Energy Manager April 2019

APRIL 2019

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New battery financing models are powered by technology See page 21 INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

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Create long term cost savings using the Energy Technology List

Understand your buildings and improve your business performance

Why you should get up to speed on underfloor heating

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FRONT COVER STORY: New battery financing models are powered by technology See Page 21

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INSIDE: 4

News

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Exhibition News

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Opinion

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Energy Management

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Monitoring & Metering

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Energy Storage

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Energy Supply

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Boilers & Burners

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Heating

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Lighting

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Renewable Energy

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Legislation

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ENERGY MANAGER MAGAZINE • APRIL 2019

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NEWS

FLOGAS BRITAIN GRANTED PLANNING PERMISSION FOR LPG STORAGE FACILITY

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logas Britain, one of the UK’s leading liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) suppliers, has today announced that it has been granted planning permission to convert the National Grid LNG facility at Avonmouth into a large-scale LPG storage terminal with the capacity to store 34,564 tonnes of LPG. The facility, which will be the largest of its kind in the UK, will significantly increase Flogas’ LPG storage capability, providing security of supply to commercial and residential customers both in the South West and across the UK. Formerly owned by the National Grid, the Avonmouth facility was previously only licensed to store LNG (liquefied natural gas). However, the permissions granted

by Gloucestershire County Council allow for a change in content, switching the site’s usage from LNG to LPG storage.

The usage switch means that once open, the Avonmouth facility will further strengthen Flogas’ distribution network, providing customers with an unrivalled UK LPG supply chain.

Lee Gannon, Flogas Britain’s Managing Director, said: “Once operational, Avonmouth will be a game-changer; massively increasing the UK’s total LPG storage capability.

Our investment in this demonstrates our unwavering commitment to security of LPG supply and to the LPG industry in general.”

The timing of the planning permission announcement comes at a crucial time for the UK energy industry, as it digests the implications of the Clean Growth Strategy, and the need to move away from high carbon fossil fuels.

Gannon continued: “LPG has an important role to play in delivering the Government’s Clean Growth Strategy, providing off-grid businesses and homeowners with an excellent low carbon, low cost alternative to oil and solid fuels.

“Bringing Avonmouth online will allow us to respond to the rise in demand this will create with an unparalleled, dependable nationwide supply of LPG, while at the same time supporting the UK’s National Infrastructure Delivery Plan.”

President and COO of Global Transmission for National Grid Ventures, Jon Butterworth, added: “The Avonmouth gas storage facility has been at the heart of providing safe and secure gas supplies from National Grid during the last 40 years. Not only that, it has provided a base for training, developing and supporting highly skilled engineering staff and been the lifeblood of their careers and many others within the local community.

“As the gas pipeline networks have grown and expanded deeper into the South West

and Wales, the site is no longer necessary for National Grid’s business and its consumers.

I’m enormously proud, and it gives me great pleasure to be able to be hand it over to Flogas Britain, a business with over 30 years of experience of supplying LPG to tens of thousands of customers across the UK. “LPG is a safe, clean, reliable, and affordable low carbon fuel which is supplied to customers who are not connected to the mains grid. The storage capability Avonmouth provides means that Flogas Britain has a capability that can guarantee gas supply to its customers via one of the largest LPG distribution networks in the UK.” www.flogas.co.uk

First of its kind energy advice contract goes live in Scotland

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ine Scottish SMEs including a social enterprise, have been awarded a place on Scotland Excel’s new Energy Advice Framework for services that will help citizens across the country who live in fuel poverty.

This is the first time a national, public sector contract has been put in place for the delivery of face-toface energy advice for people living in communities across Scotland.

The framework will give Scottish councils and housing associations quick and easy access to companies that can provide bespoke energy advice to their tenants and residents to help them make savings on their energy bills.

Councillor John Shaw, Convener of Scotland Excel said: “This is a unique approach in Scotland as it’s the first time a national framework for faceto-face energy advice has been put in place for the local government sector.

“This is good news for citizens as it gives councils and housing associations

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easy access to a range of specialist energy advice companies that are ready to offer support out in communities.

Councils can use energy grant funding and their own resources to source advice services through our framework.

“Current Energy Action Scotland figures say that 24% of Scottish households are fuel poor, and we’re therefore pleased to give the local government and social housing sectors access to Scottish companies who are ready to work oneto-one with residents in their homes.

“All nine suppliers that have been awarded a place are Scottish SMEs – one of which is a social enterprise. It will bring value for money for the public purse, with all 9 companies committed to fixed pricing for 24 months.”

The services offered through the framework include advocacy advice with utility companies, making sure metering issues are dealt with, working with householders on the best heating regimes, advising on efficiency measures, and making sure householders are on the best tariff.

ENERGY MANAGER MAGAZINE • APRIL 2019

The framework will complement the existing national Home Energy Scotland telephone advisory service run by the Energy Saving Trust.

Framework suppliers are: • Argyll, Lomond and the Islands Energy Agency; small business based in Oban • Changeworks Resources for Life; medium business based in Edinburgh • Energy Agency, medium business based in Ayr • Greener Kirkaldy Ltd, small business based in Kirkaldy • MPC Energy Ltd, micro business based in Clydebank • Scarf, medium business based in Aberdeen • Social Enterprise Direct, small business and social enterprise based in Glasgow • The Wise Group, medium business based in Glasgow • Tighean Innse Gall Limited, small business based in Stornoway Email: lisa.mcintyre@ scotland-excel.org.uk

You and your colleagues are invited to attend

The Public Sector Energy Event at

Emirates Stadium – London on

30th April 2019 from

9.30 am to 3.30 pm A chance to network with peers, enjoy a full seminar programme and visit an exhibition of the latest products/services available.

Complimentary Tea/Coffee and Lunch.

For full details and to register visit

www.publicsectorenergyevents.co.uk or email info@publicsectorenergyevents.co.uk

NEWS

INVEST IN ENERGY EFFICIENT TECHNOLOGIES TO CREATE LONG TERM COST SAVINGS THROUGH USING THE ENERGY TECHNOLOGY LIST

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anaging energy use in a business is a balancing act. It requires targeting areas where energy waste is occurring, but without compromising business operations.

While behaviour change can deliver significant savings, often it is necessary to invest in equipment upgrades, using more efficient technologies to deliver reductions. However, it can be a tricky case to make the business case for investment, especially if the impetus to reduce energy use has been driven by cost concerns.

There is also an opportunity cost from failing to invest in energy efficient technologies sooner rather than later. Securing these cost savings can cut overheads and ultimately improve cash flow, as well as avoiding higher overall energy costs over an extended time period.

Whilst there are a number of different tools and financing options to help companies make upgrades, businesses should always consider using the Energy Technology List (ETL), which is a UK government-managed list of about 15,000 of the most energy efficient products across 56 technology categories.

The ETL is free-to-use and provides organisations with the confidence that they are buying equipment that demonstrates an objectively high standard of energy efficiency performance.

This is maintained through regular, independent evaluations of the market across the relevant technology categories, providing a benchmark for what currently represents top performance.

The ETL is comprised of two separate sub-lists: the Energy Technology Product List (ETPL), which is a list of qualified energy saving products.

Technologies categories featured on the ETL include: automatic monitoring and targeting (aM&T) equipment; boiler equipment; combined heat and power (CHP); heat pumps; heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) equipment; lighting; motors and drives; refrigeration equipment; and waste heat to electricity conversion equipment.

Due to the rigorous standards and testing processes, manufacturers featured on the ETL can credibly claim that their

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products typically fall in the top quartile of energy efficient products available in the market. By using the list, customers can similarly be confident that they are gaining operational savings compared to less efficient alternatives.

This is an important factor, as when it comes to buying new equipment, as businesses are increasingly looking beyond up-front capital costs to consider total cost of ownership.

As a result, the ETL has become an integral part of the procurement process for many large businesses and public sector organisations. For example, businesses seeking to achieve a high rating against SKA or BREEAM criteria when designing or refitting buildings, can do so by selecting equipment from the ETL. This is because both schemes include ETL-listed energy efficient equipment in their criteria.

The second sub-list is the Energy Technology Criteria List, which is a list specifying the energy-saving performance requirements products must meet or exceed to be supported by the Enhanced Capital Allowance scheme. Although most purchasing businesses will only have to concern themselves with the ETPL. The Enhanced Capital Allowance (ECA) scheme, enables businesses who purchase technologies listed on the ETL to claim accelerated tax relief on their taxable profits. This incentive can help strengthen the business case for investment, making it more appealing for companies that might otherwise be reluctant to spend the large upfront costs on new equipment.

The ECA scheme is closing in April 2020.

But although the scheme is ending, it is important to note that the government has no plans to stop supporting the ETL beyond this point. The ETL can also be paired with other forms of accelerated tax relief, such as the Annual Investment Allowance (AIA). The AIA limit is being raised to £1 million for two years from January 2019, enabling businesses

ENERGY MANAGER MAGAZINE • APRIL 2019

investing in new plant and machinery to be able to claim through their AIA instead.

The ETL also complements other government energy efficiency policies, such as the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS) requiring large businesses to report on cost-effective energy saving recommendations. Although ESOS does not require companies to actually implement identified measures, it is intended to encourage greater levels of procurement for energy efficient technologies, making the ETL a more widely useful resource.

Energy savings resulting from purchases of ETL-qualifying equipment have resulted in the sizeable abatement of carbon emissions in the UK – equivalent to approximately 88 million tonnes of CO2 since 2001. In addition, it is estimated that the ECA scheme has been used by UK businesses to capture around £100 million a year in accelerated tax relief.

With increasing awareness and concern around climate change issues, organisations are needing to put greater levels of attention on their carbon footprint, securing the reputational and economic benefits from reducing their environmental impact. With just over a year remaining on the availability of ECA tax relief, energy managers should make the most of this time-limited window and benefit by upgrading to energy efficient equipment, and beyond April 2020, continue to use the ETL as a trusted, independent source of high performing products to make informed purchasing decisions and manage their energy costs. www.gov.uk/guidance/ energy-technology-list

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NEWS

COUNCIL EXCEEDS CARBON REDUCTION TARGET FOR A SECOND YEAR

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ristol City Council has successfully achieved its corporate target to reduce carbon emissions from its direct activities by 65% by 2020.

The council has achieved this target, two years early, with a 71% reduction of carbon emissions in 2017/18 (against a 2005 baseline). The council will soon be proposing a new, ambitious, target to cut even more carbon emissions from its direct activities.

This is the second year running that the council has exceeded its own carbon targets and this exemplar performance is largely due to making its buildings more energy efficient, investments in renewable energy infrastructure such as wind turbines and solar panels, electrifying the council’s fleet vehicles and continuous upgrades to street lighting across the city.

The overall reduction of carbon on the national grid, through increased national renewable energy generation also plays

a major part in this reduction.

The council has released an environmental performance report, detailing its carbon, energy, travel and water performance for the 2017/18 period. The report can be read at https://www.bristol. gov.uk/policies-plans-strategies/ energy-and-environment Councillor Kye Dudd, Cabinet Member for Energy and Transport said “This is the second time the council has hit its carbon reduction target well ahead of schedule and is a clear marker for our continued commitment to build a carbon neutral Bristol.

“We’re incredibly proud of our energy projects and our ever growing reputation as a leading energy city. I’d like to thank officers across a number of teams for all their hard work in achieving this target and for continuing to strive for further carbon reductions.

“The council is willing and able to offer its expertise to support other organisations to reduce their carbon emissions and improve their overall environmental performance and it’s a great thing for us to be leading by example.”

Bristol City Council is working hard to reduce carbon impacts not only from its own activities but city-wide including projects such as heat networks, which will provide low carbon heat to parts of the city and the innovative City Leap initiative which sets out the council’s vision to transform the city’s energy ecosystem.

More information about the council’s exciting energy projects can be found on the council’s Energy Service website: www.energyservicebristol.co.uk/

NEW STRATEGY AGREED TO PROMOTE CLEANER ENERGY FOR THE REGION

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he South2East Local Energy Strategy, which will help meet statutory climate change targets for 2032 and 2050, has been drawn up by the South East Local Enterprise Partnership (SELEP), Coast to Capital and Enterprise M3 LEPs, in partnership with Siemens.

The shared vision for the region is to become a leader for sustainable energy production within the UK, powering innovative, decarbonised and clean economic growth.

The agreed strategy lists five priority themes for action: • low carbon heating; • renewable energy generation; • energy saving and efficiency; • smart energy systems; • and transport.

If this strategy is delivered in line with recommendations, by 2032 the tri-LEP region will deliver impact in the short and medium term, and prepare the foundation for meeting long-term targets through: • Securing investment in the region toward an estimated £14.755 billion in commercially and technically viable projects which deliver healthy returns to stakeholders

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• Delivering a reduction in emissions across the electricity, heat and transport sectors of 13,615 kT CO2e (Carbon Dioxide equivalent), which is the equivalent of removing all five million cars in the south east from the road • Transitioning 47,455 GWh from polluting, high-carbon generation to clean energy sources, the equivalent of providing all 3.4 million homes in the tri-LEP region with a low-carbon supply of both electricity and heating • Creating or securing 75,652 jobs across the tri-LEP area Within the 5 priority themes, 18 key project models have been identified which can be rolled out and scaled up across the South East with the twin aims of attracting investment and achieving significant carbon emission savings.

These include: • supporting the development of district heat networks; • connecting off-grid homes to gas supplies; • hydrogen injection into the natural gas grid to lower the carbon content of gas; • encouraging offshore wind development;

ENERGY MANAGER MAGAZINE • APRIL 2019

• developing solar arrays on council-owned landfill sites; and • supporting the development of a biomass supply chain to use the South East’s natural resources.

Further project models include supporting the scaling up of the ultra-low emissions vehicle charging infrastructure across the South East; supporting the roll out of the use of compressed natural gas for HGV fleets; build housing developments fuelled by hydrogen for heating and cooking; and supporting the development of carbon capture, usage and storage.

The Strategic Boards of Coast to Capital, Enterprise M3 and South East LEPs will provide direction, investment scrutiny and advocacy for the ambitions set out in the plan.

A Strategic Energy Delivery Group will be established to coordinate delivery, to pursue and coordinate opportunities to deliver the Project Models and to ensure that opportunities for cooperation and upscaling are identified and acted on.

For more details on the South2East Local Energy Strategy visit https:// www.southeastlep.com/ourstrategy/energy-south2east/

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NEWS

NEW COLLABORATION COMMITS £500 MILLION TO HELP DELIVER A MORE SUSTAINABLE FUTURE FOR INDUSTRY IN ENGLAND’S NORTH WEST

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new group of industry, university and local government leaders have come together to form a powerful new collaboration to secure ‘gamechanging’ investment in the future of clean growth in the North West of England.

Led by Richard Carter, Chairman of the North West Business Leadership Team (NWBLT) and Managing Director of BASF for UK, the group have announced their response to the Government’s challenge to establish a Low Carbon Industrial Cluster by 2030. The goal is a world first that would attract innovators, investors and problem solvers to create a lowcarbon exemplar that others in the UK and internationally can learn from and replicate. The North West group consists of private and public sector partners from across the Liverpool City Region, Cheshire and Warrington, and Greater Manchester. A list of supporters is below.

Richard Carter, Chairman of the NWBLT, said : “This collaboration represents one of the most vibrant clusters in the UK with a wide range of energy intensive industry partners. We are already home to a number of existing complementary initiatives that, when brought together, represent a gamechanging opportunity. We believe, with appropriate Government support, that this will result in the North West meeting the

challenge of becoming the UK’s first low carbon industrial cluster by 2030.”

David Parkin, of Progressive Energy has been instrumental in bringing partners together: “Innovation will be key to the success of this plan and the region is also supported by a network of experts in the field of industrial decarbonisation, from our major Universities and from the private sector. The joint response sets out the decarbonisation challenge for the region, a proposed delivery model, and in excess of £500 million of prospective investment from the private sector.”

Christine Gaskell CBE, Chairman of the Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership: “There is no better place to be leading the clean-growth agenda than the North West - harnessing our worldclass innovation track record, academic expertise and the energy-intensive industry that’s located here – through working together we can co-create the UK’s first low carbon, and in time zero carbon, industrial cluster further cementing our international reputation and bringing new jobs and capital investment to the region.”

Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region: “We are rightly planning for the long term and a zero carbon future, and we are taking urgent action now. In

the Liverpool City Region our low carbon sector is already worth £2 billion a year to our economy, while employing 22,000 people and we stand ready to play a key role in creating the UK’s first low carbon cluster. Just a fortnight ago, I launched our own £10 million Green Investment Fund, which will back renewable energy projects and support my ambition for a zero-carbon city region by 2040.”

Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester: “Cities, and city-regions, will make the difference on climate change and, in working to decarbonise in the North West, we can create a blueprint for every other city in the world. It wouldn’t be the first time. We can change ourselves, and we can inspire change in others.” https://nwblt.com/

Green Network Energy UK, first Italian energy supplier in the UK, to supply green electricity to Italian UK Embassy

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reen Network Energy UK (GNE-UK), the UK based Italian independent energy supplier, has signed a deal which sees it become the sole energy provider for all Italian Embassy sites in the UK. The contract provides all Italian UK Embassy sites with several advantageous features including the electricity being backed by 100% renewable electricity. In addition, the deal will see the Italian Embassy benefit from a new, simpler relationship with a single supplier. This is a notable change for business account holders as many multi-site or multi-premises organisations typically deal with two or more suppliers. With an

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account manager as a dedicated point of contact, this offering marks a new stage of GNE- UK’s customer care programme. This approach focuses upon delivering great service to the customer by meeting their needs and delivering a tailored, bespoke solution to their specific requirements.

GNE-UK is the UK arm of the Green Network Group. Founded in 2003 to shakeup the Italian energy sector, by providing services differently and passionately, the group is now the fourth largest electricity supplier in Italy and opened its UK business in 2016. Now, over 450,000 active residential and small business accounts receive energy from GNE-UK: a UK business with an Italian

ENERGY MANAGER MAGAZINE • APRIL 2019

touch. Sabrina Corbo, founder and CEO of Green Network Energy UK commented: “We are honoured that such an important and prestigious institution as the Italian Embassy has chosen us as its energy supplier. Their choice of Green Network Energy UK to supply gas and 100% green electricity underlines the value of our work in the UK, and the strength of our offering.

“We’re proud of our growth in the United Kingdom. We are more committed than ever to further growth and investment; using our core strengths of a quality products and service to all customers.”

Email press@greennetworkenergy.co.uk

NEWS

VIABILITY OF HYDROGEN AS FUTURE ENERGY SOURCE IN THE HUMBER

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n independent study to enhance the evidence base for hydrogen technology has paved the way for its feasibility as a future clean energy source in the Humber region.

Industry management consultancy experts, the iNNiTi effect, in conjunction with an MBA study group at the University of Hull, was commissioned

by Humber LEP (Local Enterprise Partnership) to carry out the research.

Hydrogen as an energy source has much potential with many applications currently being trialled in the UK and further afield. Hydrogen can be produced by a variety of methods, and has the potential to use renewable energy sources that would make significant strides in reducing carbon emissions.

It also has a range of applications from industry, through to fuel for ‘zeroemissions’ vehicles and homes.

Alexandra Poole, director of the iNNiTi effect, said: “We were delighted to assist the LEP in developing its portfolio of evidence for investment in the Humber energy sector. We were able to identify and evidence the key strengths and

weaknesses in developing the production and application of hydrogen in the area”.

“As the UK’s largest trading estuary and enterprise zone, the Humber represents 16% of the country’s seaborne trade and a major source of renewable energy offering the opportunity to explore green hydrogen. It also has significant

natural and industrial resources that lend themselves to the capture and storage of hydrogen. In addition, there’s significant investment in the area’s industry, transport links and housing, providing ample opportunity for application.” www.theinnitieffect.co.uk

New research highlights the potential of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)

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he report produced by the Centre for Energy Policy at the University of Strathclyde examines some of the potential economic opportunities for Scotland in the further development of CCS. CCS is a process which captures large quantities of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from industrial processes, then transports and stores the CO2 in suitable rock formations under the seabed.

The research represents a step towards understanding how the industry could become an increasingly valuable part of Scotland’s drive of growing the blue economy. Crown Estate Scotland plays a key part in future development of CCS as it manages leasing rights to carbon and gas storage out to 200 nautical miles.

This new report highlights the potential for CCS to play an important role in helping to sustain the approximately 44,000 direct and indirect Scottish jobs currently linked to oil and gas and other related industrial sectors.

It also suggests a new approach to

measuring societal value of the CCS sector, and that value to the Scottish economy could be delivered via developing carbon transport and storage infrastructure and service delivery.

Large-scale development of CCS could: • Help reduce emissions from industrial sectors that are hard to decarbonise (protecting and sustaining the supply chain); • Create opportunities for a skilled oil and gas and support industry workforce to transition to work in low carbon infrastructure; and • Offer major industries such as oil and gas the ability to decarbonise and respond to the climate change ambitions set out by The Scottish Government.

Colin Palmer, Head of Marine for Crown Estate Scotland, said: “This work helps us to understand the potential economic and environmental value to Scotland of large-scale CCS. In our role as enabler, we want to work with the sector in the coming years to make the most of Scotland’s natural assets – workers

and the climate will both benefit.”

Professor Karen Turner, Director of the Centre for Energy Policy at the University of Strathclyde, said: “Our research shows that CCS could benefit jobs in a wide range of sectors across the Scottish economy, not just in the oil and gas industry. It focuses attention on the need to consider the value that a CCS industry in Scotland could sustain and grow through CO2 transport and storage activity during the low carbon transition.

We need to shift away from only focussing on questions of technology and costs.”

The nature of the geology deep below the Central North Sea means Scotland has the potential to host around 75% of the UK’s capacity of CO2 emissions, helping meet both UK and Scottish climate change targets.

Last year Crown Estate Scotland signed its first ever lease agreement for carbon dioxide (CO2) storage, Acorn CCS, to be based at the St Fergus Gas Terminal on the Aberdeenshire coast. www.strath.ac.uk/humanities/ centreforenergypolicy/

ENERGY MANAGER MAGAZINE • APRIL 2019

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EXHIBITION NEWS

THE COUNTDOWN TO ALL-ENERGY/ DCARBONISE IS WITH US IN EARNEST Two complementary (and complimentary – for they are free to attend) events are being held in Glasgow’s SEC on 15 and 16 May which will provide rich pickings for energy managers - All-Energy and the new co-located Dcarbonise. Free registration is open online and covers the exhibition, conference, and Civic Reception and Giant Networking Evening.

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he 19th All-Energy, the UK’s largest renewable and low carbon exhibition and conference, focuses on renewable power with a large exhibition hall packed with innovative solutions for the challenges facing every sort of renewable energy development.

It has a packed two-day conference with over 400 speakers on all forms of renewable energy as well as energy systems, the grid, energy storage, hydrogen, finance and funding, community and local energy; and – thanks largely to UK Innovation and Research and Innovate UK, and others - truly majors on innovation Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon MSP will be amongst the speakers in the combined All-Energy/Dcarbonise opening plenary session, along with Keith Anderson, CEO of Scottish Power and Chris Stark, CEO of the Committee on Climate Change. Industry luminaries take part in sessions devoted to bioenergy in all its forms, solar power, wind power (on- and offshore), energy from waste, the grid, energy systems, finance and funding -and more in the multi-stream conference; and in exhibition showfloor seminar theatres.

Two other Scottish Government Ministers play key roles. Michael Matheson MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity will be speaking in the opening session of the Smart Urban Mobility Solutions conference stream on 15 May, which looks, during

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five 90-minute sessions, at connected and autonomous vehicles, electric vehicles of all types and the role they play in improving air quality as well as being the low carbon option. Paul Wheelhouse MSP, Minister for Energy, Connectivity and the Islands will be one of the Day Two plenary session speakers, not only to talk about the topics of interest to All-Energy visitors but Dcarbonise ones as well.

Introducing Dcarbonise Dcarbonise, held for the first time this year, alongside All-Energy with seamless entry to both events with one badge, has as its strap line “A carbon-neutral future starts here”. It is Scotland’s only dedicated event for low-carbon built environment and transport solutions. Sponsored by the Scottish Government, Energy Saving Trust and Zero Waste Scotland, it is aligned to the Scottish Government’s Energy Efficient Scotland programme.

It focuses more on the energy end-user rather than the generator and supply chain; and its exhibition incorporates the latest solutions for energy efficiency, low carbon heat, and low carbon and smart transport. Decarbonising industry and carbon capture and storage also come under its banner, as do two sessions on ‘The net zero challenge’. As well as da display of low carbon vehicles, there’s an ‘Arrive and Drive’ test drive feature where visitors can try out an LCV. As Event Director, Jonathan Heastie from Reed Exhibitions, explains: “The major trigger for the creation of Dcarbonise was very much the Scottish Government’s minimum energy efficiency requirements for privately rented properties that come into effect on 1 April 2020. Domestic private sector landlords with small property portfolios; non-domestic landlords; and the public sector will most certainly be heading for our energy efficiency and low carbon heat hall.

“The event will also appeal to private sector landlords with larger property portfolios; local authorities; commercial businesses; architects and designers; energy managers; the wider supply chain including

ENERGY MANAGER MAGAZINE • APRIL 2019

installers; as well as trade bodies.”

The exhibition hosts a central ‘hub’ consisting of Energy Saving Trust, Home Energy Scotland, Zero Waste Scotland and Resource Efficient Scotland where attendees can meet representatives from each organisation for 1-2-1 advice.

Dcarbonise will have sessions on both energy efficiency and low carbon heat in the main conference programme. Fortuitously two important Scottish Government consultations are open at show time – the ‘Energy Efficient Scotland’ consultation and ‘The future of low carbon heat for off gas buildings’ call for evidence.

Both will come under the conference spotlight; as (in energy efficiency) will other highly relevant topics including The IET’s retrofit report; Scotland’s capability and capacity in the energy efficiency sector; EPC band C targets; industrial decarbonisation; support for private sector landlords and more.

On the low carbon heat front, the main conference looks at ‘Opportunities for circularity in heat’, ’Achieving low carbon solutions’; ‘Establishing a price for heat’; and ‘Heat and the city: UK district heating challenges’.

Both energy efficiency in the built environment and low carbon heat boast their own exhibition show floor seminar theatres with packed programmes in each throughout the two days. The energy efficiency theatre looks, via more than 20 presentations, at human behaviour, retrofit, using data, ‘here to help, lessons learned and additionally includes a 90-minute UK Research and Innovation session on ‘Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund: Transforming Construction’ which also includes retrofit.

The low carbon heat theatre features some 30 presentations embracing scene setters; geothermal; district heating, including a 90-minute ‘Innovations in district heating – inspiration from Denmark’ session; and hydrogen for heat – a packed programme.

Free registration to all with relevant business/professional interests is at www.all-energy.co.uk and at www.dcarbonise.com

OPINION

THE ETHICS OF ENERGY DISTRIBUTION

Paul Hutchens is CEO of Midlands-based solar specialists Eco2Solar. He is a board member of the Solar Trade Association (STA), the UK’s leading solar industry voice, and Chairman of the STA’s New Build Working Group which aims to inform governments, councils, house builders and consumers about sustainability in housing. Here, Paul discusses some of the ethical issues surrounding energy distribution in the UK, the rights to energy access, and how the growth in bi-directional energy presents challenges to current distribution models.

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he energy market is in a state of change. Technological, economic, environmental, and political developments are all having an unprecedented influence on how the UK considers, consumes and stores energy. There are well publicised issues around how and where energy is produced, but the distribution of this energy is a subject that raises more questions.

Is access to energy a basic human right? What are the ethical implications of storing and sharing energy? And who should be making decisions on what we buy and what we share?

THE HISTORY OF ENERGY MARKETS In the industrialised world the development of energy distribution systems has facilitated homes, agriculture, transportation, waste collection, communications and more - it is the basis of any modern functional society. The first steps to commercialisation of energy technologies date back to 1792, when Scottish engineer and inventor William Murdoch illuminated his house at Redruth, Cornwall, using gas. Murdoch went on to work closely with Samuel Clegg in developing gas lighting commercially.

Ninety years later the 1882 Electricity Lighting Act came into force giving local authorities the power to “contract with any company or person for the execution and maintenance of any works needed for the purposes of such [electricity] supply.”1 1.

“Electric Lighting Act 1882.” Legislation. gov.uk, Queen’s Printer of Acts of Parliament, www.legislation.gov. uk/ukpga/Vict/45-46/56/enacted.

In the subsequent years there have been many political events that have influenced the commercial energy technology market in the UK. In particular, Clement Attlee’s post war Labour government (1946 – 1948) nationalised many areas of services and transportation. The coal mining industry was nationalised in 1946 and at that time 90% of the United Kingdom’s electricity was produced from coal. In 1948 the production and distribution of electricity came under state control.

This move was overturned in December 1990 when the 12 regional electricity companies who were responsible for the distribution and supply of electricity in England and Wales were privatised.

The real benefits and drawbacks of energy privatisation have been hotly debated in the years since. Research

by Institute of Fiscal Studies in 2001 concluded that “the privatisation did yield significant net benefits but that these were unevenly distributed across time and groups in society. Relative to our preferred counterfactual, consumers experience slightly lower prices and the government gains £5 billion in sale proceeds and net taxes. However, consumers begin to gain only from 2000.”2 So the privatisation had not – as intended by government – created significant savings for consumers.

In terms of the ethical implications of this energy privatisation in the 2.

DOMAH , PREETUM, and MICHAEL G. POLLITT*. “The Restructuring and Privatisation of Electricity Distribution and Supply Businesses in England and Wales: A Social Cost–Benefit Analysis .” Institute for Fiscal Studies, 2001, www.ifs.org.uk/fs/articles/0036a. pdf. [Accessed 25 Feb. 2019].

UK, it could be argued that to date companies have benefited more from this energy policy than consumers.

CAN ENERGY GENERATION AND DISTRIBUTION EVER BE ETHICAL? Renewable energy generating solutions like solar, wind and geothermal are gathering pace across the globe.

However, the development of these technologies often requires government subsidies and incentives, which can raise questions of freedom, fairness, and equality. In simple terms not all communities have the freedom to choose renewable energy solutions.

In her paper ‘Is energy an ethical issue?’ Linnea Luppala argues there will always be a trade-off. She notes “Every single energy technology has its negative impacts and energy policy must make difficult decisions between the different choices available”3 However, we can claim that renewable energy solutions are more ethically responsible than fossil fuel solutions.

Carbon dioxide and methane emissions from burning fossil fuels contribute to global warming and decreased air quality whereas solar energy solutions produce no such pollution. While some argue that emissions are created during the production of solar panels these emissions are much lower compared with Continued on lifecycle emissions for coal and natural gas. The so-called ‘hidden emissions’ due page 14 to building wind turbines, solar panels 3.

Luppala, L. (2016). Is energy an ethical issue?. [online] Energyfutureslab. blog. https://energyfutureslab. blog/2016/11/25/is-energy-an-ethicalissue/ [Accessed 25 Feb. 2019].

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OPINION Continued from page 13

or nuclear plants are very low compared with the savings from avoiding fossil fuels.

So where green energy technologies are available, they are certainly more environmentally ethical, but when this energy is produced who decides where it should go and at what cost?

WHAT HAPPENS WITH OUR SURPLUS ENERGY? In the UK, with our current centralised energy distribution system, consumers must pay a cost per unit (known as kilowatt hours or kWh) along with the costs associated with the production and distribution; some of which can be included in the kWh unit figures or a separate fixed standing charge. However, recent moves towards decentralisation of energy and bi-directional energy flow represent changes to this traditional one-way model of generator to consumer. Through solar, battery and ‘smart’ technologies consumers and businesses are now able to harness their energy production in a way that they could not do before. We are moving towards a model whereby the consumer can choose when to use, store and – in theory – sell their energy. This turns the current model of distribution upside-down and legislation in the UK and worldwide is having to adapt to fit with these changing arrangements.

The Feed-in Tariffs (FIT) scheme is a government programme designed to promote the uptake of renewable and low-carbon electricity generation technologies. Introduced on 1 April 2010 the scheme requires participating licensed electricity suppliers to make payments to consumers and companies with solar panels on both generation and export from eligible installations. It has now been confirmed that the FIT scheme will be closed to new applicants from 1 April 2019. In November 2018 Claire Perry (Energy Minister) signalled a shift on export tariff plans and declared it was “wrong to provide solar for free”. Furthermore, on 8 January 2019 the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy published a further consultation on a ‘Smart Export Guarantee’4 under which government would legislate for suppliers to remunerate small-scale low-carbon generators for the electricity they export to the grid. However, it looks unlikely that any direct replacement for the FIT or an export tariff will be in place for 4.

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GOV.UK. (2019). The future for small-scale low-carbon generation. [online] https:// www.gov.uk/government/consultations/ the-future-for-small-scale-low-carbongeneration [Accessed 4 Mar. 2019].

April 2019 meaning consumers may be giving excess energy back to the grid for free. When businesses and homeowners pay a ‘unit’ charge for any energy they consume, renewable energy producers providing usable energy without recompense is troubling.

One country which has experienced even more controversy in terms of renewable energy models is Spain.

The so-called ‘sun tax’ law of 2012 was implemented by the government of Mariano Rajoy in 2012. It has been heavily criticised as it charged Spanish homes fitted with solar panels an additional tax of 7% to remain connected to Spain’s electricity grid should the solar panels not produce enough energy. According to Spanish energy experts, the average family with three solar panels fitted to their home paid around EUR 70 each month to remain connected to the grid. Last October Pedro Sanchez’s government announced that it would scrap the controversial levy making it cheaper for consumers to erect solar panels for their own use. Energy and Environment Minister Teresa Ribera said: “This country is finally freeing itself from the great absurdity, scorned by most international observers, that is the ‘sun tax’”.

Electrification Authority (REA) in Kenya works with businesses to implement off-grid solar system - they are working towards universal access to electricity by 2020 to help the country achieve financial sustainability. In addition, the Kenyan government is investing heavily in geothermal energy production, and Kenya will also be home to Africa’s largest wind farm – the Lake Turkana Wind Power project in the north west of the country, designed to produce enough energy to power one million homes.

Access to electricity is arguably a fundamental human right and the growth in renewables such as solar is going to be a key factor in ensuring this worldwide access.

ENERGY DISTRIBUTION AND FUEL POVERTY

Leaving aside the significant issue of fuel poverty for the moment, in the UK and many developed countries, access to electricity is abundant. In many parts of the world, this is not the case.

According to World Bank nearly one billion people - mainly in SubSaharan Africa and Asia do not have access to electricity. The United Nations 2012 Sustainable Energy for All initiative (EAI) stated 2.6 billion did not have access to clean cooking energies and it was suggested by International Energy Agency (2011) that universal access to sustainable energy by 2030 will not be achieved unless significant investment is targeted towards energy access provision.5 There is significant opportunity to use renewable technologies - such as solar to bring electricity to rural communities.

Kenya is a leading example of a country embracing renewable technologies for economic benefit. The Rural

So, how do we ensure ethical distribution? We have mentioned renewable technologies introduced on a government level to benefit developing countries. However, in more general terms it could be argued that only the homeowners at the upper end of the social spectrum, and big businesses have the resources to choose renewable technologies. Often the less well-off, and smaller businesses do not have the freedom to make that choice. More renewable technology means more electricity will be taken ‘off grid’. Less than 40% of an energy bill is the wholesale cost of the energy, the remaining 60+% covers network costs, operating costs etc. Fewer consumers on the grid means that those distribution costs will need to be shared by a smaller group. This may mean that the energy bills for the less well-off, who remain dependant on the grid are likely to rise. The fairness of this arrangement is clearly concerning, and there is pressing need to ensure greater equality in both choice and charges.

Energy poverty is a major concern in the UK. The Annual Fuel Poverty Statistics Report6 from 2018 stated more than one in ten 10 households in England were living in fuel poverty. The government report said more than 2.5 million families were unable to pay the costs associated with heating their homes without falling below the poverty line in 2016 – an increase of 69,000 since 2015.

Single-parent households suffered worst with more than a quarter (26.4 per cent)

5.

6.

ENERGY ACCESS IN THE DEVELOPING WORLD

Bhattacharyya, S. (2013). [ebook] https:// www.dmu.ac.uk/documents/technologydocuments/research-faculties/oasys/ project-outputs/peer-reviewed-journalarticles/pj9--to-regulate-or-not-to-regulateoff-grid---energy-policy.pdf [Accessed 25 Feb. 2019].

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Assets.publishing.service.gov.uk. (2018).

Annual Fuel Poverty Statistics Report. [online] https://assets.publishing.service. gov.uk/government/uploads/system/ uploads/attachment_data/file/719106/ Fuel_Poverty_Statistics_Report_2018.pdf [Accessed 26 Feb. 2019].

OPINION

struggling to pay their energy bills. It has been argued that solar could be one of the answers to this fuel poverty crisis. For example, in March 2018 North Ayrshire Council approved a plan to install rooftop solar panels on up to 500 properties.

The plans should help residents save up to £115 within the first year – part of the council’s Environmental Sustainability & Climate Change Strategy and its commitment to tackling fuel poverty.

Disappointingly, reference to solar PV has been omitted entirely from the recent Committee on Climate Change report on the future of home energy efficiency. The Solar Trade Association (STA) is pushing for higher national buildings standards and a robust retrofit programme to target homes in fuel poverty. Solar technologies are essential in solving this fuel poverty challenge. STA chief executive Chris Hewett said: “Both solar PV and solar thermal are a natural fit with the decarbonisation of our building stock. They are affordable, popular, proven and easy to maintain. They can also support the performance of other energy-saving technologies as well as the development of the smart grid.”

THE FUTURE OF ENERGY DISTRIBUTION We are on the cusp of change and decisions on ‘who charges who, and what’ are a matter of significant ongoing discussion. ‘Charging Futures’ is a programme coordinating the reform of electricity access and charging arrangements in collaboration with users of Great Britain’s electricity network. It notes that the energy system is going through a radical transformation which creates challenges and opportunities for electricity networks. One major project for the programme is the ‘Access and forward looking charging reform’ which aims to “ensure that electricity networks can be used more efficiently and flexibly so that users can have the access needed, and benefit from new technologies and services, whilst avoiding unnecessary costs.”7 The outputs and recommendations from the working groups will be announced mid-2020s.

7.

Chargingfutures.com. (2019). Charging Futures Forum - 15 Jan 2019. [online] http://www.chargingfutures.com/ media/1269/jan19-forum_full_slides.pdf [Accessed 28 Feb. 2019].

The ethics of energy distribution are complex, and the possibility of an entirely ethical energy distribution system seems improbable. Nevertheless, consumers and businesses now have more choice than ever in terms of where they get their energy from and the launch of entirely green energy companies (supplying 100% renewable electricity) show a growing market demand for more ethically agreeable suppliers. For example, companies such as Tonik and Solarplicity are proving increasingly popular with the more socially conscious consumer.

The wider ethics of who should decide how and where energy can be sold are still subject of debate.

Consumers are becoming producers, producers are becoming consumers – the term “prosumer” has been used to describe these people – and the ethics of who should ultimately benefit from these changing models looks unlikely to be solved in the immediate future. In the meantime, the move to decentralisation continues apace and technologies such as solar look likely to remain fundamental to this energy revolution.

For more information, visit www.eco2solar.co.uk

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ENERGY MANAGEMENT

UNDERSTAND YOUR BUILDINGS AND IMPROVE YOUR BUSINESS PERFORMANCE In order to improve your business performance, you need to fully understand your assets and how they can best work for you. As the world becomes ever more digitised and datadriven, buildings are able to be ‘managed’ so that they perform better.

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he Internet of Things (IoT) extends internet connectivity into physical devices and everyday objects. Such digitalisation means that devices and objects e.g. buildings, produce data, which can be interpreted to better understand these inanimate things. Analysing and acting upon the data, in order to optimise performance, is a cornerstone of building management.

Effective building management can help reduce energy usage, improve wellbeing, help the environment and create better working spaces – all

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of which are good for business.

As ever more data and interconnectivity become available, we look at some of the different products developed by SSE Enterprise Energy Solutions, with a particular focus on their benefits for public sector businesses.

BUSINESS ENERGY INTELLIGENCE Business Energy Intelligence (BEI) from SSE Enterprise Energy Solutions provides companies with a very visual and clear overview of how one, or a series

ENERGY MANAGEMENT

of buildings, are performing. It helps to show their energy usage, spot trends and identify wastage across multiple utilities. Afterall, only when businesses understand their energy usage will they be able to change habits and cut costs.

One advantage BEI offers are its userfriendly interface, and ease of customer journey. Customers can operate the system just as well as engineers.

That’s not to say the system is simplistic. Whilst most building management platforms simply monitor electricity and gas, BEI can include data on water consumption, the performance of company vehicles and also factor in energy generation. It’s proven to work well across virtually any industry and can be used for a single building or a multi-site organisation with properties across the whole country.

The challenge BEI presents are in translating the data into actionable insights. SSE offer a BEI managed service to help companies that lack the time or resources to go onto their service and manage it. SSE can take on that role – interpreting the data and providing options on how to cut costs.

REMOTE OPTIMAL Another SSE Enterprise Energy Solutions’ development in this exciting arena is, Remote Optimal (RO). RO is a suite of programs that works to gather data showing how energy is used at different sites. It is designed to ensure that every piece of building equipment runs as efficiently and effectively as possible.

The key difference between RO and BEI is the level of connectivity. Where BEI offers customers a comprehensive overview of their energy usage, RO offers the same but also integrates with other building systems. It can, for example, connect to escalators, air conditioning units, CCTV systems, electric blinds, alarms – just about anything that consumes energy. Once connected, it will be able to turn these systems off and on, controlling their energy use in order to save money – at any time, and from anywhere.

Remote Optimal’s capabilities lend itself to the optimisation of bigger, more complex estates with multiple sites. For example; large indoor shopping centres, hospitals and hotel chains. RO is so sophisticated that it can even link to an online hotel booking system – turning amenities on and off in accordance with whether or not a room has been booked out. This is made possible by the fact that RO provides real time information.

As an open-source platform, RO places a considerable emphasis on collaboration. Like-minded systems should easily be able to link with it. Interpreting the data can also be collaborative. Anyone using RO will have access to its dashboard, and so can monitor the system - or SSE will analyse the energy consumption data and report back.

BENEFITS FOR THE PUBLIC SECTOR Considering whether BEI or RO is right for your organisation doesn’t

necessarily need to be a choice as both systems are designed to complement one another. BEI provides a simple interface for easy monitoring, and RO the level of access needed to control any site.

With their promise to optimise the performance of your building, both systems’ key objective is to reduce energy wastage and therefore cut energy bills. A bonus for any organisation, but particularly those working to tight budget frameworks.

RO operates with a bureau system, which means that a number of energy experts, consultants and engineers have access to the data on a remote basis. A variety of specialists fixing and monitoring things remotely not only cuts costs, but can be vital for institutions like hospitals, which rely on their buildings performing, without fail, around the clock.

The flexible way that both systems operate makes them ideal for the public sector where organisations rarely fit regular structures or models.

Both BEI and RO are completely bespoke so provide a tailored service to suit your needs.

SEE FOR YOURSELF For all the benefits listed here, the easiest way to understand the difference that BEI or RO could make to your business is to witness the capabilities in person. There will be live demonstrations of both systems at the forthcoming Public Sector Energy Event. Come along to see what they can do and find out more. www.sseenergyoptimisation.co.uk

The first in a series of regional Public Sector Energy Events will kick off in London on 30 April 2019 at Emirates Stadium.

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

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MONITORING & METERING

POWER QUALITY ISSUES – PART 2 – DIPS AND SWELLS Continuing on from the previous article on the issues of harmonics within an electrical installation, this month Julian Grant – General Manager at Chauvin Arnoux UK, discusses the symptoms and effects of dips and swells on the electrical network, and steps that can be taken to mitigate any problems.

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hen a subscriber purchases electrical energy, they are effectively buying a product. Like any other product it needs to meet the necessary prescribed quality standards to ensure it works properly, or in the case of electrical energy, that the equipment within the installation powered by it works properly and safely.

If electrical equipment is to operate correctly, it requires electrical energy to be supplied at a voltage (and frequency) that is within a specified range, and to that end European standard EN50160 “Voltage characteristics of electricity supplied by public distribution systems” was drawn up by CENELEC in November 1994. This standard gives the main characteristics of the voltage at a customers supply terminals in public low voltage and medium voltage electricity distribution systems under normal operating conditions.

The standard gives the limits or values within which the voltage characteristics can be expected to remain, but does not describe the typical situation in a public supply network. It is also the case that the limits are quite wide, 230V ± 10% for example, and it is acceptable for the voltage to drift outside ±10% for 5% of the time. Add to that the further complication that the UK electricity supply is actually specified as 230V +10% -6%.

The bottom line, as with all issues of power quality, is however, not whether the supply voltage meets or does not meet a standard, but the compatibility between the electricity supply and the loads that are connected to it.

In other words, that an installation works safely, faultlessly and without interruption, to the requirements and satisfaction of the customer.

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WHAT ARE VOLTAGE DIPS AND SWELLS? A voltage dip, or sag as it is also called, is a sudden reduction in the supply voltage of between 10% and 90%, recovering after a short period of time.

Conventionally the duration of a voltage dip is between 10ms and 1 minute. The depth of a voltage dip is defined as the difference between the minimum rms voltage during the dip and the declared voltage. Voltage changes which do not reduce the supply voltage by less than 10% are not considered to be dips.

Voltage dips may be caused by external or internal factors and can exist as random singular events or a series of repeated occurrences, perhaps with some kind of pattern to their timing. Monitoring and measuring the supply voltage over time will quickly identify what particular events are occurring in an installation and enable location of the causes.

External factors, which are more likely to produce singular events, include short-term reductions in supply voltage caused by load switching and fault clearance in the supply network. A similar effect can occur when switching between the mains supply and uninterruptible power supplies or emergency back-up generators. Common causes of voltage dips within an installation include the switching on and off of large loads including electric motors, arc furnaces and welding equipment, or possibly even loads with pulsating current demands.

These may appear as more regular occurrences and at particular times.

The effect that a dip has on the other equipment and the occupants within an installation varies widely, and is dependent on a variety of factors including both the nature of the event itself and the equipment within the installation. It is perfectly possible, for

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example, for an office environment with equipment powered by switched mode power supplies and UPS systems, fitted out with fluorescent lighting, to experience dips and never even know.

However, the same office fitted with different lighting could experience regular and irritating flicker. Flicker is the effect of random and repetitive variations in voltage resulting in rapid visible changes in brightening and dimming of lighting equipment.

A dipping supply voltage can cause particular problems for AC induction motors and with varying severity. As the supply voltage to the induction motor decreases, the motor speed decreases, and depending on the size and the duration of the voltage dip, the motor speed may recover to its normal value as the voltage amplitude recovers. If the voltage dip magnitude and/or duration exceed certain limits the motor may stall, an undervoltage trip may operate or a contactor drop out, or variable speed drives may shut down to prevent potential motor damage.

Voltage swells are simply the opposite to dips and defined as a sudden increase in the supply voltage of 10% or greater followed by a voltage recovery after a short period of time.

Again, generally, between 10ms and 1 minute. Swells are almost exclusively caused when a heavy load is turned off somewhere on the power supply network or in the installation itself.

Although the effects of dips may be

more noticeable, the effects of a voltage swell are often more destructive. Regular and sustained voltage swells can lead to early insulation failure in induction motors resulting from increases in current flow and associated overheating.

Swells can cause breakdown of components in equipment power supplies over time due to accumulative overload effects. They can also cause damage to electronic components and other sensitive equipment.

As with all power quality issues there are solutions to the problems, and ways to mitigate the effects, of dips and swells once the causes have been identified and located.

This can be achieved through conducting a site survey, a process of moving around the electrical installation, measuring supply voltage and current consumption over time, and tracking down the sources of dips and swells.

Performing a site survey today is made all the easier with the array of power and energy loggers and power quality analysers available.

These products can be connected completely non-intrusiely to various points on the electrical network within the installation, in many cases while the power is maintained, and left to gather information.

If monitoring determines that the problems are coming from the external supply, and the limits of the standard are being exceeded, then it’s time to call the electricity supplier.

However, as in many cases, the power quality issue may well be found to be from within the installation itself. If that is the case, then following identification of the circuit supplying the

equipment causing the dip, thoughts on mitigating the issue can commence.

These may include supplying the equipment in question from a dedicated circuit so that there are no other items on the same circuit to be affected. This assumes the issue is not so big that it is causing the whole supply to dip, in which case it’s time to reduce the load or call the supplier again. Sensitive loads can also be arranged to be fed by separate circuits or connected to regulated/ UPS supplies to eradicate any issues. www.chauvin-arnoux.co.uk

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ENERGY STORAGE

THE ENERGY STORAGE MARKET IS MATURING –

and here’s why you should care

Vincent de Rul, Director of Energy Solutions at EDF Energy, explains how energy storage options are becoming more feasible through better optimisation

F

lexibility is one of the greatest opportunities for today’s energy manager. Being flexible in how and when you consume energy, not simply using less overall, creates new opportunities to save money, increase revenue, contribute to low-carbon targets, and support the integration of more renewable energy on the grid.

There are many different stages along the path to flexibility, including new ways in which to manage energy purchasing and of course, demandside response (DSR) schemes.

But some of the most exciting opportunities arise due to the maturing energy storage market. At EDF Energy, our teams who spend their day speaking to energy managers have always been very clear that storage assets are not a prerequisite to getting started along the path to flexibility. Many firms already have lots of opportunity to save costs and generate revenue without the need to install any new assets.

Energy from a back-up generator can be sold back to the grid, industrial processes can be shifted to times of low demand, and Triad prices avoided.

But storage assets open up a highly reliable way of providing flexibility: if a company can sell excess energy from a battery, for example, they are able to participate in DSR schemes whilst completely eliminating any concerns about the impact of DSR on businesscritical operations. There are many opportunities to flex and save without energy storage assets, but there is no question that wider adoption of energy storage will enable more organisations, of all shapes and sizes, to participate in demand-side programmes.

There have been significant advances in battery technology and improvements in manufacturing processes. The cost of batteries has been declining at an impressive pace, and prices are

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predicted to continue falling over at least the next decade. Yet for some companies, the pace at which investment in batteries can be recouped, is too slow.

This is why EDF Energy has been working hard to ensure that the opportunities around storage mature in three key ways:

1. MARKET ACCESS In the past month, our teams signed a unique deal with Anesco, the UK’s leading energy storage provider, to optimise a combined 16MW of solar and battery assets at their Clayhill solar farm.

We will work with Anesco to enhance the efficiency and profitability of their Clayhill assets, helping them to secure contracts with grid operators and to generate revenue through direct access to wholesale markets.

Through our proprietary PowerShift platform, Anesco will be able to take advantage of our expertise in trading and dispatching assets in the UK energy market, which our teams have established over the past decades. The platform enables industrial or grid-scale customers to benefit from our 24/7 trading capabilities, choosing to consume or sell energy based on real-time pricing from every available market source.

As part of the deal, we were able to agree a guaranteed floor price for the storage, marking a significant step forward for the energy storage market by providing Anesco with income certainty around their assets.

2. TECHNOLOGY Another aspect of the maturing storage market is the advances in technology, which help businesses to manage and optimise the assets they install without creating a huge extra burden on already stretched teams.

In projects like the one at Clayhill, we are working alongside UK-based energy technology provider Upside Energy as

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our controls partner. Upside Energy have developed an advanced platform using algorithms and artificial intelligence systems to match energy demand with available supply. Their technology is capable of managing demand response across 100,000s of devices running in parallel, ensuring that even the largest industrial customers are able to optimise their assets with very little extra effort.

3. END-TO-END OPTIMISATION Optimising assets to their full capacity means taking a fully end-toend approach. Too often, businesses approach storage in one of three ways.

Either they look to the technical aspects and engage an engineering partner to help them keep their assets healthy; or they engage an aggregator who opens up the 24/7 wholesale market access they need to secure the best prices for excess energy; or they approach a technology provider who has the advanced algorithms they need to automate the controls process. We have been working to deliver a new level of maturity to the energy storage market by bringing all three of these aspects under one roof.

Partnerships with Upside, as well as our 2017 acquisition of technical services experts Imtech, enable us to offer technology, engineering and financing together, something which we believe is the future of the energy storage market.

The market is now maturing to the extent that companies have the chance to fully optimise their assets from a technical, technological and financial perspective through a single provider.

And in the end, new opportunities to get the most out of storage facilities mean new opportunities to drive revenue and reduce carbon emissions, something every business can be happy about. www.edfenergy.com

ENERGY STORAGE

NEW BATTERY FINANCING MODELS ARE POWERED BY TECHNOLOGY Sumit Joshi, Head of DER Solutions, Origami

O

ur energy system is undergoing change, driven by the growth of inflexible and intermittent renewables and the move from large, central, carbon-intensive generation. As traditional flexible energy sources such as coal fired power stations are retired, valuable opportunities are available to flexible distributed energy resources (DERs).

One of the most flexible DERs is battery storage. Batteries offer the potential for a fast response to system needs, an unrivalled ability to react to price changes and are readily scalable.

For investors, energy storage presents valuable opportunities. Once installed, there are relatively low operating costs with the opportunity to access new revenue sources.

Energy storage can be located ‘behind the meter’ to: • act as a source of back-up power • alleviate connection constraints • balance load and peak shave • reduce non-commodity costs • smooth generation output when co-located with renewables • generate revenues from grid services or • be used in the wholesale market and balancing mechanism.

Energy storage can also be used in ‘front of the meter’ and be either distribution or transmission connected, providing grid services and generating value from arbitrage.

As part of a wider portfolio of assets, the flexibility of battery storage can also reduce imbalance risk.

The key question today is, how can energy storage, with these numerous benefits, offer revenue certainty without the security offered by subsidies and long-term contracts?

THE END OF REVENUE CERTAINTY Historically, renewable energy assets, as well as early stage battery projects, were deployed with significant revenue certainty, characterised by long-term subsidy contracts or, in the case of batteries, multiyear capacity market and ancillary service contracts. The low duration and low revenue risks in these projects resulted in financing that was characterised by non-recourse debt finance with appropriate gearing.

These days are gone. The financing landscape for energy storage has changed significantly. Today’s markets mean potentially putting equity at stake.

Energy storage does not benefit from subsidies, there are no long-term contracts with large guaranteed revenue streams (contracts in months rather than years) and there has been a reduction in battery capacity derating factors. Battery developers now need to look at merchant business models where the focus is acting on market price fluctuations in the prompt wholesale markets and Balancing Mechanism.

Several factors must be considered to determine when to charge or discharge and when to access these markets. These include charge and discharge rates, round trip efficiency, cost of cycling the battery, opportunity costs, operational and grid constraints, and variable network charges.

The complexity of weighing up these factors and of trading in different markets is driving a need for using technology to optimally generate value from batteries.

USING TECHNOLOGY TO MONETISE BATTERIES Battery owners and operators can use technology to actively seek the most valuable pools of revenue and determine the most optimum way of monetising and managing their energy assets. Technology, such as advanced analytics and machine learning, can be used to develop forecasts for asset availability and behaviour, to design bidding parameters in various ancillary services markets and forecast balancing mechanism market prices.

With advances in technology, intelligent, automated control enables operators to

continually and efficiently dip into those valuable pools of revenue for an asset or group of assets. Advanced analytics and forecasting can enable more accurate, more reliable decision-making and the ability to automate when and how to use an asset, including providing faster responses to value opportunities. The system should also model and simulate expected prices in the different submarkets and quantify and measure associated risks and opportunities.

After assets have been committed to specific submarkets, technology can also be used to ascertain the most cost-effective way of meeting the relevant commitments.

Using this active approach to managing assets with the help of technology, it is still feasible to deploy battery assets with limited revenue certainty, shortterm contracts and high-duration risk.

Two of the UK’s largest energy storage projects, both developed recently, owe their financial viability to the application of intelligent technology. A 9MW behind-themeter battery at London’s Port of Tilbury and a 10MW front-of-the-meter battery in Brentwood, Essex will be monetised through an intelligent technology platform.

Ultimately, it may well be computers that are proposing value strategies and executing them, with minimal intervention by human managers.

The potential for energy storage is growing, even though the long-term subsidies have declined. Asset owners, operators and investors must look to develop and monetise high quality asset deployment by utilising automated, real-time optimisation technology that enables them to build future-proof, sustainable business models. www.origamienergy.com

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ENERGY SUPPLY

THE MCPD AND THE FUTURE OF DIESEL The Medium Combustion Plant Directive (MCPD) has heralded a new raft of rules and regulations aimed at slashing emissions from a wide range of mid-sized equipment - a category that includes many of the diesel-fired generators used in hospitals, schools and other large public buildings. Jason Harryman, Sales and Business Development Manager – Electric Power-Diesel at Finning UK & Ireland (Finning), discusses the future of these generators under the new regime and how to prepare your existing machines for any changes.

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ound in the plant rooms of many large developments, diesel engines are commonly used as standby generators. If the mains power is cut off for any reason, the generator automatically starts up and keeps the building’s vital electrical systems running until the grid connection can be restored.

Diesel generators are particularly prized in this role because of their rapid start-up time – usually a matter of seconds – and reliability. However, the introduction of the MCPD brings one major challenge to the technology.

Established by the European Union, the Directive (EU) 2015/2193 limits emissions of certain pollutants into the air from medium combustion plants, and regulates pollutant emissions from the combustion of fuels in plants with a rated thermal input equal to or greater than 1 MWth and less than 50 MWth. Simply put, the new 190mg/Nm3 limit the regulation imposes on nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions is simply not feasible for a typical four-stroke diesel engine. This is obviously rather concerning news for the countless businesses that rely on their existing plants for continuous or stand-by power, and for those who plan to invest in new equipment in the future.

While regulations march on, however, so does engineering, and many of the advances made in recent years can ensure that diesel technology will remain a sound investment for the foreseeable future.

A HAPPY MEDIUM If a business does operate a diesel generator – or any of the other equipment covered by the MCPD such

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as turbines or boilers – the first step to complying with the regulations is checking that they actually apply.

The term ‘combustion plant’ covers a huge range of equipment, taking in anything that burns fuel in order to produce energy. This includes generators, boilers and heaters. The ‘medium’ part of the MCPD refers to the fact that it’s designed to fill in the EU’s current regulatory gap between large plants and smaller appliances. Bigger plants, with a rated thermal input greater than 50 MWth, are already covered by the Industrial Emissions Directive. Smaller appliances, such as heaters and boilers, usually fall under the Ecodesign Directive.

The new regulations only apply to units with a thermal input greater than 1 MWth but lower than 50 MWth. Each piece of equipment is considered individually, so if a site operates a single 1 MW generator it would fall under the MCPD while one operating a trio of 500 kW units would not.

Importantly, it is also possible for some generators to obtain an exemption from the regulations if they operate for less than 50 hours per year. This is measured on a three-year rolling average for new plants, and a five-year rolling average for existing ones.

Obviously, this is a rather limited amount of running time, working out to just under an hour per week.

This is not as large a barrier as it may seem, however, as the majority of diesel generators based in public buildings that fall under the MCPD are commissioned to provide stand-by power. These units only come online when they’re needed, and so should comfortably fit within this restriction.

ENERGY MANAGER MAGAZINE • APRIL 2019

Of course, this will not apply to every generator out there, which is where the many engineering advances developed by the power sector over recent years begin to factor in.

REDUCING THE ISSUES As the biggest issue that the MCPD introduces to diesel generators are its concerns over NOx emissions, one of the most important technologies for meeting its requirements is selective catalytic reduction (SCR). This is a process already widely used in marine and automotive applications, and one that can pay huge dividends when used with diesel generators, dramatically cutting NOx emissions.

The system works by injecting a urea-based diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) into the generator’s exhaust air stream. The DEF sets off a reduction reaction with the NOx, converting the harmful pollutant into nitrogen, water vapour and a bit of CO2 – still a harmful gas, but much less damaging than NOx. When properly installed, SCR technology can reduce an engine’s NOx emissions up to 90 per cent, while also reducing carbon monoxide emissions by 50-90 per cent, and particulate emissions by 30-50 per cent1.

Most of the time you would expect that any significantly reduced emissions would come with some kind of drawback, usually in the form of reduced efficiency.

However, when engines are fitted with SCR technology the combustion process can be optimised without fear of increasing emissions, actually boosting the overall fuel efficiency.

Of course, all these benefits don’t 1 Diesel Forum, ‘What is SCR?’, https://www. dieselforum.org/about-clean-diesel/what-is-scr

ENERGY SUPPLY come for free. SCR technology does consume DEF while the generator is operating, and this does need to be considered in the running costs. The actual amount of fluid being used will vary substantially depending on a wide range of factors, ranging from the annual running hours, the concentration of the DEF and its duty cycle.

If planning to invest in SCR technology, operators should speak to a specialist to determine how much DEF a generator will require, but in most cases the cost of the DEF will be more than offset by the reduced fuel costs thanks to the boosted efficiency. It’s also vital that DEF is obtained from a trusted partner.

The pre-mixed solutions should be mixed, stored and tested to ISO standards, as any errors could cause irreversible damage to the engine it’s used in.

HOT AND COLD This isn’t the only way to tackle emissions and bring generators in line with the MCPD, however. It’s also possible to cut back on NOx by altering the type of cooling used.

Most modern diesel engines run with high temperatures in the combustion chamber, as this is most efficient and helps to reduce production of soot and particulates. However, these hotter conditions also increase the engine’s

levels of nitric oxide (NO), which oxidises into nitrogen dioxide (NO2). Lowering the temperature in the combustion chamber reduced the amount of NOx produced, but this also increases soot emissions that can cause their own set of problems.

However, new technology means this can be overcome. Air-to-air after cooled and charge-air cooled engines are both designed to cool the engine air after it has passed through a turbocharger, but before it enters the combustion chamber.

This decrease in air intake temperature enables a denser intake charge to the engine, allowing for more air and fuel to be combusted per engine cycle. This enables the engine to increase output while lowering the combustion temperatures. With cooler combustion comes reduced NOx production, allowing engines to move closer to meeting MCPD targets.

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE When investing in a new diesel generator rated for more than 1 MW, these are all the technologies that should be considered when making purchases from this point onwards – the deadline for new plants being registered with MCPD passed in December 2018.

There is still some room to manoeuvre if a facility has existing generators on a site, however, as the

deadline for registration and permits hits on 1 January 2024 for existing medium combustion plants greater than 5 MWth. For those between 1 MWth and 5 MWth, the deadline is 1 January 2029. While it can be tempting to put off a decision, it makes sense to start thinking – and planning – right now.

It’s also important to note that generators connected to the UK’s National Grid via a DNO supply to export also need to comply with the emissions standards in the directive.

There are plenty of retrofit technologies available to keep your diesel generators running for years to come, so make sure to begin speaking to experts as soon as possible.

For more information on diesel generators and the MCPD, please visit www.finning.com.

www.energymanagermagazine.co.uk

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BOILERS & BURNERS

CASCADE CONSIDERATIONS: EXPLORING FLUEING OPTIONS FOR COMMERCIAL HEATING SYSTEMS The installation of modern condensing boilers in a cascade arrangement is a popular choice for meeting a building’s heating and hot water demand efficiently in a variety of sectors. Andy Green, Technical Director at Potterton Commercial explains how heating engineers can overcome flueing challenges for these types of systems.

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eating systems installed in cascade are fast becoming the go-to choice for buildings with significant heat demand that need to deliver this heat efficiently and from a small plant room. While cascaded systems may offer a host of benefits, there are some additional considerations which need to be made to meet the flue requirements for these types of installations as opposed to single heating systems.

There are various options available for cascaded heating systems when it comes to flueing, with most flueing requirements often dependent on the output of a heating system.

One of the most important factors to consider is that the flueing options available need to match the flexibility of the cascaded heating system itself. For example, while it’s great that a series of boilers can be installed together in a tight plant room around a corner, the same is required of the flue which must also fit within the height of the plant room and bend around a corner if required.

Another crucial factor to consider is any regulations and standards which need to be adhered to.

LEGAL REQUIREMENTS The Clean Air Act stipulates a number of measures to reduce air pollution including certain flue requirements which must be followed such as whether vertical or horizontal flue termination is appropriate.

For installations where the termination is low level and horizontal, and the net heat input is between 150kW and 333kW, the local environmental health officer will have to grant permission to terminate at that position. However, for a cascade of boilers with a total net heat

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input exceeding 333kW, a vertical flue termination is required, terminating above a building and complying to chimney heights. These installations should also be assessed and signed off by the local authority or the local environmental health officer.

Another key piece of guidance is IGEM/UP/10 which sets out guidelines for the installation of a range of flued gas appliances. This covers the likes of ventilation, flue sizing and the height and location of flue terminations. Risk assessments can also be completed as part of the IGEM/UP/10 documentation, helping installers to gauge whether their installations are compliant or not.

HERE TO HELP There are some flueing accessories which tend to be supplied as standard with most heating systems, such as plume kits which terminate either horizontally or vertically, and cascade non-return valves, to prevent the backflow of combustion products to boilers that aren’t firing.

However, many boiler manufacturers will also offer a series of additional flueing accessories to help with the installation of cascaded heating systems in particular.

For example, if you have a cascade of boilers with a net heat input of over 333kW, then the flue will need to be run vertically to terminate above the building. In this scenario, cascade flue header kits are designed to help installers on their way to meeting this

ENERGY MANAGER MAGAZINE • APRIL 2019

requirement. Flucade kits are often suitable for two to six boilers installed in a cascade and available in 150mm and 200mm diameters with extension pieces.

These kits also include all associated components including a non-return valve.

For flues running externally, a common issue is that the very low outside temperatures we often experience in the middle of the winter can cause condensate to freeze. With condensate pipes forming an essential part of a boiler’s flue system, there is the risk of the boiler being unable to dispose of fumes if these pipes are blocked, meaning the boiler cannot operate safely. In addition, it isn’t uncommon to see the ingress of water into the fresh air supply in these conditions. Thankfully though, external flue kits prevent both of these scenarios from occurring.

TALK TO THE EXPERTS There is a large amount of guidance for installers to navigate when it comes to the flueing requirements and options for commercial heating systems. As such, we would advise installers to seek the advice of a flue specialist when they’re approaching a cascade of flues to ensure the assembly is quick, safe and reliable. These specialists will be able to help with the design of a suitable flue system that is safe and compliant with all standards and regulations.

For more information on Potterton Commercial’s accessories and flue kits, please visit: www. pottertoncommercial.co.uk/products/ accessories-and-controls/flue-kits

HEATING

BIG GROWTH IN DISTRICT HEATING MARKETS: NOW & ON THE HORIZON

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he market of district energy (DE), including district heating and district cooling, has witnessed large growth in many countries in Europe in the last five years – and also a significant growth in China.

The six European DE markets researched

by BSRIA in 2018 have a District Heating and Cooling (DHC) total installed capacity of slightly under 250,000 MWth and China alone a 750,000 MWth: the seven researched countries are projected to grow by almost 5 per cent by 2030. Compared to district heating, district cooling will remain “rather small” in these markets.

The BSRIA District Energy study provides valuable insight for: China, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Russia and UK. The main drivers are that construction players embrace DE for their competitive advantage and financial benefits: if there is sufficient demand and the projected income makes a project profitable, then

the provider will take the necessary steps to create or upgrade a network.

Socrates Christidis, Research Manager – Heating & Renewables, BSRIA’s World Market Intelligence Division, said: “Closely related to the progress of DE networks and the growing popularity of communal heating systems is the growth of central transfer stations and heat interface units.

Central transfer stations, also called heat substations, heavy duty stations or simply ‘substations’, are used to connect larger buildings or sub-networks to a heat network.

They are usually located at the connection of the main heat network to large buildings.

HIUs (also called flat stations) extract heat from district heating networks to feed individual buildings and dwellings. How they perform is central to the overall efficiency of the heat network in a district heating scheme.

Overall, there is a healthy growth for HIUs on a pan-European basis of 6 – 7 per cent.”

Socrates added: “There is also an increasing number of companies offering energy metering and billing, maintenance and ongoing management of communal heating and hot water systems for apartments and communal housing schemes.

And, as in all areas of building services, the Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence are starting to be exploited by some players to create fully automated and self-learning systems; these will better predict energy requirements, eliminate energy peaks, optimize indoor environment and offer predictive maintenance.”

To find out more about this study, call us on 01344 465 540 or e-mail wmi@bsria.co.uk

RINNAI DELIVERS HOT WATER ON DEMAND AT TY CORYTON SITE FOR ORBIS EDUCATION & CARE IN SOUTH WALES

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innai continuous flow water heaters have been installed on site at the Ty Coryton site of Orbis Education & Care, an organisation dedicated to providing specialist care for children, young people and adults.

Orbis offers specialist schools, community homes, respite care and community-based work-skills services. This application of the Rinnai continuous flow hot water heating products and systems was at an accommodation/care home facility containing 27 rooms with an extraordinary demand of hot water, primarily due to the frequency, timing and longevity of the use of showers, baths and basins.

As such Rinnai provided five HDC 1500i continuous flow water heaters, powered by Natural Gas, which at peak can provide in excess of 5,000 l/hr. The installed system included concentric flues and a secondary return complete with expansion vessels and valves to ensure G3 compliance.

The system has now been operational for almost 9 months and the feedback has stated that the system is ‘exceptional’.

Ty Coryton offers a broad range of on and off-site activities, encouraging the students to contribute to and enjoy a sense of community. Whilst the school offers an engaging and flexible curriculum tailored to the learning needs of the

individual, the residential building is divided into separate communal flats, each with separate bedrooms, and with kitchen and lounge areas.

Each resident is encouraged to take an active role in personalising their own bedrooms as well as their collective communal spaces. With education, care and in-house therapy teams linking closely together, Tŷ Coryton offers a 24-hour waking curriculum of learning, life skills and leisure.

The highly qualified and experienced team supports children and young people with autism and complex needs to develop key life skills in line with their individual Behavioural Support Plan.

Orbis is an award-winning organisation providing a blend of education and care with therapies available including: speech and language; occupational therapy; clinical psychology; positive behavioural support; music therapy; psychiatry; dietetics and complementary therapies.

Rinnai’s Infinity 1500i, which has been installed at Ty Coryton offers greater benefits when compared to an older style water heating system. There is a focus on energy conservation at Orbis and the 1500i delivers with its 105% net efficiency and market leading range of modulation

(58kW – 2.4kW). This increase in energy efficiency also translates into economic savings, helping Orbis manage the energy costs, especially in water and electricity, two essential components needed for a water heating system to operate.

The peak need for useable hot water at Ty Coryton means that it needs a system that can meet and provide continuous hot water, effortlessly, whilst controlling overall costs.

The Rinnai Infinity HDC1500 range is smaller, more compact in its design, and can be fitted either internally, or externally.

If the Infinity 1500e is fitted externally, it comes with appropriate weather proofing which provides the required protection to ensure consistent, long life working efficiency. www.rinnaiuk.com

ENERGY MANAGER MAGAZINE • APRIL 2019

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HEATING

WHY YOU SHOULD GET UP TO SPEED ON UNDERFLOOR HEATING

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ver the years, underfloor heating has become a popular addition for the homeowner looking for both luxury and energy-saving benefits.

A study from 2018 revealed underfloor heating was third on the list of the top 10 features that millennials wanted in their dream home.

It’s also increasingly popular in the construction industry, particularly for projects that involve converting office spaces into residential properties.

The latest figures show the market for underfloor heating grew by 6% in 2017, with a similar increase predicted for the following year. Energy-efficient insulation materials such as XENERGY Styrofoam have helped drive this growth.

To capitalise on the rise in demand, this short guide provides information on how to install and insulate underfloor heating systems.

HOW TO CORRECTLY INSTALL UNDERFLOOR HEATING SYSTEMS For the homeowner to reap the benefits of underfloor heating, it’s important that the room in which the system will be installed is already well insulated with basics like double-glazed windows and strong wall insulation.

The room must also have suitable flooring, such as stone, wood,

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marble or tile—these materials work particularly well with underfloor heating in bathrooms. Concrete can be an attractive material for potential homebuyers as it not only conducts heat well, but is durable and can be treated to look like most other types of flooring. New underfloor heating systems can also work with thin carpet and some types of laminate flooring.

There are two main types of underfloor heating systems: • Electric underfloor heating (a dry system) • Water underfloor heating (a wet system) • Electric underfloor heating These systems use wires or electrical heating sheets placed under the floor. They usually take up to two days to install and involve: • pulling up the floor and laying the mat or wires above a layer of insulation • fitting a floor sensor that connects to the thermostat • connecting the system to the main electricity supply (a qualified electrician needs to do this) • covering the mats in a layer of screed to help the system generate heat more quickly Electric underfloor heating is cheaper and easier to install than water underfloor heating but more expensive to run. Homeowners are sometimes tempted to find DIY shortcuts to install this system themselves; however, it’s important to remind anyone thinking of doing this that they leave it to the professionals due to the dangers involved.

WATER UNDERFLOOR HEATING This circulates warm water through a network of plastic pipes installed under the floor. Fitting these systems is far more complicated than electric heating and must be done by a professional contractor. It involves: • pulling up the floor and laying the pipes • connecting the heating system to the boiler system (an electrician must do this) • once the pipes are safely fastened, adding a layer of screed, which needs up to seven days to dry As the pipes are bigger than

ENERGY MANAGER MAGAZINE • APRIL 2019

wires, these systems are more suited to larger rooms. And because they can take up to a week to install, homeowners may prefer to have them fitted as part of a bigger renovation project or when they are already getting work done to their flooring.

A spokesperson from Panel Systems said: “There’s little aftercare needed for an underfloor heating system, so even though it can take a while to install, the customer shouldn’t have to worry about it once the process is complete.”

Installers may also choose to use an increasingly popular home-improvement feature — the smart thermostat. This can: • determine how long the underfloor heating needs to stay on to warm up the home • readjust the temperature based on the weather conditions outside • recognise when someone is in the property or on their way home and turn on the system accordingly • control underfloor heating room by room Findings show this technology can cut energy bills by between 20% and 30%, which is another impressive selling point.

“Providing the height of the room and level the floor is appropriate, we recommend using XEnergy Styrofoam insulation boards,” the Panel Systems spokesperson said.

“The insulation boards act as a barrier to reflect the heat and keep it in the room, rather than wasting energy back down through the floor.”

XENERGY Styrofoam is the recommended material to use in conjunction with underfloor heating systems as it has excellent compressive strength and efficient thermal properties.

“This material is compatible with both water and electric underfloor heating systems as it’s lightweight with a high impressive compressive strength, high efficiency and excellent

HEATING thermal insulation properties,” the Panel Systems spokesperson said.

XENERGY Styrofoam can also be machined—using a computer numerical control (CNC) machine— to accommodate water pipes in a variety of sizes and thicknesses.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF UNDERFLOOR HEATING? To prepare for inquiries from customers looking for an alternative to radiators, installers must understand the central advantages of underfloor heating.

Panel Systems says: “It’s likely that underfloor heating systems are highly favoured because they tend to be quite energy-efficient. They are relatively low-power and tend to distribute heat a lot more quickly.

“They can be very effective because they heat the whole floor, whereas a radiator only heats the area surrounding it and can leave cold spots in the room.”

Traditional radiators must reach temperatures of between 65°C and 75°C to heat an entire room. Underfloor heating only needs to run from 30°C to 40°C to distribute heat evenly. This

heat flows upwards from the floor, reaches every corner and even stays inside the room when windows are open. It’s reported that this can cut energy bills by anything up to 30%.

A greener home is an added perk for property owners, and research shows it’s a huge benefit for landlords who need to abide by environmental regulations and provide tenants with an energy performance certificate (EPC).

As well as delivering a high level of comfort, underfloor heating is hidden away. Parents needn’t worry that their child will burn themselves, which may be a fear with radiators.

And having the benefit of controlling the heat to a specific temperature means the floors won’t overheat.

Because underfloor heating isn’t visible, homeowners have more freedom when it comes to design. This is not always the case with radiators, which often restrict space and can ruin aesthetically pleasing decor.

And because they contain little moisture, underfloor heating systems

help eliminate dust mites, reducing the amount of dust circulating the house as a result. This is an added benefit to people with asthma or allergies.

“The insulation boards should act as a vapour barrier. XENERGY Styrofoam has a closed-cell structure, which will prevent any moisture passing through it,” said Panel Systems.

Previously considered a niche feature, underfloor heating is now known as a mainstream home addition due to the many benefits it provides, and the market for these heating systems continues to grow. Having extra knowledge of this in-demand product is a great opportunity for installers to expand their business and make recommendations to customers. www.panelsystems.co.uk

RINNAI HOT WATER

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innai, the UK’s leading manufacturer of the ErP A-rated Infinity range of continuous flow condensing gas fired water heaters, delivers the most energy efficient range of low-NOx hot water heating units currently available to the UK end user.

The company’s low-NOx Infinity HDC 1600e external wall mounted unit (together with the interior HDC 1600i version) utilises Rinnai’s patented pre-mix burner technology with a 14-1 turn down ratio – the largest on the market – of 58.4kw-4.05kw and is extremely quiet in operation.

Integral controls on the units enable the water heater to achieve high efficiencies whether locally or integrated into a building management system.

In reducing Legionella proliferation, Rinnai 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 when a 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.

The system helps to ensure the performance and efficiency of Rinnai’s 1600, and, all of its continuous flow water heaters installed in hard water areas.

Almost all water-fed appliances, including plate heat exchangers, boilers and water heaters will, over time accumulate scale deposits in hard water areas.

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 is 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 to contact 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 potential product degeneration.

The industry uptake on Rinnai’s series of low-NOx high efficiency products is that continuous flow heater systems are proven to be more energy efficient than conventional storage systems and are increasingly the experts’ preferred method of hot water provision. Rinnai units easily cater for any size projects that need high volumes of water at intermittent times of day.

The Rinnai Infinity 1600e/i offers condensing technology with up to 107% gross efficiency, ultralow-NOx of less than 20 ppm, a widely expansive modulation range of 54kW-4kW and high flow rates of 37/ltr/min. Add to these benefits are the peace of mind of an extended warranty, a top A-rating exceeding the demands of eco-labelling legislation, the flexibility of external wall mounting and delivery to site with all relevant accessories and the knowledge that the HDC1600 is futureproofed against future regulatory and legislative changes. www.rinnaiuk.com

ENERGY MANAGER MAGAZINE • APRIL 2019

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LIGHTING

UK DISTRIBUTOR ILLUMINATES THREE SITES WITH GOODLIGHT LED LIGHTING

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oodlight, a leading LED lighting brand has announced that FWB, an established supply chain partner has replaced the outdated fluorescent lights across its three strategic sites in Stoke-on-Trent, Wrexham and Truro with Linear LED High Bays, LED Battens and Eco LED Ceiling Panels. A total of 8,200 sq m of warehousing, trade counters and offices are now illuminated with long life, energy efficient Goodlight LED lighting. FWB chose Goodlight for the quality and value of the products as a distributor and made the switch to save costs, reduce carbon emissions and improve the workplace environment.

Established since 1963, FWB provides a diverse range of products including pipeline and fittings, fasteners, tools and workwear to the industrial, infrastructure, construction and public sector markets. FWB were looking to replace all of the inefficient lighting in its three trade counters and offices to save on energy and maintenance overheads.

FWB selected Goodlight Eco LED Ceiling Panels which have been designed to slot into existing ceiling grids with ease, making them the thinnest most light weight panel on the market. The Eco is a modular LED Ceiling Panel that delivers up to 95 Lm/W, providing reliable, colour consistency that transmits over 95% light efficiency. The Eco is compliant with LG7, providing a good luminaire balance between task areas, walls and ceilings.

Lighting for the warehouses included

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G5 Battens and GX2 Linear LED High Bays, both of which deliver very high levels of light output offering 110 Lm/W and 130 Lm/W respectively. The G5s and GX2s are rated to IP65 (waterproof) and provide further protection from dust, ice, heat and corrosion ingress. Both LED fixtures are completely glass-free and shatterproof, making them suitable for busy, working warehouse environments.

All Goodlight products are guaranteed for five years and rated at 50,000 hours.

Sarah Lee, Marketing Manager at FWB commented, “As a business with multiple branches, our energy costs were significant. After seeing the successful installation of Goodlight LED lighting at a number of our customers’ premises we made the decision to replace the old lighting in all our sites. The installation was straightforward and completed within two months.

The service from Goodlight has been first class from start to finish.”

She continued, “We decided to upgrade to LED

ENERGY MANAGER MAGAZINE • APRIL 2019

lighting not only for the substantial reduction in energy costs and carbon emissions, but also for the improved light quality, and the added health and safety benefits. The high ceilings in our warehouses are difficult to access and we were changing light bulbs constantly.

These long life LED lamps will reduce maintenance drastically. We now have consistent light levels and can see everything easily. The results are outstanding and everyone is happy.”

ABOUT LED ECO LIGHTS LED Eco Lights was founded in 2006 and celebrates 12 years as an awardwinning LED lighting manufacturer. Its Goodlight™ LED lamps and luminaires provides a comprehensive range of LED solutions for commercial, industrial, amenity, leisure and hospitality environments. LED Eco Lights offers a team of technical experts, to guide customers through every stage of the upgrade process, including lighting design services, funding solutions and installation. LED Eco Lights also offers its Bright Goods range of vintagestyle decorative LED filament bulbs.

For more information please contact: Tel: 01276 691230.

Email: sophia@ledecolights.com.

Web: www.goodlight.co.uk

RENEWABLE ENERGY

THE EVOLUTION OF RENEWABLE ENERGY Phil Simmonds – Group Managing Director, EC Electronics

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e all know fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas are not sustainable energy sources. For many years now, governments and companies within the sector have been looking for new ways to generate clean, renewable energy. However, there is still a lot more work to be done in this area.

A third (33%) of the UK’s electricity generation came from renewable sources (mostly wind and solar farms) in 2018. But gas continued to be the main source of power, with just over 40% of the UK’s energy in Q2 of 2018 coming from gas-fired plants. That being said, recent developments hint at a positive future ahead for the energy sector in the UK. Plans for Cleve Hill solar farm, the largest ever proposed in the UK, were set out in July 2018. If built, the solar power plant would occupy 1,000 acres on the north coast of Kent and provide up to 350MW (megawatts) of generating capacity. The plant would also include battery storage – giving operators the option of storing energy when the price of electricity is low and selling when it’s more favourable.

More recently in February 2019, Danish developer Ørsted also unveiled plans to build an offshore wind farm on the Yorkshire coast, in a bid to fill the gap left by failed nuclear

power schemes. Once completed in the second half of the year, the farm will power one million homes – making it twice as powerful as the current largest offshore wind farm located off the Cumbrian coast.

With developments like these, it is clear that wind and solar power are at the forefront of renewable energy sources. But what are the other alternatives? Nuclear power, biomass fuel, geothermal energy and hydropower are all possibilities – but they are not without their own problems. Nuclear power leaves behind highly-radioactive waste, for example. While the dams used to generate hydropower threaten terrestrial and aquatic species.

A PROMISING FUTURE Unfortunately, a world that relies solely on clean and renewable energy is not right around the corner.

Studies indicate that we will still be relying on fossil fuels for decades to come. However, it is important to remember that the way to renewable energy is evolution: not revolution.

But despite uncertainty in the short term, the long-term renewable

energy market looks promising.

There are a number of technology advancements which are helping to make the dream of widespread renewable energy use a reality.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, these focus mainly on wind and solar power.

While solar and wind energy are both viable replacements for traditional fuel sources, they do require adequate storage solutions – which can be incredibly costly. However, advancements in lithium-ion batteries meant costs decreased by more than 70% from 2012 to 2018. As a result, energy storage deployment in many countries has increased and predictions indicate that it may even become costcompetitive with grid electricity by 2020.

Digitalisation and artificial intelligence (AI) are also enabling renewable energy integration. For example, the National Center for Atmospheric Research in the US has developed AI software to improve wind forecasting and is now working on the same for solar forecasting. Thus, helping to improve the reliability of wind and solar as energy sources.

MANUFACTURING THE TECHNOLOGIES OF TOMORROW

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

At EC Electronics, we are constantly looking for new ways to improve production techniques and to advance technologies. We understand the issues facing the energy sector and the continuous transformation required to reduce the use of fossil fuels, which is why we’re dedicated to building new partnerships and developing innovative technologies through our range of best-in-class manufacturing services. https://ecelectronics.co.uk/

ENERGY MANAGER MAGAZINE • APRIL 2019

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LEGISLATION

SECR – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Ed Williamson WHAT IS SECR? SECR – the Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting framework will replace the CRC or the Carbon Reduction Commitment and applies to large UK companies. The start date for SECR will be 1st April 2019 and it is possible that your first reports could be submitted in April 2020.

The idea of the SECR is to simplify carbon and energy reporting for UK companies whilst also allowing a company to identify areas where they could save on energy costs and reduce carbon emissions.

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SECR has a degree of cross over with the Energy Saving Opportunity Scheme (ESOS) scheme.

SECR will not charge for emissions like CRC does, instead the CCL (the Climate Change Levy) will be increased to cover reduced tax revenue.

The increase will be from 0.583 p/kWh to 0.847 p/kWh.

DOES MY COMPANY QUALIFY? Your company qualifies as a large company and therefore for the SECR framework if: Either: •

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It is a UK quoted company (MGHG) Or a UK listed company with two out of three of the following:

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Number of employees greater than 250

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Turnover over £36m

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A balance sheet total over £18m

WHAT WILL I HAVE TO SUPPLY?

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Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions

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One intensity ratio at a minimum (e.g. 37kWh per m2 or 610 kWh per tonne processed)

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Methodology

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Previous years figures, except in the first year

Quoted Companies will have to as a minimum supply: •

Global Greenhouse Gases Protocol Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions

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Previous year’s figures, except for the first year

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Methodology employed

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At least one intensity ratio (e.g. 37kWhs per m² or 610 kWhs per ton processed)

And for financial years starting after April 1st 2019: •

Global energy use

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What was done to increase energy efficiency

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Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs) and Unquoted Companies will have to supply:

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Electricity, gas and transport usage at a minimum

ENERGY MANAGER MAGAZINE • APRIL 2019

YOUR ESOS COMPLIANCE WILL HELP WITH SECR COMPLIANCE Even though they are separate schemes, the Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting framework has considerable overlap with the Energy Saving Opportunity Scheme.

WHAT NEXT If you have any questions or you would like Enistic’s help with SECR reporting or ESOS Phase 2 compliance or ISO50001 please just get in contact with me. My direct line is 01865 598 776 and my email is Darryl.Mattocks@Enistic.com.

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