Chartered Approach” are those offered by the Association of Energy Engineers, originally an American organisation but now with “Chapters” worldwide. They offer a series of “Certificates” starting with “Certified Energy Auditor” (CEA) and “Certified Energy Manager” (CEM) and “Certified Measurement and Verification

Public Sector Energy Event Scotland

The second in a series of regional Public Sector Energy Events will take place in Glasgow on 6 November 2019 at Hampden Park.

For more information, please visit: publicsectorenergyevents.co.uk

CEA Eligibility

CEM Eligibility

Professional” (CMVP) 1 to Certified Carbon Reduction Manager, Certified Demand Side Manager – in fact there are 21 different qualifications available.

They provide a detailed technical training tested to a high standard and are a badge of quality; In fact the CEM and CEA qualifications are recognised as affording Lead Assessor status in the UK for ESOS Audits. Not surprising as both courses are assessed after mandatory training on a very wide “Body of Knowledge” covering the important aspects of Energy Management.

To add to that the 4 hour open book examination has a pass mark of 70%! Fortunately there is a Mandatory 4 day course for CEA and 6 days for CEM – with directed personal learning in the candidates own time to prepare for the challenge.

And of course, as well as the examination there are entry requirements combining previous academic training and experience in an interchangeable way. Summarised for both CEA and CEM in the tables below.

The UK AEE are in the process of arranging a series of courses in accessible locations and are interested in learning of the level of interest in these prestigious courses (feedback from past courses was interesting noting the high standard of training and the level of knowledge acquired – some experienced engineers where surprised how much they learned!). We’d welcome expressions of interest to President@ ukaee.org.uk and we will be posting course details on www.ukaee.org. uk (and here in Energy Manager!)

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ENERGY MANAGER MAGAZINE • JUNE 2019

In Conjunction with EVO

LIGHTING

THE POWER OF CHOICE FOR URBAN SPACES New: DW Windsor launch catenary and pendant versions of the Sephora range

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o you have a project which involves narrow streets? Or perhaps your objective is to regain public space. Then have you considered catenary lighting?

DW Windsor have recently extended their Sephora family to answer these urban design challenges. Not only have they added Sephora Catenary, but the update also includes a new Pendant version. The range extension provides designers with more choice and options when working with the popular range.

Mitchel Waite, DW Windsor Product Manager states, “Our catenary solution has been designed to offer freedom to narrow streets and pedestrianised areas where columns may be unsuitable, or, regaining public space is a priority. The new versions offer all the same benefits and performance of the original range just with different mounting options.

Furthermore, the pendant has been

released with an exciting range of complementary brackets and columns, making this a really stylish package, suitable for a multitude of applications.”

Ease of installation was a key requirement when designing the new products. Sephora Pendant’s installation couldn’t be any easier, featuring Easy-fit™ entry, it simplifies luminaire alignment and eliminates potential issues with twisted cabling – often associated with conventional threaded top entry. Whereas Sephora Catenary has an auto-levelling

calibration feature of up to +/- 15º and fail-safe safety tether as standard.

Both additions are available in the two Sephora styles Radius and Cubis, 2400K, 2700K, 3000K and 4000K colour temperatures and Comfort and Performance light engines. Various mounting options are available including new suspended entries, traditional post top and side entries. The full range also includes a complementary wall luminaire. To view the full range please visit: https://www. dwwindsor.com/products/sephora

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THE ONLY PUBLIC SECTOR ENERGY JOURNAL ENERGY MANAGER MAGAZINE • JUNE 2019

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LIGHTING

In addition to improving lighting levels, a new bespoke LED lighting system can help generate significant energy savings, boost the quality of light and boast efficiencies that are well above the regulatory requirements - around 50% more efficient than fluorescent tube equivalents.

HILCLARE’S BESPOKE LIGHTING SOLUTIONS MAXIMISE ENERGY SAVINGS

As companies look to improve the efficiency of their lighting by upgrading to energy saving LEDs, many are turning to Hilclare one of the UK’s leading commercial lighting specialists - for a bespoke retrofit solution.

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rom its manufacturing facility in Manchester, Hilclare has the engineering capability to supply bespoke and fully integrated luminaire and lighting solutions. The bespoke service begins when its in-house product design team takes a sample of a company’s existing light fittings in order to design an LED gear tray that fits perfectly into the same fittings. Hilclare is then able to design and manufacture LED fittings that exactly match these requirements, and fully ensures that the calculation and execution of the project is accurate, energy efficient, and

ENERGY MANAGER MAGAZINE • JUNE 2019

within budget. Hilclare is also able to create lighting design schemes too.

Chris Pearson, Managing Director at Hilclare comments: “Switching to the latest LED lighting in retail, offices, industrial and public sectors and especially retrofitting more efficient lamps into existing luminaires not only makes substantial energy savings - in some cases up to 60% - the lighting lasts significantly longer too; thereby reducing waste. However, for many companies an off-the-shelf solution is not sufficient. They need a costeffective retrofit solution that will minimise the costs of conversion

LIGHTING Pictured here; retro fit gear trays are individually designed, manufactured and tested in Hilclare’s Manchester-based facility. Hilclare designs and manufactures gear trays for many luminaires, enabling the switch from traditional technology to energy saving LED suit many budgets.

from older technologies as well as maximise energy savings, and that’s where Hilclare steps in.

“At Hilclare, we are experts in the planning and design of retrofit solutions for upgrading existing lighting to energy saving LED’s. Our experienced designers are able to help find the best solution for upgrading to LEDs whilst maintaining or improving light levels, and with minimal disruption to the aesthetics,” adds Chris.

He concludes: “For those companies that are under the misapprehension that the capital outlay required for a bespoke lighting system is beyond their reach, there are schemes available like ECA (Enhanced Capital Allowance) for energy saving technologies. By replacing fluorescent lighting with the very latest in LED technology, businesses can enjoy superior quality lighting that boasts efficiency above the regulatory requirements and that is around 50% more efficient than fluorescent tube equivalents. We are proud to offer a bespoke service that enables companies to maximise energy savings.”

For further information contact Carolyn Holland, Marketing Manager 0161 886 7190.

Specialist UK manufacturer of industrial and commercial LED lighting Personally developed paying attention to every detail. We work with you to find the solution you need.  Industrial & commercial lighting solutions  In-house lighting design team  Hazardous area lighting  Bespoke engineering & flexible manufacturing

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company

ENERGY MANAGER MAGAZINE • JUNE 2019

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ENERGY MANAGEMENT

THE INTERNET OF THINGS FOR DIGITALIZED BUILDINGS

The eyes and ears of SMART LIGHT MANAGEMENT In addition to HVAC and shading, a building—these are lighting is an important part of classic electronic sensors that building automation. Lighting solutions are getting smarter, and the light adjusts, for already enable classic example, to the conditions within the home, building automation office, shopping center or on the street— coordinated with daylight or occupancy. systems (BMS) to Dynamic lighting control and the adaptation of control lighting, shading light to human biorhythms are also becoming increasingly more important. Active light and room climate for regulation ensures that employees are active instance. The deep and motivated throughout the workday.

The introduction of LED technology has networking ability of brought about an enormous transformation cloud-based Internet of in the area of lighting. By 2027, widespread use of LEDs could save about 348 TWh of Things (IoT) platforms electricity in the United States alone. This is the equivalent annual electrical output of 44 large and self-powered, power plants (1,000 megawatts each), maintenance-free sensors electric and a total savings of more than 30 billion US Dollars at today’s electricity prices. (Source: that can flexibly be US Department of Energy – www.energy. placed everywhere in a gov/energysaver/save-electricity-and-fuel/ facility, even on furniture, lighting-choices-save-you-money/led-lighting) Fundamental changes in electronics had to provide real-time be developed to be able to efficiently control and regulate the new lamps. Occupancy insight into a building’s sensors, for example, make it possible to condition and technical automatically turn off lamps that are not needed. This is particularly sensible in large health. This facilitates office environments, in which not all areas more efficient or even are occupied all the time. Light sensors can adapt the brightness of indoor lighting to the entirely new services amount of available ambient light (“daylight connection”). This is especially beneficial for through networking buildings with large glass fronts where a lot of with other disciplines, ambient light is available. Defining maximum brightness settings for dimmable lights (“task such as multimedia, tuning”) avoids too brightly lit areas and alarm systems, elevators optimizes the light level for individual areas.

Other sensors can also provide realand the parking area time insight into the building’s condition and belonging to the building, technical health. Current sensors measure energy consumption and energy savings per to mention only a few. luminaire, per floor and for the entire building.

Each of these disciplines Motion sensors collect occupancy data and thus information on the use of office rooms, is getting smarter all the provide which helps optimize economical use. With an time and thus provides an IoT infrastructure, the data collected by sensors can provide insight into the operating hours and entirely new dimension usage history of lighting systems, for example, in order to improve the maintenance process. in digitalized services Maintenance history shows events within the and business models. system, such as current peaks, voltage drops, devices that are offline and sporadic problems.

By Andreas Schneider, Important note: this is not only possible CEO and Co-Founder for new built facilities but for retrofits in existing buildings in particular. The Ivy of EnOcean.

League University in New York, consisting of www.enocean.com/en/ 360 buildings and hundreds of thousands 14

ENERGY MANAGER MAGAZINE • JUNE 2019

of lighting fixtures, is a good example of how an existing building can change its system to an IoT-enabled lighting control.

CONNECTED DISCIPLINES The IoT’s enormous potential lies in its interdisciplinary use of sensors. For example, a motion sensor can control the lights, control the room climate according to demand in order to save energy and also ensure security within the building. The same is true of window contacts. The optimum approach is to combine the motion sensor with window contacts, which protect against intruders and also prevent false alarms due to open windows. If windows are opened, or if the room is unoccupied, the heat is turned down and the overall system is optimized in combination with algorithms that learn and suitably map user behavior.

In connection with weather data on the Internet, a warning of imminent rain can be given in good time when windows are open.

Additional intelligence can also be added— such as light quality (e.g., light intensity, color mixture), temperature, moisture or air quality.

All this data can be collected centrally in the system, processed in combination with other environmental data available on the Internet and distributed to other networked devices and disciplines within the building.

DATA FOR NEW SERVICES Digitalization with the aid of distributed sensors and a cloud-based infrastructure enables facility managers to develop and automate new services. This includes, for example, room use management. Presence sensors can detect at all times how many people use a conference room and how often or when the cafeteria is especially crowded. Room occupancy and thus the use of cost-intensive resources, such as heating, air-conditioning and lights as well as staff and inventory, can be optimized based on usage data.

Detailed usage patterns of the building, staff and inventory can be prepared with the aid of sensor data collected by additional sensors such as door contacts, activity meters in electronic

ENERGY MANAGEMENT devices, etc. These patterns supply real-time information about the actual demand and allow appropriate measures to be taken. An IoT gateway interconnects the sensors and actuators over the Internet with cloud-based platforms such as IBM Watson, Amazon Echo, Microsoft Azure, Apple HomeKit, Google Home and Crestron to make services more efficient, energy-saving and dependent on the situation. Another example is the usagedependent maintenance and cleaning of sanitary facilities in office buildings.

Sensors supply the necessary data, such as how often the rest rooms are used or whether the toilet paper, towel and soap dispensers are running low on stock.

Facility managers can use this data to organize their staff according to current requirements and always restock needed materials on time. This not only lowers costs but also increases user satisfaction.

A COMFORTABLE ENVIRONMENT Greater user satisfaction also makes companies more attractive as landlords of office space. A comfortable atmosphere at the office has been proven to improve work productivity and to promote employee loyalty. Integrated sensors in office furniture make it possible to design the furnishings colorfully and

individually according to requirements and simultaneously equip the offices, for example, with state-of-the-art multimedia and smart light and heating control.

Because of hidden sensors, employees are unaware of the IoT technology and notice primarily the comfort factor.

The list of optimized processes in a digitalized building is practically endless.

For example, it can include sensors that sound the alarm if a water mains ruptures or in the event of a fire or break-in and thus prevent millions in insurance losses.

a switch button for example provides enough kinetic energy to power a wireless signal. Solarpowered sensors harvest energy from typical indoor illumination thanks to highly efficient electronics and store the harvested energy to remain active for several days even in complete darkness. Self-powered switches and sensors use international open standards for wireless communication. This includes the EnOcean radio standard (ISO/IEC 14543-3-1X) by the EnOcean Alliance which is optimized and very well established in building automation. It provides easy commissioning and interoperable operation of devices from different vendors. Self-powered switches and sensor modules also talk native Bluetooth® and Zigbee to connect to existing infrastructure provided by lighting companies.

Due to their specific characteristics of being wireless and batteryless, self-powered devices can be placed freely and flexibly and added to at any time — above all, without requiring any maintenance. Batteries have served out their purpose in the IoT as a source of energy for sensors. Once the first battery has failed within the service life, the building operator will have to replace all batteries as a precaution. This requires an incalculable amount of labor and correspondingly high costs that are not incurred with self-powered wireless components. The self-powered IoT forms the basis of innovative buildings that sustainably meet individual needs now and in the future through digitalized new services for the users and managers of the rooms that we occupy every day.

THE SELF-POWERED INTERNET OF THINGS Collecting reliable sensor data and combining the data properly links the physical world with the digital one, and the networked system can respond in a far more optimized way to changing demands or even create entirely new building services. However, more than 90% of buildings are existing real estate.

Wireless solutions must therefore be considered for adding a comprehensive digital infrastructure. This is the only way to establish the right cost-benefit ratio.

In the IoT with its thousands of data points, these sensors need to be self-powered. Using their surrounding environment as energy source the devices work without batteries. Pressing

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MONITORING & METERING

POWER QUALITY ISSUES – PART 4 – VOLTAGE IMBALANCE Voltage imbalance is not a power quality issue in the sense of the quality of the sinus of the electrical supply or events occurring on it, like harmonics and transients for example, but is nevertheless of critical importance for a variety of reasons.

In the 4th part of this series on power quality issues Julian Grant – General Manager at Chauvin Arnoux UK, explains what it is and the implications of voltage imbalance on the electrical supply of an installation.

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I

n a balanced 3 phase ac power system, the voltages are all equal in magnitude and each of the 3 phases are 120 degrees apart.

Accordingly, an unbalanced 3 phase ac power system has voltages that are not all equal in magnitude and/or each of the 3 phases are not 120 degrees apart.

Voltage imbalances are caused by big single-phase loads, such as induction furnaces, traction systems, and other large inductive machines, drawing a current on the phase they are connected to that does not appear on the other two phases. Some equipment may also be connected between two phases such that current is only drawn on two out of the three. Either way, this causes the higher loaded phases to experience a greater voltage drop, reducing the voltage on those phases, or one particular phase, for all other equipment connected to the same supply.

The uneven distribution of general single-phase loads across a 3-phase system can also sometimes be bad enough to cause a slight voltage imbalance. This more often than not occurs over time as an installation, originally balanced during its construction, has additional circuits and equipment added to it. The unequal degradation, or failure of one or more PFC capacitor units in a bank can also cause voltage imbalance, and temporary voltage imbalances can be produced by a fault on any one of the phases either within the facility or further back up the supply network.

Having balanced phase voltages is arguably one of the most important requirements for an industrial installation, particularly if it contains 3 phase motors, and crucially if they are operating at or near their full load capacity. Unbalanced voltages at motor terminals can cause a phase current imbalance of up to 10

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times the percentage voltage imbalance for a fully loaded motor. Accordingly, motors operating on imbalanced supplies need to be de-rated with significant reductions in available loading for relatively minor voltage imbalances.

Imbalances can also require the necessary de-rating of power cables due to increased I2R losses in the cable.

According to the IEC, voltage unbalance is defined as the ratio of negative sequence voltage to the positive sequence voltage. Briefly explained, the three phase voltages can be mathematically expressed as a sum of positive, negative and zero sequence components. Positive sequence voltage creates flux in the direction that the motor is intended to rotate, and negative sequence voltages rotate in the opposite direction. This creates flux in the opposite direction, however, since the positive sequence voltages are always much larger than the negative sequence voltages the direction of motor rotation is not affected.

IEC 60034-1 imposes a 1% negative phase sequence voltage limit on the supply feeding machines. However, EN 50160 states that imbalances of up to 3% can be expected, and indicates that an acceptable supply system standard is that “under normal operating conditions, during each period of one week, 95% of the 10-minute mean rms values of the negative phase sequence component of the supply voltage shall be within the range 0 to 2% of the positive phase sequence component”.

The counter rotating negative sequence flux caused by negative sequence voltages creates additional heating in the motor windings that will eventually lead to insulation breakdown and premature motor failure. A continuous operation at 10 °C above the normal recommended operating temperature can reduce rotating

MONITORING & METERING

machine life by a factor of two. Shortened motor operating lifetimes are obviously hugely disruptive and expensive. The impact of this problem is evident by the existence of many businesses developing and manufacturing devices that monitor voltage balance to protect motors.

Apart from the motors themselves, many solid-state motor controllers and inverters also include components that are especially sensitive to voltage imbalances. Depending on the product, some of these will protect themselves and the motor in the event of voltage imbalance and refuse to operate. For less

sophisticated devices reduced life of Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) front end diodes and bus capacitors are a common result of voltage imbalance.

UPS, polyphase converters, and inverter supplies also perform with reduced efficiency in the face of voltage imbalances on the supply, creating unwanted ripple on their DC side and, in many cases, also creating increased harmonic currents on the supply.

Fortunately, the measurement of voltage and load (current) balance, and therefore the identification of imbalance, is easily achieved using a power and energy logger (PEL).

Connected at the incoming supply the loading across the phases for the whole installation can be monitored over time to see how it might vary during the normal operating day or week.

PELs can be quickly moved around the installation, non-intrusively connected, and utilised to measure individual equipment or circuit loads and voltages to achieve balance throughout the installation, and then reconnected to the incoming supply for ongoing monitoring.

As well as voltage and load balance this will enable measurement and

monitoring of other power quality parameters including power factor and harmonics.

There are two obvious precautions or actions to reduce voltage imbalance and its effects. Firstly, use separate circuits for large single-phase loads, and connect them as close to the point of the incoming supply as possible.

This will ensure that the load does not cause a voltage drop on any wiring utilised by other equipment that would then be subjected to that voltage drop. Secondly, ensure that all single-phase loads, large and small, are balanced evenly across all three phases. Two simple steps that could save a lot of headaches and expense. www.chauvin-arnoux.co.uk

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DIGITAL ENGINEERING

HOW DIGITAL ENGINEERING CAN IMPROVE BUILDING OPERATION Darragh Gleeson, Senior Project Consultant, IES

T

he construction industry is not renowned for being open to change. However, Digital Engineering concepts such as building simulation and improved digital information management are assisting in the design and construction of

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better performing buildings.

Can these Digital Engineering concepts be effectively applied at a building’s operational stage too?

BACKGROUND Simulation of building performance using 3D modelling and thermal

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simulation software is a mature discipline. Simulation software has been employed for decades in the design of buildings. The increased digitisation of building documentation using Building Information Modelling (BIM) has led to the recognition of Digital Engineering as a distinct sub-discipline

DIGITAL ENGINEERING in the design of modern buildings.

Simulation modelling of buildings allows designers to virtually test their designs prior to construction, examining the impact of design decisions on building running cost, occupant comfort and level of daylight. The introduction of the National Calculation Method (NCM), which uses building modelling as a way of demonstrating compliance with Part L2a of the building regulations, ensures that modelling is a key part of the design of modern buildings. Given the NCM is also used to create Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) most commercial buildings in the UK will have a 3D model of some description created.

However, there is a persisting misconception in the UK industry that Part L/Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) compliance models should somehow suffice for design analysis, and in some cases are mistakenly used as a form of operational energy prediction.

The compliance model is simply a benchmark exercise and omits key design/energy elements within the building in its calculation. For example, unregulated loads such as plug loads, server rooms and external lighting.

Reliance on compliance models in lieu of design analysis contributes not only to unrealistic energy expectations, but also to unexploited energy saving opportunities, overheating and other internal comfort issues. It wastes capital expenditure, operational expenditure and leads to dissatisfied end users.

With only a little extra effort, designers could create simulation models that accurately capture their design intent. This same simulation model then becomes a digital asset, which may be used to verify that the building that is constructed is operating as intended.

DATA, DATA, EVERYWHERE… In recent years, there has been a huge increase in the quantity, quality and accessibility of building data. The Internet of Things (IoT) has unlocked the potential to collect real-time data about the individual components that make up our buildings. Smart Meters can deliver halfhourly utility meter readings and Building Management Systems (BMS) monitor and control a wide range of building services.

However, in practice, such systems are often not set up in a way that provides useful information to building operators and energy managers and there is often a lack of “effective” commissioning undertaken prior to building handover. Routinely clients inherit buildings with design flaws,

inefficient control strategies and insufficient capability to collect or report energy performance in a way that is meaningful to operators.

Further, sub-metering frequently fails to deliver on its potential. Sub-metering strategy is regularly a case of “put a meter on each distribution board” with little thought given to how operators can make use of this information. Meter selection must be driven by a metering strategy that provides insights into what building equipment is consuming energy and when. Good commissioning would help catch frequent failings in sub-meter installations, including ill-thought-out metering strategy, faulty meters, badly sized meters, and meters that require manual reading.

A well-developed simulation model which produces an accurate estimation of building consumption is a valuable tool during commissioning.

Differences between metered building performance and simulated behaviour can be investigated to determine whether differences are driven by building faults or incorrect assumptions in the model.

Control strategies, tested virtually in the model prior to construction, can be verified as working in practice through comparison of measured and simulated building data. Additionally, a well thought out sub-metering strategy that provides granular data on end-uses facilitates this comparison between model and reality, reducing uncertainty in the diagnosis of building issues.

CALIBRATED MODELLING A simulation model which provides a close match to measured energy consumption of a building can be said to be a “calibrated model”. Traditionally, creating calibrated models was seen to be challenging due to the vast quantities of input data required to be entered into modelling software and the high level of uncertainty surrounding this data. However, digitisation of construction documentation through BIM and the continued use of simulation modelling throughout the commissioning process removes some of the traditional barriers to calibration.

In addition to being useful during commissioning, the models can also be used for a wide range of applications including: • Monitoring & Targeting (M&T) of energy sub-categories in a building, particularly those that vary significantly with weather.

• Identification of Energy Conservation Measures (ECMs) and estimation of expected

•

payback through virtual testing of the ECM in the simulation model.

These ECMs could be anything from a small control tweak, to extensive building retrofit options such as external cladding.

The simulation model can also be used for Measurement & Verification (M&V) of any applied ECMs as the pre-intervention model can effectively be used as the Baseline model for calculation of savings.

EXISTING BUILDINGS Whilst the continued take up of Digital Engineering techniques makes it easier to utilise simulation modelling in new buildings, the benefits of modelling can equally be applied to existing buildings. The proliferation of recordable building data, outlined above, represent an often untapped resource in many existing buildings.

Where existing construction documentation may be scarce, building data such as BMS trend logs and temporary IOT sensors can be used to gain insight into how a building operates.

Coupled with modern data analysis tools, building data can be interrogated to determine the appropriate inputs into a simulation model. A process of iteration, comparing simulation outputs to measured sensor and meter data, leads to a calibrated simulation model of the existing building. Once created, the calibrated model becomes a digital asset which may be used by energy managers for the applications outlined above i.e. ongoing M&T, ECM identification, and M&V.

THE FUTURE Ultimately where this technology leads us is to a situation where calibrated simulation models can be fed with real-time sensor data, tariff information and weather predictions, and used to simulate thousands of control strategy variations. These can be fed back into the Building Management System in the form of highly optimised control strategies.

CONCLUSION Digital Engineering techniques such as building simulation are increasingly being employed in the operation of buildings and not just during the design stage. Coupled with better management and increased utilisation of building data, such as sub-meter and BMS data, it can be a valuable digital asset for building operators and energy managers. www.iesve.com

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ENERGY SUPPLY

SWITCH THE SMART WAY Mark Eccles, general manager at Gazprom Energy

W

ith Ofgem’s Faster Switching Programme well underway, improving the process of switching from one energy supplier to another is clearly high on the government’s agenda. For a long time Ofgem has encouraged competition among suppliers for the benefit of energy consumers, and this initiative aims to take those benefits further by making it easier to change suppliers when desired.

Despite these efforts however, it seems that looking for a new energy provider is something many businesses aren’t confident doing. Research shown by the Competition and Markets Authority found that one in every three businesses don’t know where they can find information that will help them choose the right supplier moving forward.

In reality, fears of not taking the best approach when switching suppliers can be allayed with a few simple steps.

One common concern among businesses is that energy supply could come to an abrupt halt during the switching process if things don’t go according to plan. But the truth is that regardless of where a business is at in its switching process, or how smoothly the switch has gone, businesses will always have access to gas and electricity.

No provider is able to ‘cut off’ an energy supply during the switching process.

Another concern is the prospect being faced with overlapping costs if the supplier switch does not run smoothly.

However, as long as businesses take a proactive approach to the key processes required for a successful switch, they can ensure these issues are avoided.

HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO DO. Check your meter reading The first thing an organisation should do when leaving a supplier is take a meter reading so this can be shared with both the incumbent and new supplier. There’s a chance that an energy customer gets charged by both providers for the same energy supplied, but that can be avoided. With an accurate

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‘opening’ meter read, the billing with the new supplier will get off to a good start.

And having a final meter reading also means a customer has a strong case for questioning their existing provider if a bill seems higher than it should.

BE AWARE OF KEY DATES Knowing the existing provider’s contract renewal date and the new supplier’s start date is critical when it comes to ensuring the business doesn’t pay unnecessary costs. Failing to switch to a new supplier when the existing contract comes to an end will mean having to pay the outgoing supplier a deemed tariff the higher rate of charge customers have to pay when a contract isn’t in place.

COMMUNICATE CONTRACT SIGNINGS Given that small businesses may rarely have a dedicated energy manager, it’s possible that more than one person might take responsibility for signing a new energy contract without communicating that they have done so. Energy brokers calling small businesses with an offer could exacerbate this because it’s a case of whoever picks up the phone. It’s crucial to ensure that the decision to switch suppliers is shared, to avoid the risk of the business ‘doubling up’ on suppliers.

STIPULATE THE DESIRED BILLING APPROACH Organisations with more complex energy needs, or those which have experienced significant growth or plans to expand, should make sure they consider the full impact of switching suppliers.

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For example, a larger organisation may have developed a specific approach to billing. When they come to switching they shouldn’t assume that a new supplier will be able to offer exactly the same service.

An existing energy supplier might send one overall bill to the finance department and site-specific bills to separate individuals at those locations.

This may be to support business processes such as financial reporting and energy monitoring. It’s important to ensure that a new supplier will be able to replicate these processes, so that tariff or contract savings are not outweighed by new, unwanted process complexities.

Stipulating the desired billing format in your supplier requirements document when looking for a new supplier will help to avoid this.

SWITCH RIGHT Businesses don’t need to be concerned about the risks of switching energy suppliers as long as they take a well-planned and measured approach. Ofgem’s Faster Switching Programme should soon make being hit with avoidable costs and suffering time-consuming processes a thing of the past. In the meantime, businesses moving suppliers should be extra cautious to ensure that they don’t make themselves vulnerable to risk.

It all comes down to knowing the ins and outs of their current and future energy contract and the relevant internal processes, in order to make the switch as smooth and as seamless as possible. www.gazprom-energy.co.uk

ENERGY SUPPLY

THE CHANGING ECONOMICS OF ENERGY SUPPLY IS SQUEEZING PROFIT MARGINS Dominic Fava, Head of Marketing & Propositions, Origami.

H

istorically, the cost of feedstock – oil, coal or gas – determined the price of electricity. Today, with a system reliant on renewables and interconnection, wholesale electricity prices are increasingly determined by changes in weather and a complex, interdependent system. For example, electricity costs rise and fall depending on whether the wind is blowing in one part of the country, the sun is shining, there is a heatwave, or any power stations are out of action.

Renewable energy has zero marginal cost, which means that feedstock costs now have far less influence over electricity prices. The dominant and growing determinants of electricity prices are the cost of building and maintaining the networks, reliability of the system networks and the subsidy levels for renewables. Already, less than 50% of business energy bills are directly related to commodity costs.1 Balancing services are key tools that system operators use to ensure that the electricity system is balanced and reliable.

Costs for these services are paid by energy suppliers and generators, which they pass through to customer bills. As renewables become a bigger part of the energy mix, there is going to be an increasing need for balancing services provided by assets at the grid edge and on the distribution network. These assets will fill the generation gaps when renewables aren’t available or be used to deal with other problems.

Berkley University2 estimates that with 40-50% renewables in the energy mix, the cost of balancing services to the USA electricity system will increase

2-9 times. We expect a similar increase in wholesale market volatility where renewables are deployed at scale.

In the UK, Prof. Goran Strbac, from London’s Imperial College, believes3 that the cost of balancing services will increase 10 times by 2030. At the same time, the cost of energy production will significantly reduce, assuming that more electricity must be produced by zero-marginal cost low- carbon generation if we are to meet carbon reduction targets.

The National Infrastructure Commission4 points to a similar picture in 2050 where high levels of renewable penetration will depress wholesale electricity markets by £8bn/year on average. This reduction is offset by the need to spend £5bn/year in additional balancing costs, which is up from around £1bn today. At 80% renewables penetration, total system costs are minimised, while balancing and network costs will be greater than energy costs.

These trends point to an overall shift in the value of the commodity towards the shape of the energy; how and when it is used to generate value.

Energy suppliers and asset owners can provide services to help keep the electricity system in balance while benefiting from these new trading opportunities.

1.

3.

2.

https://theenergyst.com/2018-energyoutlook-can-businesses-expect/ http://eta-publications.lbl.gov/sites/default/ files/presentation_pdf.pdf

BALANCING SERVICES WILL CHANGE As system operators become comfortable with more sophisticated market players and markets demonstrate the capability to keep the lights on, more liquid markets could replace some balancing services. For example, wholesale power markets may evolve

https://www.theccc.org.uk/wp-content/ uploads/2017/06/Roadmap-for-flexibilityservices-to-2030-Poyry-and-ImperialCollege-London.pdf

The changing economics of energy production

from today’s 30 min intraday markets.

There is already a dramatic shift from long-term contracts to shorter term contracts. We expect this trend to continue.

The growth of zero marginal cost renewables will contract wholesale power market costs, while increasingly intermittent energy generation5 and changes in regulation will drive up volatility (perhaps by as much as three times). We see great value in being able to trade and dispatch assets in near realtime, potentially trading the same unit of energy into multiple markets. Optimised trading of this nature is only possible to do at scale with intelligent technology, supported by asset and price forecasts informed by real-time data. Technology enables much better risk-adjusted returns.

In the absence of any concerted action, margins in all areas of utility businesses are going to get squeezed.

Only by delivering less extreme, more predictable trading outcomes and becoming more efficient will market players maintain their margins.

4.

5.

https://www.nic.org.uk/wp-content/ uploads/Power-sector-modelling-finalreport-1-Aurora-Energy-Research.pdf Cornwall Energy

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NEWSSTUDY CASE

UNIVERSITY OF EAST ANGLIA – SUPER LOW-LOSS TRANSFORMERS

Author: Ayah Alfawaris Business Development and Marketing Executive, Wilson Power Solutions BACKGROUND University of East Anglia [UEA] is one of the UK’s top 15 Universities and part of the top 300 Universities globally. It is a campusa University of about 300 hectares and 90 buildings and on a “normal” day frequented by around 20,000 humans and about 5,700 other species, according to a recent biodiversity study.

Being a centre of excellence in environmental sciences and climate research, UEA launched a comprehensive energy and carbon reduction programme (ECRP) in 2015. Sustainable development at UEA means that the University is trying to balance the ‘three pillars’ of environmental, economic and social elements of sustainability.

UEA achieve this by challenging their environmental impact through

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University of East Anglia University – Utilities Sankey Diagram

reducing their reliance on grid electricity and therefore fossil fuels, as well as promoting recycling and ‘eco’ products such as biological cleaning materials.

UEA champions local suppliers and ethical causes and, importantly in the context of capital programmes, seeks to ensure value for money in a holistic, whole-life costing sense.

Given its very diverse building stock this is no mean feat. Having some of the highest performing buildings in the UK such as The Enterprise Centre (built in 2015 to Passivhaus standards) alongside poorly performing buildings including original 1960’s science and other faculty buildings and residences like the Ziggurats.

Infrastructure includes 5.7 MWe of gas CHP generating 70% of heat and power as well as cooling via tri-generation with extensive district heating and cooling and a wholly owned 11kV network with 22 substations and 26 supply transformers.

DESIGN GUIDE To achieve best practice and help avoid blinkered “value engineering” approaches that all too often lead to higher operating costs in the long run, the University has developed a “Design Guide” that serves as a procurement

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and specification guide across its estate. The guide helps the university to control the quality of operations by ensuring design best practice and procurement compliancy with the university’s strategic development.

The guide is structured into specific sections /disciplines or area of design responsibility and is available for free on the university’s website on https://portal.uea.ac.uk/ estates/building-design-guide.

ENERGY SAVINGS BEYOND THE LOW HANGING FRUIT AMORPHOUS TRANSFORMERSNEW BUILD UEA’s total utilities cost is over £3.6 million per year, £900k of that are electricity. When energy managers think of energy efficiency and reduced losses, they tend to focus on inside-the-building solutions. Transformers are often neglected as they have a relatively long lifetime (average of 63 years in the UK).

However, almost 2% (678 MWh) of the total imported and generated electricity is wasted due to transformer losses (see diagram) across the University Estate’s 22 substations.

CASE STUDY NEWS

1000kVA South Wales Switchgear Transformer from 1960

That is equivalent to over £74k (based on electricity costs of £0.11/kWh).

Despite this being a challenge, it comes with a lucrative opportunity for the university to save energy, money and reduce its carbon emissions if the right technology gets installed in place.

With transformer losses on the radar of the University’s engineering, utilities and maintenance teams, UEA’s Design Guide specified “super low loss amorphous transformers” since 2016 to help address this unnecessary energy wastage. Part 6 of UEA’s Design Guide deals with electrical systems and can be found here: https://portal.uea. ac.uk/estates/building-design-guide/ part-6. It discusses electrical systems including private HV & LV systems, load assessment, voltage optimisation, power factor correction and others.

Super low loss amorphous transformers (such as the Wilson e2) already exceed strict new EU Eco Design requirements (Tier2) due to come into force in 2021 thus providing significant whole lifecycle savings.

Super low-loss is achieved as a result of using amorphous as a core material that has less hysteresis losses than the cores of conventional transformers. This reduces the energy wasted as heat during the magnetisation and demagnetisation processes and reduces energy losses in distribution transformers by almost half.

Conventional distribution transformers use Cold Rolled Silicon Steel (CRGO) which consists of stacks of laminations that are made from silicon steel with an almost uniform crystalline structure. Whereas amorphous metal is made of alloys that have no atomic order.

They are made by rapid cooling of molten metals that prevents crystallisation and

leaves a vitrified structure in the form of thin strips.

This means that new build projects such as the Barton & Hickling residences and currently under construction “Building 60”, a new 6000sqm combined science teaching building are powered by highly efficient supply transformers that cost more upfront (higher capital cost) but achieve significant lifetime energy efficiency savings (better operational costs).

With typical lifetime savings of over £50,000 for a single 1MVA transformer, this infrastructure decision will save the University hundreds of thousands of pounds to re-invest into its estate over years to come.

ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENTTRANSFORMER REPLACEMENT

1000kVA Wilson e2 transformer in the Barton & Hickling Residences Substation

One area of energy efficiency improvements that UEA hasn’t benefited from thus far is the replacement of aged supply transformers. Inspired by a recent transformer replacement viability study at a large hospital near Dundee that will save the trust over £7,300 pa in electricity costs on one transformer replacement alone, the University is planning to carry out its own

load profiling and power quality analysis project with a view to highlight similar opportunities in its 22 substations on site.

First candidates from an admittedly low-key exterior inspection: A 1961 South Wales Switchgear 750kVA unit in the Sciences HV Substation and a 1960 South Wales Switchgear 1000kVA unit at Waveney. www.wilsonpowersolutions.co.uk/

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HEATING

GETTING IN CONTROL Implementing a well thought out control strategy is essential to achieve and maintain optimal heating performance. Maximising the capability of onboard and cost-effective optional boiler controls to reduce a building’s energy usage and emissions is a good starting point, says Paul Arnold, Remeha’s Product Manager

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s legislation surrounding building energy performance increases, heating is under the spotlight for improvement.

While new and existing non-domestic buildings will require very different heating solutions, in both it’s clearly essential to ensure that the system operates both effectively and efficiently. This will not only improve a building’s energy performance, reducing associated costs and emissions, but bring potential wellbeing benefits to its occupants that could ultimately lead to greater business productivity. And inevitably, achieving high-performance operation comes down to how well the system is controlled.

Best practice is to consider system integration and building control from the initial design stages. However, energy and facilities managers should also look to maximise the potential offered by onboard and cost-effective optional boilers controls to reduce energy waste and raise building comfort levels.

PRACTICAL STEP TO IMPROVED EFFICIENCY Heating systems are becoming increasingly complex to meet tighter environmental targets.

So why the focus on boilers? Commercial condensing boilers continue to be an important part of commercial heating solutions. A costeffective tool to significant energy and carbon savings when replacing old or inefficient plant, they are also a key component of hybrid systems, typically working alongside renewable technology to ensure reliable heat provision.

The latest generation of advanced condensing boilers are already engineered to achieve near maximum efficiencies and meet ultra-low NOx emission criteria. However, effective control is critical if end-users are to continue benefiting from low operating costs and minimise building emissions throughout the boiler’s lifecycle.

So now forward-thinking manufacturers have turned their attention to optimising longterm operational performance by providing superior control capability as standard.

ON-BOARD CONTROLS Let’s consider the average non-domestic building. Heat requirements will typically vary across the week, with some having no need for heat at the weekend. The ability to set time controls enables

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operating hours to be matched more accurately and avoid unnecessary waste.

Then there’s the connection between temperature and employee wellbeing.

A report by the World Building Council concluded that staff productivity can dip by 6% on average in a room that is too cold, and by 4% if the temperature is too cold. So good temperature control can impact negatively on employee wellbeing and, ultimately, on the profitability of the organisation.

Where boilers are supplied with onboard time and temperature controls at no extra cost, making full use of these controls will ensure that the environment is consistently comfortable when in use. At the same time, it will avoid a costly, unsustainable scenario caused either by heating an empty building. And as the controls can be directly connected to the building energy management system (BEMS), the superior boiler control contributes to improved overall system control.

FULL CONTROLS STRATEGY To maximise boiler efficiency, we would advise including low-cost optional accessories such as weather compensation and optimisation controls.

Adding multiple zone control is also recommended to help use energy more effectively and efficiently, as different areas of a building will have different heat requirements. When installing multiple boilers in cascade arrangement, adding a sequential controller will rotate the lead boiler, lengthening the lifecycle of the boilers.

Good manufacturers will supply costeffective boiler controls encompassing all these requirements. The heating controls must all be fully integrated into the BEMS and settings should be checked regularly to maintain high system performance.

EASY TO USE Of course, for controls to be used to their full capability, full engagement

ENERGY MANAGER MAGAZINE • JUNE 2019

is necessary. And that means getting rid of the complex codes and symbols and providing more intuitive, user-friendly controllers that can be used easily by all.

On the latest boiler models, for example, a full-text, full-colour interface will provide straightforward access to an extended range of parameters using a rotary selection dial and smartphone-like buttons. So on boilers like these, controls are easier to install, programme, commission – and re-commission when required.

From a whole-life perspective, ongoing maintenance and services are also more straightforward, reducing operational costs while ensuring longterm optimum heating performance.

SMALL STEP, BIG RESULT As we move down the path to full decarbonisation of heat, a continued focus on energy efficiency is essential to drive reduced energy usage and help the nation meet its environmental targets. Ensuring that full use is made of boiler controls might seem a small step. But by optimising heating efficiency, it could lead to big changes in a building’s overall energy performance.

Improved control will reduce energy demand for lower operating costs, emissions and lifecycle costs. And with better heating control comes a more comfortable building environment that contributes to improved occupant well-being and productivity.

It’s a simple but effective solution towards reduced energy demand, but one that can deliver welcome benefits. remeha.co.uk

HEATING

STAFFORD LAUNDERETTE AWASH IN COST SAVINGS

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innai has just completed the installation of two HDC1500i continuous flow hot water heating units at a busy laundrette serving businesses and the public in Stafford. Rinnai were chosen on the recommendation of another laundrette owner, in Lancashire, who praised the efficiency and major cost savings because of switching to cascaded continuous flow hot water units as they guarantee almost unlimited supplies of hot water at peak demand whilst savings on fuel costs.

Word of mouth is the best possible marketing and a site survey was duly arranged and completed to confirm the best solution in controlling operational costs and efficiencies. The existing system was a heated stored water system – this meant that the site was paying to heat water it was not instantly using.

It was clear from the site survey that Rinnai units configured to maximise both space and energy efficiency – and critically – the system’s reliability – would yield seriously large cost savings to the owner.

Given that the Rinnai units were being wall mounted and externally flued, this gave extra storage space to the premises as there was no need for a dedicated plant room.

Comments Ray Gallimore, proprietor of the Weston Road Launderette, “The old storage system had become completely impractical, inefficient and needlessly expensive to run.

“For example, the washers tend to be used sporadically. During a busy weekend there could be a demand for eight to ten people battling to use the machines at once, during the week there might be one or two. That meant we had to store a decent volume of hot water ‘just in case’ in the form of a storage water heater. Needless to say, keeping the stored volume at optimum temperature 24/7 was often wasted energy, a really bad, expensive idea all round.”

Clearly the site needed to change the system to one that could cater for these fluctuations without running up huge energy bills and the solution wasn’t hard to find.

“I was made aware of Infinity water heaters installed in similar applications to mine and in general their experiences with their products and their personnel, such as the local Rinnai sales consultant, were consistently positive and professional.”

“The beauty of working with Rinnai is the service they offer. We presented the project to Rinnai’s Technical Sales team who came up with the design, configured the sizes of unit required and delivered the system

complete and to a very tight timescale – this was key as the existing water heater had developed a leak and I was extremely mindful that the business had to remain operational to satisfy local demand. We are very happy with Rinnai and will be spreading the word,” adds Ray Gallimore.

Now two HDC1500i internal mounted water heaters with secondary circulation provide hot water for 12 commercial machines, plus a sink and a wash hand basin.

“The Rinnai system has resulted in an energy reduction and gas saving due to higher efficiencies and because we are no longer maintaining large amounts of stored hot water. It’s not rocket science to work that out!”

“In terms of gas usage running costs compared to the old wasteful storage system, our bills have virtually been halved since the Rinnai system went live five months ago which is absolutely tremendous,” says Gallimore.

Rinnai’s heavy-duty condensing range uses two heat exchangers to capture residual heat from flue gases to preheat incoming water, with the HDC1500i turning in 105% net efficiencies1. These figures add up to considerable on-going energy savings when compared with traditional gas fired stored water systems.

With a Rinnai condensing unit, temperature is regulated to within +/-1ºC via ‘smart’ internal controls without any variation of temperature at the outlet even when water is drawn off elsewhere. All models have full electronic ignition, no pilot light and operate on demand only, so there is no gas consumption when the unit is idle.

The units are easily configured in a manifold arrangement, ensuring there will never be a shortfall of instant hot water whatever the demand.

Rinnai, the UK’s leading manufacturer of the ErP A-rated Infinity range of continuous flow condensing gas-fired water heaters, supplies the best energy efficient range of low-NoX water heating units currently on the market.

Advanced condensing heat exchangers combined with innovative burner technology ensures that every cubic metre of gas is 1 Tested and certificated by Technigas to EN

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used to the maximum on HDC 1500i.

Legionella proliferation is answered

by Rinnai: the company has developed additional ‘SMART’ controls for secondary return DHW systems in the form of an advanced temperature control system which allows for safe running of water at 42°C core temperature during the day and 60°C at a time when the building is closed. By the time the building reopens, core temperature is 42°C for safe use.

Another Rinnai innovation addresses an age-old industry problem with hot water delivery - lime scale build-up.

The company’s integrated scale control system is an innovative solution and comes in the form of an LC (lime check) code on the display of the controller.

Almost all water-fed appliances, including plate heat exchangers, boilers and water heaters will accumulate scale deposits when used within hard water areas over time. Lime scale consists of calcium carbonate (calcite) with lesser amounts of other calcium salts such as the sulphate. Sometimes lime scale deposits contain corrosion debris and this scale build-up can affect the water heaters by reducing their efficiency and overall performance. Ultimately, ongoing use with hard water may shorten the lifespan of conventional water heating appliances and systems. To safeguard against this Rinnai units continually self-monitor for lime scale deposits around the heat exchanger. If a lime scale build up has being identified, a message is sent to the built-in interface panel on the front of the appliance. The message is displayed as ‘LC’, which alerts the end user that it is time to call a Rinnai service agent to perform a lime scale flush to clear the potentially harmful deposits. This avoids and eliminates the adverse effects associated with lime scale build up, including lower energy efficiencies and rapid product de-generation. www.rinnaiuk.com

ENERGY MANAGER MAGAZINE • JUNE 2019

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HEATING

THE MARKETPLACE FOR HEATING AND HOT WATER HAS NOW CHANGED – Time for the industry to make choices Tony Gittings of Rinnai looks at the changes that have now become a permanent and developing part of the domestic heating and hot water marketplace – selling direct to the consumer, bypassing the traditional supply route

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here is a 15 second iPhone video clip on Twitter at the moment of a big lad, full of muscles, destroying a door inside a building. It takes him two punches, one kick and both his hands to wrench the door right off its hinges. Accompanying this is some very stark copy which talks about how he’d had a job booked in to install a boiler, but he had lost out on price to one of the big, direct-to-consumer online brand names. His fury carries over from the film to the text with some very explicit language.

The change in the domestic heating and hot water marketplace is that online buying is now taking over the supply chain. The boiler manufacturers, some of them, want to sell more and more direct to the consumer. It is as simple as that. The traditional route to market of: manufacturer -merchant/distributor – installer-end user/consumer is getting to be less and less and may well soon be gone. The new route to market may well have some casualties – the merchants/ distributors and installers. It may well hit installers hardest in terms of prices being driven down.

Boiler producers have traditionally made their margin at the factory gate. – The merchant/ distributor may never of made the size of margins, on boilers, anywhere near as much as the manufacturers. Traditionally the merchants/ distributors relied on the branded boilers to bring the installer into their sales arena and buy all the materials for an installation and make up the margins on fittings, piping and ancillaries.

The fact that life is online now, and that almost all household expenditure goes through the web, is now cast in stone, for time being anyway. The change in consumer spending can be summed up by the following reports> The BBC News website and the Retail Gazette recently extensive articles and reports on the dramatic demise of shopping centres and malls.

Dead or dying High Streets, zombie retailing – the clichés were wonderfully employed.

Retail Gazette quoted some very heavyweight financiers – APAM Asset Management. They reckoned that there were as many as 200 – yes, two hundred - shopping centres that were financially on the edge of business existence.

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Asset management firm APAM estimates that hundreds of shopping centres worth around £7 billion are in danger of breaching debt covenants.

This number has reportedly increased by 75 per cent since last year, as falling market values and increasing numbers of CVAs butcher the sector.

Retail Gazette reported that APAM’s executive director Simon Cooke said this was in part due to lack of reinvestment by private equity owners, with the average shopping centre in the UK having changed hands or been refinanced three-and-a-half years ago. The BBC News report quoted Retail Gazette and also added in its own experts.

Mr Nelson Blackley, from the National Retail Research Knowledge Exchange Centre, said the growth of online retail in the UK - on sites such as Amazon - had been faster than in almost any other retail market in the world. The demise of “major anchor stores” like BHS and Toys R Us and the rise of online shopping has caused a “downward spiral”, said Mr Nelson Blackley.

“If the major anchor store moves out, that has a halo effect on other stores in that centre. It’s a downward spiral and you can’t fill shopping centres with nail bars and vape shops.” Mr Blackley, who is based at Nottingham Trent University’s Nottingham Business School, pointed to research in the Financial Times that suggested about £2.5bn worth of shopping centres and retail parks are up for sale in towns and cities across the UK. Some of this marketing is unofficial and not in the public domain,” he said.

“It’s a trend that’s moving very quickly.

You don’t necessarily want to be in the business of owning shopping centres at the moment.” No kidding Mr Blackley…….

A prominent and nationally operating installer friend of mine put it this way in nicely earthy language, “I am not that old, but I remember Woolworths going out of

ENERGY MANAGER MAGAZINE • JUNE 2019

business in the late 90s and look recently at BHS and the House of Fraser going down the plughole - massive names in retailing.

As an installer I am so alive to the change in my customers buying habits. You don’t a PhD in ‘The Blindingly Obvious’ to realise the game has changed. I think it is a matter of concentrating on the ‘new’ and not wasting time on the old ways. They are gone.”

We made our own decisions several years ago. Then, about 30% of our total sales were through the distribution route to market. That is now around 15% and that is with distributors which are geographically and strategically placed to deliver - direct to the installer.

It is not difficult to envisage that with just a few years that the big brand names will be aiming everything they’ve got direct to the end-user/consumer.

But it may well be at the expense of the installer, who may well have to work on an iron-clad fixed price basis which may not be the true value of the job.

We have chosen our route many years ago and have continued during all those years to fully and total commit to the installer as our partner – we have stayed connected. Others may try to ‘re-connect.’

But it is the installer that is our future and we see nothing on the horizon likely to change that – after all, all gas fired products must, by law, be installed by a fully qualified Gas Safe person.

And that means that the individual must have a high level of expertise and ‘Yes’, we deal with specification and consultants, but that is inevitable on commercial sites which require design and engineering services. engineering savvy…. which is what installers have….

And one final thought - maybe there are even more changes on their way, this time in the manufacturing arena? www.rinnaiuk.com

Public Sector Energy Event Scotland

6 November 2019 – Hampden park, Glasgow The second in a series of regional Public Sector Energy Events will take place in Scotland on 6 November 2019, at Hampden Park, Glasgow.

WHY EXHIBIT •

•

The best way to meet and network with top quality public sector energy professionals from Government, Local Authorities, NHS, Education & Housing Associations in a relaxed and intimate environment.

Highly targeted & cost-effective – cheaper than many journals will charge for a full page of advertising.

• • • •

Free lunch, coffee/tea.

Delegate list, (in accord with GDPR regulations) including no-shows.

Full page advertisement/advertorial in our event guide given to all visitors.

Your details on our website page for this event.

VISITOR INFORMATION We are expecting 200-300 energy professionals from the Public Sector, most of whom are responsible for multi-sites.

STAND DETAILS • • • •

All stands are 3m wide x 2m deep.

Floor space only – no shell scheme. If a larger stand is required please contact us.

Exhibitors to supply own stands.

Table and chairs supplied.

Electric supply limited – check for details.

Please contact Ralph Scrivens for pricing.

Should you wish to make a booking or if you require any further information

SPONSORSHIP

please contact:

HEADLINE SPONSORSHIP

Ralph Scrivens

The Headline Sponsor will receive the following: • Name on all publicity regarding the event.

• Logo and information on website home page and dedicated event page.

• Display area in foyer and reception area at event.

• Use of video screens in exhibition area.

• Full page advertisement in 3 issues of Energy Manager magazine.

E: ralph@energymanagermagazine.co.uk

Please contact Ralph Scrivens for pricing.

Other sponsorship opportunities are available.

Please contact us for more information. www.publicsectorenergyevents.co.uk

Mob: 07940 532501 James Scrivens E: james@abbeypublishing.co.uk Mob: 07939 537649

RENEWABLE ENERGY

ADAPTING TO MEET RENEWABLE ENERGY TARGETS: Technology making Britain go green According to the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT), Britain is capable of generating 100 per cent of its energy supply from clean sources or carbon neutral backups. In an environment increasingly reliant on renewables, Martyn Williams, managing director of industrial software provider COPADATA UK, explains how energy managers can adopt new technologies to better manage and monitor these volatile generation sites.

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uring 2018, coal was responsible for just one per cent of Britain’s total energy electricity generation. This resulted in the country’s coal-fired power stations remaining entirely unused for twelve days in June — a longer period than in 2016 and 2017 combined.

With renewables taking an increasingly greater share of the country’s energy consumption, Britain is on course to meet its renewable targets of 30 per cent renewable generation by 2020. However, transitioning to this form of power supply is not without challenges.

TRANSITIONING TO SMART GRIDS Even today, cost is one of the biggest barriers to the adoption of renewable energy. Developed countries like the UK have a mature fossil-fuel infrastructure that’s been around for over a hundred years. Transitioning to a renewable alternative is, in many cases, more expensive and requires much higher initial investment. The same is true for

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developing countries where renewable technology is even more cost prohibitive.

Britain’s energy infrastructure, originally designed to run on fossil-fuels, has been forced to adapt. The grid is now used to distribute energy generated from both fossil-fuel and renewable sources.

This has seen the expansion of smart grids — a grid which uses control and communication in a specific way — to avoid the need for costly expansion of existing cable and wire infrastructures.

Over the next few decades, billions of pounds will be spent on Britain’s energy network. While some of this is required to maintain the existing system and replace ageing equipment, the creation of smart grids will also require investment in new technologies.

In fact, this requirement has encouraged a pledge by Britain’s leading electricity network operators, including SSE Networks and UK Power Networks, which promises to deliver £17 billion of smart grid infrastructure by 2050.

MANAGING UNCERTAINTY A key differentiator of smart grids is the integration of renewable energy sources. Unlike fossil fuels, renewable sources do not generate energy at a predetermined level. As a result, operators cannot accurately predict their output without technology investments.

Wind farms provide a useful

ENERGY MANAGER MAGAZINE • JUNE 2019

demonstration of this uncertainty. Using historical data, an operator can estimate how often the farm will generate power consistently but making completely accurate predictions is almost impossible.

In fact, energy output from a turbine can drop without warning — and there is no proven method to precisely determine when output will improve.

The case is similar for photovoltaic (PV) solar farms. In fact, hydro-electric power is the only energy source that can be physical controlled. At these plants, water can be stored in reservoirs and released when required, thus simulating the natural generation of hydro-power.

The volatility of renewable energy sources can also create problematic surplus situations. Let’s say wind speeds were to dramatically increase. If unprepared, the grid may not be able to handle the sudden surge in power from a wind power farm and this could cause power outages. In fact, there have been instances of operators resorting to paying customers to use excess electricity to balance this unmanageable surplus.

Reserve power flow, or back feeding, is one method of managing this excess energy. However, back feeding isn’t exclusively for renewable sources and occurs regularly on small-scale power grids, usually during the middle of the day when people are out of their homes. As residential energy demand during these periods is low, some of the generated electricity can be fed

RENEWABLE ENERGY back to a transformer through the network.

Traditionally though, distributed systems did require back feeding.

Most of the generation came from large-scale fossil-fuel sources which were located on the main network, therefore the power would flow predictably onto smaller systems.

However, increasing renewable energy sites, as well as microgeneration sites, means energy volatility is increasing, causing more occurrences of back feeding, as well as a new need for energy storage.

FORECASTING GENERATION Improved forecasting could be used to alleviate this challenge.

However, it is argued that forecasts are often provided solely as a comfort to decision makers — that’s network operators, end customers and investors in renewable energy. Forecasts, due to their limitations, are not used in the daily operations of energy sites.

Accurate forecasting requires a complicated cross-disciplinary approach, examining mathematics, statistics, meteorology and an accumulation of historical data from the generation site.

Even then, the shortcoming of a forecast is that it is simply an extrapolation of what has occurred, rather than certain knowledge about the future.

By employing more accurate forecasting however, operators could better manage supply and demand.

New technology is already beginning to improve the exactness of predictions by using advanced computer models.

However, it is recommended that this is used in combination with real-time system monitoring.

Smart grid control software, like COPA-DATA’s zenon, allows operators to actively manage grid behaviour in real-time. Therefore, the operator can react appropriately should the site begin to generate more, or less power than expected.

This real-time insight doesn’t lessen the volatility of renewable generation, but it can improve awareness of a system’s conditions. For instance, the software could immediately alert an operator when wind speeds increase. By correlating this

data with information from the wider network, the software could provide a warning that a surplus of energy will occur, and back feeding is required.

Back feeding isn’t always a feasible option, however. In some instances, excess energy must be stored. Research by market analyst Aurora Energy Research, suggests that to meet its renewable energy targets, Britain requires an additional 13 GW of energy storage in order to successfully balance the grid.

ENERGY STORAGE Like many other forms of energy technology, a major challenge of implementing energy storage is related to cost. Aside from the water storing methods of hydro-electric plants, traditional electricity grids have little to no method of storing excess power. In fact, Aurora Energy Research’s paper states that deploying energy storage on Britain’s network will require a £6 billion investment.

Energy storage plays an important role in creating a flexible grid. When there is more power supply than demand, excess energy needs to be stored safely to avoid wastages.

Similarly, when demand is greater than supply, energy storage allows storage facilities to discharge this stored energy back to the grid.

With increasing reliance on renewables, energy storage facilities will be essential buffers for excess power. While there are copious research projects dedicated to the development of energy storage methods, including compressed air, thermal storage and

battery storage, these technologies are still largely in their infancy.

Across the continent, there are several successful examples of using batteries to store excess renewable energy. This includes a BMW commissioned battery storage farm in Leipzig, Germany, which is houses on the grounds of its own wind generation site.

The site operates using 700 secondlife electric vehicle batteries, which are used to house excess wind power before it is fed back into the wider grid.

Without knowledge of when, where and how much energy is required on the grid, however, battery storage is redundant. Feeding this energy back to the network requires realtime insight into the state of the gird.

Large scale installations, like BMW’s facility in Germany, will use intelligent software to constantly monitor and record demand for power and therefore supply appropriately.

Again, this requires investment from the facility itself, but is essential for the creation of a truly smart energy grid.

Transitioning from a traditional energy network to a fully functioning smart grid is incredibly complex. Britain’s ageing infrastructure means that costs maintaining and repairing these facilities are essential, but investments in new technology cannot be overlooked.

Britain may be capable of generating 100 per cent of its energy supply from clean sources, but until the nation has adopted technologies to efficiently manage, store and distribute this energy, this goal will not come to fruition. www.copadata.com

ENERGY MANAGER MAGAZINE • JUNE 2019

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RENEWABLE ENERGY

A couple of high profile social movements have brought the issue of climate change into the limelight in recent weeks.

The Extinction Rebellion protests have been in the news almost every day of late, and Greta Thunberg, who organised the renowned school strikes for climate, is working hard to keep the issue at the front of people’s minds across the globe. Both have shone a much needed light on the damage that is being done to the planet through our dependence on fossil fuels – and not a moment before time.

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ENERGY MANAGER MAGAZINE • JUNE 2019

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WHAT NEXT FOR SOLAR PANELS?

long with making people more aware of their buying habits in terms of single use plastic for example, the protests have also helped raise awareness of renewable energy systems, and made consumers consider alternative solutions to heat their homes. As solar panels have been the most popular and accessible green technology in recent years, this has resulted in a sharp increase in enquiries amongst providers – despite the lack of subsidies from the Government.

The Ørsted Green Energy Barometer, which surveyed more than 26,000 people across 13 countries, asked just over 2,000 people in the UK where they would like to see more of their energy come from. The results showed that the most common answer was solar, with over three quarters (77%) preferring the technology to its closest competitors, tidal power (71%) and offshore wind (70%).

However, March 31st 2019 was the last chance to benefit from the Government’s Feed-in-Tariff (FiT) and export tariff, so does this signal the end for solar panels in the UK? Well, in a word: no. This is in part down to the fact that installing solar panels is significantly cheaper these days than it

was when they were first introduced.

In 2018 solar panels cost around £6,000 – £7,000 for an average sized residential home – 60% cheaper than an equivalent system cost in 2010. Solar panels are now more affordable than ever, which is great news for homeowners looking to reduce their carbon footprint.

Add into the mix the positive impact installing solar panels can have on utility bills, and it becomes an even more attractive option.

The government is soon to start a consultation on releasing a new export tariff, but when and what that will be is unknown at this time. However, individual energy companies are beginning to offer their own export tariffs, which is set to shake up the market.

With the Government under intense pressure to act on climate change, we hope they will expedite their plans for a suitable replacement for the Feed-in-Tariffs to help make solar panels the ideal choice for those looking to reduce their carbon footprint whilst saving money on their electricity bills.

Edward Levien is Commercial Director at renewable energy specialists isoenergy. www.isoenergy.co.uk

RENEWABLE ENERGY

GRAPHITE AND THE RENEWABLE ENERGY REVOLUTION

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ntermittent energy sources such as solar and wind power are an increasingly viable option for small and largescale power applications thanks to improvements in energy storage.

Lithium-ion batteries are currently the most popular power source for electromechanical energy storage applications, but these have relatively short lifespans and aren’t easily recycled.

Redox flow batteries (RFBs), on the other hand, provide an attractive and cost-effective alternative to these limitations. A type of rechargeable flow battery, RFBs employ a process of reduction and oxidation— involving the transfer of electrons—which stores excess energy for later use.

All-vanadium RFBs (VRFBs) are the most commercially available and researched of the flow battery systems. They have long life cycles of 10 to 20 years, can be reused up to 10,000 times and discharge 100% of stored energy without damaging the cells’ overall performance.

Although more expensive than lithiumion and sodium sulphur batteries, VRFBs are easily scalable and the process of charge and discharge is completely reversible.

MEETING THE DEMANDS OF RENEWABLE ENERGY A promising solution to the problem of balancing unpredictable power generation with demands on consumption, VRFBs are an attractive method of storing energy for a variety of needs, from utility-scale grid stabilisation to small-scale domestic applications.

A recent study suggests that solar and wind energy is cheaper than three-quarters of the coal-fired power in the US. With an increase of inexpensive renewable energy technologies comes an increase in intermittent energy, and more flexible storage systems are needed to stabilise electric grids and prepare for times when there is no wind or sun to supply the necessary power.

VRFBs could be the cost-effective, eco-friendly route to balancing electricity supply and demand. They release no harmful emissions and are flexible and consistent enough to balance power grids— promising energy-saving potential and a positive impact on the environment.

Not only are they flexible, stable and scalable, but VRFBs are notably more robust and less flammable than their lithium-ion and lead-acid counterparts; since VRFBs only use one electroactive element instead

of the usual two, there is no risk of crosscontamination of ions in the electrolyte.

HOW DO VRFBS WORK? Unlike conventional batteries with fully integrated storage architectures, VRFBs store electricity as chemical energy in two large tanks containing vanadium-based liquid electrolyte solutions of opposite charge—a negative anolyte on one side, and a positive catholyte on the other—where electrolyte is pumped from one tank into the corresponding half of a central cell.

An advantage of this design is that, should a fault occur in the system, the flow of the electrolyte can be stopped without causing excess damage to the battery.

In the central tank is a porous ion exchange membrane which separates stacks of anode or cathode electrodes.

The electrolyte flows both ways through the membrane, depending on whether it is charging or discharging.

While storage is occurring, electrons are transferred from the electrolyte through the membrane and stored at the anode.

The chemical reactions and direction of the electrolyte are reversed when the battery discharges. The stored electrons travel back through the external circuit to the cathode, converting the chemical energy in the electrolyte into electrical current.

Keeping the electrolyte and cell stack separate allows for flexible design and scalability, as the battery’s energy capacity is determined by the volume and concentration of the electrolyte while the number and size of electrodes in the stack is ultimately what influences its power.

This means that energy and power are completely decoupled in VRFBs. This ability to change the dimensions of the power and energy capacity independently of one another means flow batteries can be easily scaled up for larger applications at a much lower cost than other battery systems.

GRAPHITE FELT AS AN ELECTRODE MATERIAL The performance of VRFBs largely relies on the electrode, which requires high electrochemical activity to promote the charge transfer of redox couples.

Due to the potentially corrosive environment in flow batteries, only materials with certain qualities—strong chemical resistance and high electrochemical activity toward the redox reactions— can be used as VRFB electrodes.

As such, carbon-based materials such as graphite and carbon felts are the predominant electrode materials for VRFBs, favoured for their low cost, conductivity, permeability and electrochemical stability.

Paul Lancaster, managing director at graphite specialists Olmec Advanced Materials, said: “Graphite and carbon felts have a versatile list of operational characteristics, providing a low-cost and lightweight but efficient performance in redox flow batteries.

“They have many of the qualities you could want from an electrode, ticking the boxes for strength and chemical stability as well as conductivity.”

Felts can, however, suffer with low electrochemical activity, poor wettability and small specific area, hindering its current density and ultimately affecting voltage efficiency.

Research suggests that treating graphite felt electrodes for VRFBs with electrochemical oxidation increases the electrode’s specific surface area, and improves electrochemical performance as a result.

IMPROVING VRFBS TO FULFIL RENEWABLE ENERGY’S POTENTIAL Despite their cost, performance and mobility benefits, VRFBs are complex systems and as such have faced several challenges in development, mainly issues of low specific density in comparison with other batteries.

For flow battery technology to progress and become more marketable, the compatibility of membranes and electrodes must be given more attention, while the overall design and management of cells and stacks also needs improvement.

Lancaster said: “It’s important to understand the operational life and environment necessary parts like electrodes will be subjected to so that the graphite can be machined and treated properly.”

Research into developing the performance of VRFBs has shown that treating the surface of graphite electrodes—through processes such as thermal treatment, metal doping or chemical treatment with sulfuric or nitric acid—enhances the energy efficiency and reaction kinetics of VRFBs. By improving the capacity to store and discharge surplus energy, VRFBs can become a more economically viable technology and deliver much-needed electricity in periods of high demand or during blackouts caused by natural disasters. www.olmec.co.uk

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DRIVING THE FUTURE

‘END-TO-END’ FINANCE IS HELPING CHARGE THE ELECTRIC BUS REVOLUTION

London and Manchester are leading the way in electric bus roll-out, with large fleets due to be operational in both cities later this year.1 Martyn Bellis, Sales Manager, Transportation, Siemens Financial Services in the UK, discusses the latest financing models which help to deliver an end-to-end electric bus solution.

1.

‘London to have Europe’s largest double-decker electric bus fleet’, Mayor of London, 20 June 2018 https://www.london.gov.uk/press-releases/mayoral/london-to-have-europes-largest-electric-bus-fleet

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ransport accounted for 28% of all UK greenhouse gas emissions in 2017, making it the sector with the highest level of emissions in the UK economy.1 The resulting poor air quality is estimated to contribute to more than 40,000 premature deaths in England each year, with emissions from cars and vans estimated to cost £6 billion annually to the NHS and society.2 Recent research indicates that electric vehicles (EV) have the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by over 50% compared with equivalent conventional petrol and diesel vehicles over the lifetime of their use.3 A growing number of transport operators are therefore moving away from traditional diesel models and investing in ‘greener’ buses which, given the high emissions of diesel-fuelled commercial vehicles, will have significant benefits for reducing carbon emissions and improving air quality. As well as contributing to a reduction in carbon emissions, electric vehicles are also quieter and provide a smoother ride than diesel buses.4 While battery weight has limited the role of electrification in heavier and long-distance vehicles, the one segment of the commercial sector that has proved to be well-suited to electrification is fleet vehicles that operate from a central hub and along fixed routes – namely public bus fleets.5 The predictability of schedules 1 ‘Electric vehicles: driving the transition’, House of Commons Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee, 19 October 2018 2 Ibid 3 ‘Electric vehicles: driving the transition’, House of Commons Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee, 19 October 2018 4 ‘Electric vehicles: The pros and cons’, Just Energy Solutions, 8 February 2019 https://www. justenergysolutions.com/electric-vehicles-pros-cons/ 5 ‘Electric vehicles: driving the transition’, House of

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and recharging times allows for overnight charging (depot charging), rather than relying on opportunity charging throughout the day,6 thus rendering public bus fleets an area where the EV transition can be implemented relatively easily.

This summer, the largest double-decker electric bus fleet in Europe is due to be deployed by Transport for London. 68 new electric double-deckers will join the city’s bus fleet, increasing the number of electric buses by more than tenfold. Two routes run by Metroline from Barnet to central London will be exclusively operated by electric double-decker buses.7 Manchester is following suit. It was recently announced that Stagecoach’s plan for £9.6 million investment to deliver a new 32-vehicle fleet of zero emissions buses won £6.9 million of funding from Government’s UltraLow Emission Bus Scheme. Due to be introduced between 2019 and 2020, the combined £16.5 million investment will represent one of Europe’s largest single investments in electric buses.8 Commons Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee, 19 October 2018 6 Mckinsey, ‘The European electric bus market is charging ahead, but how will it develop?’, July 2018 https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/oiland-gas/our-insights/the-european-electric-busmarket-is-charging-ahead-but-how-will-it-develop 7 Ibid 8 ‘Government Backs Stagecoach Plans to Deliver Major Investment in Electric Buses’, Stagecoach, 6 February 2019, https://www. stagecoachbus.com/news/manchester/2019/ february/government-backs-stagecoach-plansto-deliver-major-investment-in-electric-buses

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London and Manchester are moving to electric buses because they have many benefits, however, these represent substantial financial investments that not all bus operators are able to undertake. Even with the cost of batteries and chargers gradually declining alongside technological advancements, the upfront costs of most electric vehicles are still substantially higher than their internal combustion engine (ICE) equivalents.9 While this disparity is reversed after acquisition, as the total cost of ownership (TCO) is less given the lower cost per kilometre of running on electricity compared to diesel,10 the financial barrier to the EV revolution goes beyond acquiring a new bus fleet. At present only 1,600 technicians nationwide are qualified in electric vehicle and hybrid maintenance, and they are almost 9 ‘Electric vehicles: driving the transition’, House of Commons Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee, 19 October 2018, https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ cm201719/cmselect/cmbeis/383/383.pdf 10 ‘The European electric bus market is charging ahead, but how will it develop?’, McKinsey, July 2018, https://www.mckinsey. com/industries/oil-and-gas/our-insights/theeuropean-electric-bus-market-is-charging-aheadbut-how-will-it-develop

DRIVING THE FUTURE exclusively employed within manufacturers’ franchised dealer networks. This has ramifications for the cost and convenience of repairs.11 Furthermore, poor provision of charging infrastructure in the UK is one of the greatest barriers to growth of the domestic electric vehicle market.12 The existing charging network in England is lacking both in size and geographic coverage, and there are substantial disparities in the provision of public charge points across the country,13 with ‘rapid’ chargers - a fastest type of charger which operates at between 43kW to 50kW of power - being particularly scarce.14 Bus operators therefore face a key challenge to invest in a charging infrastructure to support their electric fleets.

Plug-in hybrids can alleviate ‘range anxiety’, as they combine a plug-in battery with a diesel fuelled internal combustion engine, which re-charges the battery when it’s depleted. Whilst these vehicles could play an important role in reducing vehicle emissions in the near-term transitional period, they are not compatible with the UK’s long-term decarbonisation strategy of reducing them to zero, given their partial reliance on diesel.

These combined investments – in fleets, maintenance and charging infrastructure - require considerable capital expenditure, yet the Government has substantially cut grants for pure electric vehicles, and entirely removed those for plug-in hybrid vehicles. 15 Innovative finance solutions have been developed in response, which enable bus operators to sustainably invest in low emission technology. For instance, a finance model can take into account the total cost of ownership (TCO) of a fleet, including its maintenance and associated infrastructure, rather than the cost of an individual vehicle, 11 ‘Electric vehicles: driving the transition’, House of Commons Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee, 19 October 2018, https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ cm201719/cmselect/cmbeis/383/383.pdf 12 Ibid 13 Ibid 14 ‘UK needs six-fold increase in electric vehicle charging points by 2020, finds report’, The Independent, May 2018, https://www. independent.co.uk/news/business/news/ uk-electric-vehicle-charging-points-increase-evtesco-a8362926.html 15 ‘Electric vehicles: driving the transition’, House of Commons Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee, 19 October 2018

Electric vehicle charging sites outnumber petrol stations for first time and analyses fleets on the basis of cost per kilometre. In this way, financial solutions can be directly compared and incorporate the full range of costs including capital expenditure, operating expenditure and any financing cost.

These bespoke, consultative models are built around the capital needs of the customer, designed to be long-term and offer the flexibility to accommodate future changes to technology. These packages can cover an ‘end-to-end’ solution; financing not only electric vehicles but the associated charging points and infrastructure. By having one finance agreement, operators only need to manage one contract and liaise with one financier. In addition, considering the whole ‘electric bus system’ rather than just the buses themselves, can give a more comprehensive view of the associated benefits which can impact the terms of the financing model.

Instead of viewing costs of vehicles in isolation, operators can work with financiers which analyse the whole fleet, building a collaborative, consultative approach towards energy efficient technology as it continues to develop.

This sort of approach is only available from a financier with direct expertise in the field. Generalist financiers and banks are unlikely to understand the application of the technology and the benefits it can bring.

With continued government and media focus on improving air quality,16 transport operators are under pressure to embrace more environmentally friendly fuel sources. Electric buses are at the forefront of this movement, but the investment required – in fleets and the associated infrastructure – is substantial. But financing models are evolving to facilitate progress, and drive the roll-out of more environmentally friendly vehicles. https://new.siemens. com/uk/en/products/financing.html 16 ‘New air pollution plans improve on EU rules, government claims’, The Guardian, 14 January 2019 https://www.theguardian.com/ environment/2019/jan/14/new-air-pollutionplans-improve-on-eu-rules-government-claims

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ew industry data has revealed the extent of the UK’s electric vehicle revolution, with the number of public charging locations now surpassing petrol stations for the first time.

Data from EV charging specialists Zap-Map shows that as of 28 May, there are 8,546 charging locations across the UK, hosting a total of 13,688 charging devices. In contrast, as of the end of April, there are currently only 8,400 petrol stations in the UK, a figure which is continuing to decline.

The news highlights how a common barrier to using electric vehicles is being removed and ‘range anxiety’ is becoming a thing of the past.

Charging points can now be found across the length and breadth of the country, from the Shetland Islands to the Cornish Riviera, from Giant’s Causeway to the White Cliffs of Dover.

Recent research from Confused.com showed 7 in 10 drivers were discouraged from buying an EV over a perceived lack of charging stations.

However, public EV chargers in the UK has shown extraordinary growth in the past 12 months, with the number of locations increasing by 57%.

This expanding network supports an increasing number of electric vehicles, currently sitting at 210,000; up from just 3,500 six years ago.

Analysts forecast that by the end of 2022, at least 1 million EVs will be in use across the UK. Juliet Davenport, Founder and CEO at Good Energy said: “Tackling the climate crisis means electric vehicles need to go mainstream. This milestone shows how rapidly we are moving in that direction, away from polluting petrol and diesel cars. We still have a long way to go but the future of transport is electric.”

Ben Lane, co-founder and CTO at Zap-Map added: “The public and private sectors are now investing heavily in the UK’s EV charging infrastructure to ensure that there are sufficient charging points to support the growing electric fleet. This month’s milestone reveals the rapid pace of change already underway as the age of the combustion engine gives way to an all-electric era with vehicles offering both zero-emissions and a better driving experience.” www.goodenergy.co.uk

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ENERGY STORAGE

GRAVITATIONAL ENERGY STORAGE USING SOIL BATTERIES (GRAVITYSOILBATTERIES) Academics have patented new concepts on electric power energy storage using gravity.

The concept of gravity energy storage using soil batteries is being promoted

by University of Nottingham academics Professor Saffa Riffat, Fellow of the European Academy of Sciences and President of the World Society of Sustainable Technologies, and Professor Yijun Yuan, Marie Curie Research Fellow.

WHY ENERGY STORAGE The world’s requirement for electric power is growing rapidly and according to the International Energy Agency estimates, an additional 250 Gigawatts of power will be required annually between now and 2050. Renewable energy technologies including wind, solar, wave and tidal can provide clean energy but these technologies are intermittent, often producing power

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Figure 1a. Concept of gravity energy storage using arms movement – Generation

when grid utility or users don’t require them. With the growing use of renewables, peaking power, able to provide the surge in power as needed, require the worldwide reserve capacity to be increased by up to 10% per year in order to handle peak power usage periods.

Existing grid-scale energy storage systems include batteries, compressed air storage, and pump storage hydropower (PSH) with PSH being the main player in grid-scale storage. The difficulties with PSH include siting, land/water usage, construction time and capital cost required prior to a facility can be deployed. The key challenges to providing a successful grid-scale storage are low capital and running costs, quick construction, high energy storage density, scalability, low maintenance requirements, and long lifetime.

GRAVITY POWER TECHNOLOGIES The gravity storage technology concept is similar pumped hydropower systems. In pumped hydro systems, water flows down via gravity from an upper reservoir to a lower reservoir,

ENERGY MANAGER MAGAZINE • JUNE 2019

Figure 1b. Concept of gravity energy storage using arms movement – charging mode

passing through a turbine/generator making power. Water is then pumped back up from the lower to the upper reservoir using electricity and the process is then repeated.

In gravity storage systems, a heavy weight block is moved from a lower point to an upper point which represents energy storage ‘charging’, and then, when needed, the mass returns from a higher to a lower point where the kinetic energy of the descending block powers a generator, ‘discharging’, creating electrical power when the grid requires.

A simple way to illustrate the gravity storage concept is to use a person’s arm

ENERGY STORAGE lifting and lowering a heavy object. As shown in Figures 1a, the object is trying to pull the arm down due to the force of gravity. As gravity pulls down on the object, it causes a rotational force at the shoulder joint. This force is torque and the muscles of the shoulder must then be activated to overcome this force in order to hold the weight from moving down. The rotational force at the shoulder can be represented by a pulley/ motor-generator linked to a weight. The generation process occurs by moving the arm downwards (Figure 1a) while the charging process is accomplished by moving the arm upward (Figure 1b).

In recent years several gravity power technologies have been proposed. These include Energy Vault using six-arm crane to lift concrete blocks up and down a 33-storey building, mine shafts using heavy lifts, ARES shuttle-train system, moving heavy rail cars from higher to lower locations and back, generating power through the electric train motorgenerators, Sink Float Solution using ocean gravitational energy storage and Energy Cache storage system using buckets on a line that picks up gravel at the bottom of a hill, and moves the gravel to the top of the hill; when the process is reversed the gravel moves back down the hill and powers a generator to produce energy. All these technologies will play important roles in renewable energy storage.

A new concept is proposed by University of Nottingham academics Professors Saffa Riffat (President of the World Society of Sustainable Technologies) and Yijun Yuan (EU Marie Curie Fellow Fellow), who filed a patent application in May 2019 claiming a novel gravity energy storage technology based on drums filled with soil.

GRAVITYSOILBATTERIES CONCEPT The basic concept of GravitySoilBatteries is shown in Figures 2 and 3. The technology uses storage cores (large drums filled with compacted soil) that could be shifted between lower and higher points. The soil for the storage device can be obtained locally by digging the ground to create deep channels for the system. The soil is also used as a filler for the central concrete support structure. Pulleys are mounted on the top of central concrete structure.

The drums are fitted with axial shafts and bearings and are mounted on a metal frame similar to tarmac rollers.

The drums could be then pulled on the sloped central concrete structure using cables and motor/generator. The motor/

generator is mounded on the ground to provide a good stability and ease of maintenance. When heavy drums moved down, they release potential energy (i.e. electricity generation) to the main grid system (Figure 2).

During the discharge phase, the drums are moved upward to store energy supplied by photovoltaic solar power or wind turbines, using power when not needed by the grid, storing the energy for later use as shown in Figure 3.

GravitySoilBatteries can be used for a large-scale storage in conjunction with main grid systems. The technology is environmentally friendly and simple to construct. The estimate cost of GravitySoilBatteries is about $50/kWh or lower depending on the depth of the channels and height of the central support structure. The cost of PSH storage (without consider land cost) is about $200/kWh while the cost battery storage is about $400/kWh. The energy storage capacity of GravitySoilBatteries for a smallscale storage could be 300kWh while for a high-scale storage could be 30,000kWh (or above) depending on the drum weight and stack height with an estimated system efficiency of approximately 85%. GravitySoilBatteries can be applied widely with simple siting and construction. Figure 4 shows an example of a large-scale application of GravitySoilBatteries with the system extended over several kilometres.

The main benefits of GravitySoilBatteries include: 1. Safe and reliable technology 2. Use locally sourced soil as the storage material 3. Constant high efficiency of over 80% compared to PSH efficiency of 50-70% 4. High energy storage density of up to 8 times that of PSH 5. The storage capacity of the system could be between several hundred kWh to thousands kWh 6. Unlike PSH no requirement for water availability 7. Lower cost than existing energy storage systems as local soil material can be used as storage media.

8. 8. Higher efficiency than pump storage hydropower and battery technology 9. Generate no waste materials 10. Requires significantly less area than PSH 11. Scalable as required

Figure 2. GravitySoilBatteries – electricity generation process

Figure 3. GravitySoilBatteries– electricity charging process

Figure 4. Large-scale energy storage using GravitySoilBatteries

12. Short construction time 13. Long life time

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT PROFESSOR SAFFA RIFFAT: Professor Saffa Riffat, Fellow of the European Academy of Sciences, President of the World Society of Sustainable Energy Technologies, University of Nottingham, UK. Email: saffa.riffat@nottingham.ac.uk

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