32 minute read
Opinion
I TOLD YOU SO! Behaviour change is the key to climate change
Ihave been banging the drum for years about how changing behaviour is key to climate change, and how the potential for energy and carbon savings from behaviour change is at least as much as from technological changes. I feel absolutely no pleasure in saying I told you so, I was right all along, but it’s true and the evidence is now plain for all to see and being widely reported.
I have been working with ESTA, the Energy Services Technology Association, for the last 18 months to develop case studies of where very positive results have been achieved as a result of implementing energy behaviour programmes so that these can be used as evidence to encourage others. There are some very striking cases of great programmes that have worked. In one example, delivered by JRP, savings of 8.9% were made following a £30k behaviour change programme, the same savings as a £480k new factory LED lighting scheme for the same client. We have also been lobbying Government to acknowledge the role of behaviour change programmes and incentivise organisations to implement them. It has been a frustratingly slow journey with, I’m sorry to say, little to show for the effort.
What we are all seeing right now is a real life case study on how the changes in our behaviours as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic are having really profound positive impacts on our world; reduced use of fossil fuels, reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, improved air quality, wildlife thriving, clean water, dolphins swimming in the Ganges and the canals of Venice, and the colours of our skies.
Although Covid-19 is most likely the biggest global crisis since the Second World War, it is still dwarfed in the long term by climate change. The world will never be the same again after Covid-19 but what are we learning and what opportunities can we capitalise on? Jes Rutter, Managing Director, JPR Solutions
There have been some painful and costly adjustments required by individuals and organisations to achieve the positive environmental impacts we are seeing. Sporting events, exhibitions, conferences, holidays, concerts, parties, social gatherings, shopping trips have all been cancelled. These cancellations have led to reduced travel, reduced production, less catering, less heating and lighting, less air conditioning and overall, less consumption etc, etc. In this mix, one significant element is transport which alone represents almost a quarter of Europe’s greenhouse gas emissions 1 and is the main cause of air pollution in cities. Before Covid-19, the transport sector had not seen the same gradual decline in emissions as other sectors.
This crisis has shown us that clearer skies and breathable air can be achieved very fast if concrete action is taken to reduce burning of fossil fuels but the global carbon emission reductions that the Covid-19 lockdowns are causing need to be repeated each and every year to prevent a 2 degree temperature rise.
One thing is certain however, individuals and organisations will not voluntarily and willingly repeat the pain of the last 6 weeks in the pursuit of the long term climate change goal.
Globally, concern about the environment and pollution is growing (see Figure 1) and according to a 2019 survey 2 of more than 4,000 UK residents, 70% said they were concerned about climate change. In the past, however, survey results like these have not translated into real action. Too many people still buy unsustainable food, fly frequently and don’t take the meaningful daily actions
1 https://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/ transport_en 2 The survey was conducted by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) as part of its Energy and Climate Public Attitudes Tracker. https://www.statista. com/statistics/426733/united-kingdom-ukconcern-about-climate-change/
that help to reduce their environmental impact. Barriers such as ease, availability and current lifestyle trends mean that sustainable living has been more of an aspiration. In fact, Figure 2 shows clearly that individuals are looking for Government, businesses and civil society to resolve the climate change crisis.
The UK Government has indeed made strong commitments to reducing greenhouse gases by passing laws to achieve Net Zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and businesses are coming under ever increasing pressure to manage and reduce their emissions to meet this target. But we know that 50% of the opportunity to reduce energy consumption is being missed due to organisations focussing solely on technical opportunities. Behaviour change represents 50% of the global Net Zero opportunity but is rarely implemented.
It is encouraging to see that many organisations now have Net Zero on their radar as a business objective. Some even claim to have achieved Net Zero.
A major flaw in this is the way that organisations are currently being measured against Net Zero targets. How can it be right, for example, that the FIFA World Cup organisation can claim that they will deliver carbon-neutrality for the
2022 World Cup in Qatar? FIFA and the State of Qatar have pledged to “measure, mitigate and offset” all emissions related to the design and construction of facilities and match-day events. But what about all those millions of air miles that will be racked up for spectators to go to games and the thousands of air-conditioned hotel rooms? Of course it could be claimed that FIFA have no control over ‘Scope 3’ emissions but this is a spurious argument as they can certainly influence the behaviour of the football fans by making different choices. For example, why hold such an event in a country where the average daytime temperatures exceed 50°C that necessitates all stadia to be air conditioned?
When the world returns to a new normality it is likely that fewer people will be required to commute into central office locations 3 with obvious implications for travel and transport and related emissions but none of this will save the human race by itself!
The world’s focus currently is very much on surviving the next few months and none of us knows how our future will be re-shaped as a consequence of Covid-19. There will undoubtedly be unintended but nevertheless positive environmental impacts but, unless there are dramatic behaviour changes and significant lessons learned in the aftermath of this crisis, the journey towards climate disaster will continue.
The world will never be the same again after Covid-19. The challenge is to make sure that the positive impacts are not lost or forgotten because we simply cannot go back to the destructive and carbon-emitting business as usual.
So, with all this evidence of how people and their behaviour is crucial in tackling the climate crisis, can I stop banging my head against a wall? The harsh reality is that behaviour change at the level required to tackle the climate change crisis is hard and will not be voluntary. We need the Government to acknowledge the significant role of behaviour change in tackling climate change and start legislating and incentivising organisations and individuals.
ENERGY MANAGER MAGAZINE • MAY 2020 11 A s the conversation around sustainability develops past the point of the hypothetical, we now find ourselves at a decisive moment for the future of our planet. The UK Government has legislated to become carbon neutral by 2050, and has already begun working on policies that will enable that to happen – such as the proposed ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles.
At the same time, businesses are becoming increasingly aware of the need to act now to reduce their total carbon output. According to the Carbon Trust, companies with fewer than 250 employees account for almost 20% of the UK’s total carbon emissions – meaning that their role in the fight against climate change is a vital one.
With so many sustainability terms being used, it can be hard to know what’s relevant and what’s not. So, we’ve broken down the jargon around some of the most commonly used terms, and shared some advice on how businesses can become more ambitious in their sustainability targets. CARBON NEUTRAL
To achieve carbon neutrality means that your carbon emissions – that is, the carbon emitted by your day-to-day operations, such as manufacturing, travelling and so on - are effectively cancelled out.
This is achieved by balancing your carbon emissions with techniques such as carbon offsetting – which involves calculating your carbon emissions and investing in schemes which are certified as removing a certain amount of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Depending on the partner you choose to work with, the schemes will vary, but tree planting is a common one. This is because trees naturally absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, helping to reduce the volume of the greenhouse gas. Or carbon offsetting can be done by simply not emitting carbon at all – for example, choosing to cycle instead of drive.
You might also hear people using the term net zero or zero carbon – these all mean the same thing. For example, if you used 100% renewable energy to power your business and used carbon offsetting to ensure your net operations and supply chain were carbon free, you could call yourself a “zero carbon” business. CARBON NEGATIVE OR CLIMATE POSITIVE
Carbon negative – also confusingly referred to as climate positive – goes one step further than carbon neutrality, aiming to remove more carbon from the atmosphere than you emit.
For example, Drax – Opus Energy’s parent company – announced their goal to become carbon negative by 2030. They’re doing this by using innovative technology to remove carbon from the air, meaning they will end up with less overall carbon emissions than they started with.
Again, carbon negative has a number of other terms associated with it, but it is the ultimate goal for businesses of all sizes. TAKING THE NEXT STEP
It is undoubtedly a step in the right direction for businesses and organisations to commit to a carbon reduction plan, but it’s also important to look at the bigger picture and take the next step to reduce the overall emissions in the environment. While cutting down on air travel, using LED bulbs and switching to electric vehicles is to be applauded, industry leaders and governments now need to shift their focus to removing the amount of carbon that’s already in the atmosphere. This is because proactively working to ensure no more emissions are released won’t stop or slow down the impact that carbon dioxide and other greenhouses gases are having on the earth; not unless we couple it up with removing the existing emissions, and collectively work to become carbon negative.
And this isn’t just a job for big business and corporations. As recycling has been adopted universally, going the extra mile to reduce the greenhouse gases in the environment needs to become a way of life for all businesses.
Those looking to achieve carbon negative should first reduce their emissions by investing in energy-efficient technologies and energy storage, and potentially generating their own renewable energy. Choosing a 100% renewable energy supplier is also essential. Any remaining emissions can then be offset. While this may seem like a huge investment, particularly for smaller businesses, there are numerous benefits to be gained, from helping to save money and improving overall efficiency, to attracting and retaining top talent and improving customer loyalty.
With the right negative emissions policy, companies can do much more, collectively removing millions of tonnes of emissions from the atmosphere each year. But there’s no one-size-fits all solution; every business will be at a different stage in their journey, so it’s important to focus on what’s right for you. www.opusenergy.com CARBON NEUTRAL VS CARBON NEGATIVE: WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE? Valpy Fitzgerald, Director of Green Markets at renewable energy provider, Opus Energy
SAY YES TO SUSTAINABILITY: BUILDING THE PERFECT BUSINESS CASE
For many of us, sustainability is an everyday practice – a mindset we actively choose to cultivate for the good of the planet and those around us. We’re well familiar with the benefits, both on an individual and collective scale, and have taken measures to reduce our own carbon footprint.
But bringing these values to the workplace and asking others to do same can often feel like a losing battle. When you’re the only person in the room that lives and breathes sustainability at work, it’s far from easy to educate your superiors about the benefits of greener practices - especially when making sustainable changes is often linked with pressure to spend more money.
So, here are some top reasons that will help flesh out a robust business case to the decision makers of your organisation. REPUTATION AND CUSTOMER LOYALTY
If you’re part of a consumer-facing organisation, your customers are at the focus of everything you do. Whether the business is reviewing its manufacturing processes, customer service offering or management structure, the outcome of change is expected to benefit the consumers that invest their time and money in your service or product.
But who says that customers care about how sustainable your practices are?
Well, according to research by Unilever, a third of consumers now choose to buy from brands who they believe are doing social or environmental good. Whether that be reducing the amount of plastic packaging they use, recycling products or using a sustainable energy source, it all counts towards reducing your carbon footprint. The research also found that ‘sustainable brands grew 46% faster than the rest of the business and Katie Burrows, Energy Services Solutions Manager at Haven Power
delivered 70% of its turnover growth.’ It’s important to start with your business first, and implement the changes that will help to reduce your carbon footprint in the long run. However, it’s also becoming increasingly important for companies to look further along the supply chain. Pledging to improve sustainability has become a common trend among businesses all over the world in recent years, as consumers demand more visibility and are increasingly willing to do their own research into what processes have a negative impact on the environment.
Take Sainsburys, for example, who recently pledged to invest in a greener future for the whole business. Not only does that include the obvious, like reducing the amount of plastic packaging that sits on their shelves, but it also includes ensuring that their suppliers are committed to reducing their carbon emissions. ATTRACTING AND RETAINING TALENT
It’s not only your consumers that care about your carbon footprint – it’s your workforce too. A report by PwC found that over two thirds (65%) of people around the world want to work for a company with a powerful social conscience.
Organisations that consciously look to improve levels of sustainability
have quickly become something that job seekers actively search for, with many now looking for a transparent employer that has strong ethical values. So, if the board wants to be able to attract top talent and have their pick of a wide bunch, their commitment to making sustainable changes could have a significant impact.
Ultimately, existing workforces will be required to keep up with changes, while a young workforce with new skills will become invaluable due to rapid rates of innovation. As employers increasingly try to attract young talent, sustainability becomes more and more important. That’s because young people are very aware of their personal brand, including their efforts to live a more sustainable lifestyle, and where they work directly impacts this. GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS
As climate change has become a more pressing issue within our society over recent years, the pressure on businesses to commit to a greener strategy and actively reduce their carbon footprint has been mounting. The UK Government has committed to achieving net zero by 2050, while the target in Scotland is even more ambitious - 2045.
It falls upon business and organisations within the UK to make rapid adjustments to their policies,
processes and products in this time, and so starting to make changes as soon as possible is vital. Almost half of UK businesses have already put plans in place to reach net zero by 2050, with one in ten already there.
So far, there has been a vast improvement in the amount of carbon emissions that are produced in the UK, particularly through electricity generation. A third (33.3%) of electricity generated in the UK in 2018 came from renewable sources, and whilst this was a vast improvement on previous years, this number needs to continue to rise to meet net zero.
As a part of reaching net zero by 2050, the UK government has brought forward its ban on petrol, diesel and hybrid cars from 2040 to 2035. As a business, investing in electric vehicles is a huge investment, but it’s one that shouldn’t be immediately dismissed. There are a lot of things to be considered, but making the transition to electric vehicles will have both a significant impact on your carbon footprint and even save the business money in the long run. That’s because EV’s can help a business save around 20% on fuel costs and 30% on maintenance, with the added benefits of free road tax and a lack of congestion charges, too.
SAVING MONEY THROUGH ENERGY CONSUMPTION
Whether it’s mostly used to power machinery, refrigerators or computers, energy often accounts for a significant percentage of an organisation’s operating costs. And, while the decarbonisation of the UK’s energy supply to achieve net zero is predicted to cost over £1 trillion, the board are likely to want to know exactly how this might impact the business’ profitability. According to our own research here at Haven Power, over a third (37%) of businesses think that it would be too costly to implement renewable energy, but we actually know that businesses can use renewable energy to save money.
The easiest way to gain an understanding of how energy consumption can impact the business and its carbon footprint is to engage in a conversation with an energy supplier directly. An expert is the most likely person to know how your business specifically can reduce their energy consumption and therefore their carbon footprint.
An expert might, for example, suggest joining Demand Side Response (DSR) programmes, which give you the opportunity to earn extra revenue by altering your energy consumption
patterns. Or, perhaps switching to a self-generated or stored electricity at peak times might be of benefit, as this is when power is at its most expensive.
If you have the land and resources available, generating your own electricity using solar panels or a wind farm could be a great way to make some additional revenue. Organisations can get paid for generating their own electricity by setting up a renewable Purchase Power Agreement (PPA) with their energy supplier. It means your business receives the financial benefit of selling energy back to the grid, just without the administration.
Committing to using greener practices as an organisation is not only a positive way to reduce your carbon footprint and reduce your negative impact on the planet, but there are also numerous benefits to the organisation from a business perspective. Offering a vast range of benefits, implementing more sustainable measures is an essential way to future-proof your organisation, enabling you to keep up with the competition and having a positive impact on your consumers.
Ensuring that your business case for sustainability is backed by strong, relevant and relatable arguments is the key to helping the decision makers above you share your vision for change. www.havenpower.com
MONITORING & METERING ENERGY MANAGER MAGAZINE • MAY 2020 14 can access it remotely, so that you can safely and conveniently monitor energy usage and all of the other parameters it records from the comfort and security of your own home – or, indeed, any other location where you have internet access. The remote access feature is easy to set up using the PEL Transfer software package which is available free-of-charge from the Chauvin Arnoux website.
Buying a PEL can be a very profitable long-term investment and connecting to it remotely can give you valuable insights even if you can’t regularly visit the site. Hopefully this article has shown you how a PEL can help you to save money in the present challenging business climate but, if you have questions or would like more help and guidance on achieving energy savings during lockdown please don’t hesitate to contact Chauvin Arnoux. We’ll also be happy to explain how your PEL can continue to provide valuable benefits when life returns to something nearer to normality. In the meantime, stay safe and keep an eye out on your PEL reports – you never know what efficiencies you may achieve as a result! www.chauvin-arnoux.co.uk W hy would I bother looking at energy consumption when operations have stopped, and offices are virtually empty? Surely there is no energy usage to speak of in such circumstances?” Although this might at first sound like a valid thought, dig a little deeper and you will find that according to a survey carried out by British Gas, up to 46% of the electrical energy used by SMEs was consumed outside normal business hours. And, when a business is shut down because of the coronavirus, all day every day is “outside normal business hours”! With that startling 46% figure in mind, it’s clear that energy usage during the shutdown is something that’s well worth investigating.
The key to gaining accurate and dependable information about your electrical energy usage is to use a portable energy logger (PEL). These versatile instruments can be easily installed at a distribution switchboard where they will monitor and record energy usage, along with a lot of other useful information. Some types can monitor multiple circuits simultaneously, which makes it easy for you to collect separate information for energy used by lighting, by HVAC systems, by machinery, by IT installations and so on.
A PEL is an all-in-one instrument that measures a whole range of electrical parameters, such as voltage, frequency, current, real power, reactive power, harmonic levels and more. Crucially, the PEL doesn’t only measure these parameters, it also stores the results over a period of time that can range from a few minutes to months. This is essential, as some key issues, like equipment that is not needed during the shutdown but is still switched on and off automatically by a timer, can only be identified by looking at time-stamped energy usage records.
Built with ease of use in mind, the best PELs have a large easy-to-read display and a clear logical menu system for selecting the parameters to be measured, stored and displayed. The ideal PEL should be supported by powerful yet intuitive software that can be used on a PC to analyse results. Further, in many applications the ability to monitor and analyse results in real time is valuable. A good PEL will be suitable for use on single-phase, split-phase and three-phase systems and will be designed so that it’s easy to install – ideally without the need to turn off the power.
Another thing you should perhaps consider is the energy saving opportunities associated with
NOW IS THE TIME TO TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR ENERGY USAGE!
The corona virus crisis has impacted every aspect of our lives and, let’s be honest, the impact has been almost entirely negative, with many business premises currently standing unused and unstaffed. So, if you’re a facilities or operations manager, taking control of your company’s energy usage may well be the last thing on your mind. But, says Julian Grant of Chauvin Arnoux, this is actually a very important time to be ensuring that your business is not using and paying for energy it doesn’t need. “ individual motors. Motors consume around 40% of all electricity used worldwide, and account for more than two-thirds of the electricity consumed by industry. Their performance degrades over time, and combined with advances in technology over the past few decades, replacing old motors can easily improve efficiency by 20% to 30%.
The cost of running a motor for a year can be 10 times what it cost to buy it in the first place, and most replacement programmes will have a payback time of 1 to 3 years. The efficiency of your motor operation is therefore critically important if you’re aiming to lower your carbon footprint and reduce your energy bills.
Start with your biggest motors first, because this is where you’re likely to be able to make the biggest savings. It will often be worth installing a PEL either temporarily or permanently, as this will provide a lot of useful information. The log will, for example, show exactly when the motor was running, which is important because a good way to waste energy is to leave the motor running when it’s not needed – during tea and lunch breaks, for example.
Data from the PEL will also let you work out whether the motor is oversized. This is a significant issue because the efficiency of a standard induction motors falls as the load on it decreases and, below about 50% of its maximum loading, its efficiency will be decidedly poor. So, if the log reveals that the motor spends its whole life lightly loaded, it might pay you to fit a smaller replacement.
Next, look closely at how the motor is controlled. If it has simple start-stop control – that is, it’s either running at full speed or stopped – you may well be able to make big savings by fitting a variable speed drive (VSD), especially if the motor is driving a fan or a pump.
You may be thinking that with the present restrictions on travel, you won’t want to be visiting your business premises regularly to check on the data collected by a PEL. The good news is that if you choose a PEL from Chauvin Arnoux, you don’t have to. Once the PEL has been installed you
PEL 103
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Putting the App into Happy Holidays
The smart way to meter, measure and manage energy resources for operators and holidaymakers alike.
What’s the simplest way for holiday park operators to offer customers a simple but secure opportunity to pay for their gas or electric? The smartest solution undoubtedly comes from Chris Smith, Energy Controls MD: making it easy for customers to pay for their energy while they’re taking it easy. And it couldn’t be more straightforward or more rewarding.
Pay-as-you-holiday
Whether you’re looking to streamline your energy overheads with automated meter readings or be paid upfront with the latest prepayment system, Energy Controls has the products and expertise to help. With a fully hosted, web-based software solution linked to market-leading PayPoint, it allows operators to offer holidaymakers the perfect 24/7 pay-as-you-go service. Energy Controls’ awardwinning SMART meters are ideal for all types of sub-metering applications, ranging from landlord properties to holiday parks and housing associations. And they’re backed by Chris and his team’s almost thirty years’ tried and tested experience.
An E470 GSM SMART meter offers the most flexible metering solution to give complete control of your energy resources.
Business booster
As the UK’s premier operator of prepayment metering services to the landlord sector,
Energy Controls has invested heavily in an IT infrastructure that delivers a secure, reliable and robust online payment solution. It gives owners and holidaymakers alike immediate access to their energy usage data around the clock and payments can be made online anytime from anywhere using the free smartphone app. And who doesn’t have a smartphone these days!
“The prepayment opportunity that our SMART Meters offer our customers provides an instant boost to cash flow” Chris Smith, Managing Director.
•Approved to new Measuring Instruments Directive (MID) standards • Prepayment of your electricity supplies • Exclusive access to PayPoint retailers • Top-up online or via our FREE app • Friendly disconnection override • Remote supply disconnect/ reconnect • As installed by British Gas and other major energy supply companies
Happy holidaymakers
Energy Controls’ SMART meters come equipped with many customer-friendly optional settings designed to prevent out-of-hours power loss. These include push
button emergency credit and
disconnection override periods as well as predefined holiday dates when power will remain on even if the credit expires. Not only do these settings reassure consumers, they also take the pressure off operators re-selling energy, leaving them free to get on with running their business.
Happy customers
But you don’t have to take Chris’s word for it. Simply read what one of the Directors at Darwin Forest Country Park had to say.
“Having dealt with Energy Controls for the past 25 years, I can highly recommend them. They offer a reliable and valuable service, especially when overspending on energy can become an issue, particularly with unoccupied accommodation. Energy Controls’ products are extremely effective and their metering systems allow us to remotely monitor the energy usage in each lodge so that we can accurately manage our energy overheads.”
The Finance Director at Billing Aquadrome went even further.
“The way that we manage our electricity supplies is vitally important to our business and to the customer service that we provide, but it can involve significant investment. With Energy Controls, the entire process has been completely cost-neutral, from the supply and installation of the meters to the infrastructure and training. It’s all covered by a small daily service charge we can pass on to our customers through the meter.”
Fit for FREE
Energy Controls is happy and well equipped to offer a complete service from free survey to installation, together with full training and after-sales support. Why not call Chris Smith on 0345 230 4535 now to see if you qualify for a ‘Fit for FREE’ supply and installation service. It could be the happiest move you ever make!
ENERGY CONTROLS Metering, Measuring and Managing Resources
building supplied with heat) to install point of entry meters, or bulk meters, which record the amount of heat delivered into a property from the plant room or energy centre. b. Final customer meters
It is also mandatory to install final customer meters on new builds and most buildings undergoing major renovation. If these meters are not feasible, the THERE ARE 3 KEY REQUIREMENTS OF HNMBR 1. NOTIFICATION
Heat suppliers must inform the OPSS about the location of any heat network or communal heating scheme - as well as its capacity and supply figures. Each building that forms part of the network must also be identified, along with the number of customers using it and details of the billing information they receive..
Registrations must be updated (using the updated notification template) every four years. Since most heat networks registered by the original notification deadline of December 2015, they should have re-notified by 31 December 2019, but it is believed that many of the UK’s 17,000 heat network operators failed to respond to this deadline. The OPSS has begun issuing formal warnings to these non-compliant heat networks. 2. METERING a. Point of entry meters
It is mandatory for all communal heat schemes (with more than one T he regulations, which stem from the EU Energy Efficiency Directive, are applicable to most sites that distribute thermal energy for heating, cooling or hot water from a central source to more than one end user, building or location. Legislation is enforced by the Office for Products & Safety Standards (OPSS).
Regulations are currently being updated as part of the Heat Network Market Framework. One of the most significant areas of consultation is a requirement to retrofit final customer meters to non-metered homes, where a revised new feasibility tool shows that it is viable. Other proposals include extending provisions on meter accuracy, maintenance and billing.
It is critical that heat suppliers comply with HNMBR – not just to avoid civil and criminal penalties – but to raise network performance and improve customer service. The regulations drive best practice in smart metering and billing. This pays off in terms of improved heat scheme efficiency, emissions reductions and better customer service. Real-time data from metering informs overall heat network efficiency and generates major performance improvements.
As the UK accelerates the roll-out of heat networks across towns and cities, the regulations remain key to the difficult challenge of reducing CO2 emissions from space heating and are unlikely to be affected by Brexit.
Ian Allan, Head of Strategy for Switch2 Energy, offers guidance on the steps communal heating suppliers must take to comply with the updated Heat Network (Metering and Billing) Regulations (HNMBR).
viability of heat cost allocators must be considered. The meters require scheduled servicing alongside periodic recalibration of heat cost allocators.
The requirement to fit final customer meters at existing non-metered properties is not yet compulsory, but this is likely to change soon. Consultation is currently underway as part of the Heat Network Market Framework, including proposals for a revised new feasibility tool, which will determine the viability of retrofitting final customer meters to non-metered homes.
This will replace the original tool, which was suspended in 2015 and has now been re-designed. When the new tool is released, heat suppliers with non-metered networks will have to test the scheme to determine whether it is viable to install meters or heat cost allocators and then take any required corrective action. This test must be repeated every four years and it is expected that all heat networks will need to be fully metered over time. 3. BILLING
End customers must be billed using actual meter readings (rather than estimates) at least once a year. Those customers receiving bills electronically should, however, be invoiced quarterly. At a minimum, bills must contain current energy prices, details of total consumption (compared to the previous year, if applicable) and general information on how to improve energy efficiency.
The legislation imposes duties on the heat supplier, but OPSS has issued guidance on how these responsibilities may be shared between billing managers and network managers or owners, subject to discussions on who is best placed to undertake these duties.
SIMPLIFYING COMPLIANCE
Innovative new pay-as-you-go (PAYG) smart meters can simplify the compliance process and drive behavioural change by giving customers full visibility of how much energy they are using and how much it’s costing them. This leads to significant cost and carbon savings.
In our experience, where we have installed smart metering and pay-as-you-go billing, heat usage has been reduced by up to 50%, compared to unmetered dwellings.
OPSS has confirmed that PAYG systems are compliant if: • Billing information is available on the PAYG unit at any time • The PAYG unit has an approved in-home display feature • Meter readings are available on the unit • An annual billing statement is provided to customers Further information: www.switch2.co.uk
ENERGY MANAGER MAGAZINE • MAY 2020 19 M easure and manage your energy and water costs with the new U1000MKII range of Clamp-on meters from Micronics. The U1000 range is the smart alternative to cutting pipes and conventional in-line, mechanical meters, for sub-metering of water, heat or cooling energy. Its clever clamp-on design provides easy to use, low cost flow measurement from outside the pipe. And the ultrasonic device can be used as a stand-alone meter or as an integral part of a Building or Energy management system. It’s so simple to install, just connect the power, enter the internal pipe diameter, adjust the sensors and clamp it on the pipe. No specialist skills or tools are required. It’s available as a water and or heat, energy meter and can be totally pipe mounted or supplied with clamp-on flow and temperature sensors and a separate wall mounted display and control panel. Designed for industrial environments, the compact, rugged and reliable U1000 is a cost effective alternative to traditional in-line meters that provides a simple, lower cost installation with minimum downtime and maximum availability. And with energy and water costs at an all time high, it’s time to invest in a smarter, easily installed and in many cases lower cost measurement solution, to maximise your system efficiency, meet regulations and bring down costs. The Micronics fixed, Clamp-on - Heat/Energy/ Meter and Water Submetering solutions: U1000MKII-HM and U1000MKII-FM offer significant benefits over conventional in-line meters including: THE USPS: The Fixed, clampon range including the U1000MKII-HM & FM’s offer significant installed cost savings over conventional in-line meters!
Optional Modbus RTU slave, RS485 serial and M-Bus communication
Quick set-up and flow readings without the need to drain-down and cut into existing pipe-work.
Non-invasive, so no inserts in the flow line and no pressure drop, process contamination or pipe fouling.
As the product line is non-invasive, servicing and maintenance does not require drain-down of systems, so availability is improved, a key benefit in critical HVAC applications such as Data Centres busy Airports, and Hospital Theatres.
A “Best Value” non-invasive clamp-on solution for heat/energy and water submetering applications i.e. we won’t be beaten on price for like for like performance.
If you would like further info, pricing for a project or a no obligation demonstration please contact Tracey Rolfe at our sales office on +44 (0) 1628 642057 or email Tracey.Rolfe@micronicsltd.co.uk
