Water, Energy & Environment

December // January 2014 Issue 89 Date:

AW created 18 December 2013

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4 colour

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230mm x 210mm portrait + 3mm bleed

Efficient control of utilities and facilities

” We’ve moved to a more flexible way of buying energy, and E.ON have always helped us find the best deal.”

Gerald Andrews, ACC Liverpool

Find out more inside.

Helping our customers.

We’re on it.

Details:

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eni, a leader of natural gas in Europe eni.com O_2926_210x297_WaterEnergy.indd 1

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE INSIGHT Editor Tim McManan-Smith tim@energystmedia.com

t: 020 3714 4450 m: 07818 545308 Sales director Steve Swaine steve@energystmedia.com t: 020 3714 4451 m: 07818 574300

“

Customers now talk about operating expenses rather than cap-ex and they talk about finance

Schneider Electric managing director Stuart Thorogood speaks to Tim McManan-Smith about how Schneider is now an energy company See page 10

GAS & ELECTRICITY Delays in lack of activity can readily be blamed on the supply sector, namely the Big Six, which took over the industry back in 1990 but, in reality, government indecision and dithering over the years has been the true reason. Alfa Energy chairman John Hall looks to the future of the supply market See page 16

Production Paul Lindsell production@energystmedia.com Circulation enquiries circulation@energystmedia.com

LIGHTING Energyst Media Ltd, PO BOX 420, Reigate, Surrey RH 2 2DU Registered at Stationers Hall ISSN 0964 8321 Printed by Headley Brothers Ltd

Pay Per Lux is a business model that enables organisations, to take advantage of LED lighting and be able to minimise their energy costs without a major capital outlay. Philips Lighting outlines the benefits that the NUS achieved with this model See page 36

we&e regulars News & Comment .................................................................... p6 Gas & Electricity........................................................................ p12 HVAC............................................................................................ p22 Lighting....................................................................................... p34 Compressed Air........................................................................ p46 No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written permission of the publishers. The opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. water energy & environment is a controlled circulation magazine available to selected professionals interested in energy, who fall within the publishers terms of control.

For those outside of these terms, annual subscriptions is £60 including postage in the UK. For all subscriptions outside the UK the annual subscription is £120 including postage.

December // January 2014 Issue 89

Cover Story – see page 14

Date:

AW created 18 December 2013

Colour:

4 colour

Stage:

Artwork

Size:

230mm x 210mm portrait + 3mm bleed

Details:

B2B front cover for Water energy and Environment magazine

Efficient control of utilities and facilities

” We’ve moved to a more flexible way of buying energy, and E.ON have always helped us find the best deal.”

Gerald Andrews, ACC Liverpool

Find out more inside.

Water Management............................................................... p52 Product News .......................................................................... p54 Product and Service Directory .......................................... p56 Q&A ............................................................................................. p58

Helping our customers.

We’re on it.

To register or subscribe contact circulation@energystmedia.com December 2013/January 2014 | water energy & environment

3

Comment

Utility management comes full circle

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The management of utilities within a building is becoming an integrated amalgamation of all disciplines within energy and water management

As we start a new year so water energy & environment starts a new chapter in its history as it has changed ownership. Energyst Media has acquired the magazine and we want to make the magazine even more pertinent and useful to you, bring you the best news, comments and analysis of the current thinking in the energy procurement, energy management and water management sectors. Running a building or industrial site has now become more complicated with legislation coming thick and fast along with new technologies to enable us to militate against broadly rising prices.

Just as an economist deals with all types of economic matter so an energyst deals with all matter relating to energy. From a tree-hugging sustainability acolyte to a commodities trader dealing with primary fuels both are energysts and although these two jobs may seem to be poles apart the whole of energy; procurement and efficiency, sustainability, water and carbon are getting closer together.

Mandatory carbon reporting, CSR reports and the like are demanding that people keep on top of their energy consumption if they want anything positive to report. Water competition and the opening up of the market in the next three years will add to the procurement departments list of activities to manage and will also bring water efficiency to the fore as costs will again be best managed by using less. The electricity market reform has at last gone through and it hopes to enable the ÂŁ110bn worth of investment that is needed in energy generation and other infrastructure. But when that figure was first stated it was over a 10-11 year period until 2020 and it is now only six years away. There is much for the energyst to think about and as ever where there are problems I am sure that there will be innovative solutions.

What happens in the primary fuel and wholesale markets affects the energy manager in a ways that couldn’t have been imagined 10 years ago and likewise with demand response, energy managers are helping to solve supply side capacity problems. The management of utilities within a building is becoming an integrated amalgamation of all disciplines within energy and water management.

If you have any suggestions about the magazine then as ever please feel free to get in touch.

All of us here wish you a prosperous 2014.

4 December 2013/January 2014 | water energy & environment

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News & Comment

ETI aims to reduce district heat network capital costs The Energy Technologies Institute is seeking proposals from organisations to deliver a new project to identify novel ways of reducing the capital costs of district heat network infrastructure.

District heat networks supply heat through pipes carrying hot water, they have great potential to deliver CO2 emissions reductions and cost benefits through the use of low carbon heat, waste heat (from power stations, industry and other sources), combined heat and power and large-scale heat pump deployment.

The ETI’s project will assess innovative solutions to reduce the capital and total lifetime costs of heat network pipes, and to reduce any disruption caused during their installation.

The Request for Proposals (RfP) is focused on identifying innovative solutions. These may include advanced installation approaches; tunnelling, drilling and excavation techniques; alternative pipework and insulation materials; jointing techniques; pipe routing and novel system designs; planning; sub-surface detection technologies; plus other areas to be proposed.

It is expected that the project team selected will need to be made up of a number of organisations with experience and insight into district heat network delivery.

Copies of the Request for Proposals and supporting documents are available from the ETI’s website via www.eti. co.uk/request_for_proposals/ view/632 The closing date for submission of proposals is 4 February 2014.

Energy market reforms finally passed through Parliament Up to £110bn of private sector investment in the electricity sector is set to be unlocked with the publication of the Electricity Market Reform Delivery Plan.

The investment is needed by 2020 alongside crucial measures to improve the security of electricity supply, which will be made possible now that the Energy Bill has received Royal Assent (18 December). This provides investors and industry with the confidence they need to invest in the energy sector and also places a legal obligation on British governments to ensure the UK’s energy generating capacity is maintained while at the same time reducing emissions. This package of measures will support up to a 250,000 jobs, 200,000 of which are “green” jobs in the renewable energy sector.

There has already been more than £31bn of investment announced in renewable electricity generation projects since 2010, and this package is expected to attract about £40bn of investment by 2020.

Energy secretary Ed Davey said: “We have driven the Energy Bill through Parliament on time to send out a clear signal to investors and industry.”

The first EMR Delivery Plan sets out the strike prices for renewable technologies under Contracts for Difference (CfD) as well as the analysis underpinning these decisions.

Accompanying the plan is a revised version of the CfD, with improvements made to the contract terms to further support the ability of developers to bring forward investment at lower cost to consumers.

In line with new EU guidelines on competition and to deliver best value for

money to the taxpayer, the government is considering introducing competition for more established low carbon technologies when the CfD regime is introduced. This will be decided in early 2014.

The government has sent out draft investment contracts to the 16 renewables projects that have progressed to the next stage of the “FID Enabling for Renewables process”. Nine projects have been told that they are provisionally affordable under the budget caps announced on 4 December, but all are able to remain in the process until it is completed, and contracts are awarded in the spring.

A Capacity Market is being introduced, which works by

“There has been more than £31bn of investment announced in renewable electricity generation”

6 December 2013/January 2014 | water energy & environment

providing regular payments to capacity providers so that they are available to produce energy when capacity is tight, or face penalties. The government has confirmed the level of system security that will be required under the mechanism.

Ofgem has also approved National Grid’s request to develop new services to ensure there is sufficient capacity in the period before the Capacity Market is operational. This will see existing and mothballed facilities being available to generate power to meet additional demand as necessary.

Maria McCaffery, chief executive of RenewableUK, said: “This has been a long and sometimes arduous process for everyone involved but we recognise that the Energy Bill has now become legislation and the framework for development beyond 2017 is known.

“There are issues still outstanding to be resolved through secondary legislation, and in the face of very challenging strike prices there is still much work to be done between government and industry to ensure that obstacles are removed and much needed clean and domestic sources of energy can come forward over the next decade.”

Non-domestic RHI boost for CHP, air and ground source heat pumps The Department of Energy & Climate Change has published a response document, “NonDomestic Renewable Heat Incentive: Improving support, increasing uptake”, which sets out a range of improvements and increased support under the non-domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI).

This responds to the consultations “Expanding the non-domestic scheme”, “Air to Water Heat Pumps and Energy from Waste” and “Non Domestic Scheme Early Tariff Review” as well as addressing the outcome of four calls for evidence related to bio-propane, large biomass, ground source heat pumps and landfill gas.

The non-domestic RHI scheme has been open to commercial, industrial, public sector, not-for-profit and community generators of renewable heat since November 2011. The scheme is designed to bridge the gap between the cost of fossil fuel heat sources and renewable heat alternatives

through financial support for owners of participating installations.

Given low levels of uptake for some technologies in the scheme and additional evidence from stakeholders, it was decided to re-examine the evidence on the assumptions and cost data used to set the level of tariffs.

Subject to state aid approval, DECC intends to increase the support available for renewable combined heat and power plants, large biomass boilers (more than 1MW), deep geothermal, ground source heat pumps, solar thermal and biogas combustion >200kW. DECC is also introducing new support for air-water heat pumps and commercial and industrial energy from waste.

GI Energy chairman Mike Fellowes commented: “We are delighted that energy and climate change minister Greg Barker has listened to our concerns and created this fantastic boost for large-scale

ground source heat pump systems. We look forward to playing our part in continuing to grow this market for this extremely efficient method of heating and cooling buildings that will contribute significantly to the UKs carbon reductions and providing a more sustainable and economic solution.”

Phil Hurley, NIBE managing director, said: “The decision to include air source heat pumps in the non-domestic scheme represents long-awaited recognition of the benefits of this technology, and marks a much-needed step forward in the movement to cut emissions in the commercial sector.

“We are also pleased to see an increase in the non-domestic tariff for ground source heat pumps. While these have not reached the level suggested in the original consultation, increasing tier 1 payments to 8.7p/kWh will undoubtedly provide an important market boost.”

Sustainable energy body formed

The Micropower Council’s executive committee has announced its decision to become the Sustainable Energy Association, an organisation focused on linking together energy efficiency and demand reduction with low carbon production of energy from buildings and the integration of these with the wider energy system.

Energy and Climate Change minister Gregory Barker welcomed the move. He said: “I warmly welcome the creation of the Sustainable Energy Association. For the industry to approach policy development in a way that integrates energy efficiency and low carbon distributed energy production in buildings fits exactly with my vision of the future – an energy sector of the big 60,000.”

No basis to change fourth carbon budget the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) has advised that there has been no change in the circumstances upon which the fourth carbon budget (2023-2027) was originally set in 2011 that would justify a lowering of ambition. As a result the budget cannot be changed under the terms of the Climate Change Act. the CCC said that, if anything, changed circumstances point towards a tightening of the budget.

However, the CCC advises that it would be premature to do so until uncertainties at the eU level have been resolved.

the CCC’s advice comes as part of an agreement with the government that the budget would be reviewed in 2014. the Climate Change Act (2008) sets out the basis for the review: it must be based on advice from the CCC and only if there has been significant change in circumstances, demonstrated by evidence and analysis, can the budget be changed. the report compares a strategy of reducing emissions through the 2020s with one where action is delayed until the 2030s.

It shows that there are

significant savings associated with early action (eg more than £100bn in present value terms under assumptions that the gas price remains at the current level, with much higher savings in a world with a high gas price). the only situation where early action would be more costly is if there were to be a combination of a low carbon price and low fossil fuel prices. this would be counter to UN ambition and to expectations for the oil and gas markets. the report considers impacts from meeting the budget, concluding that these

are small and manageable.

Lord Deben, chairman of the CCC, said: “this report shows the clear economic benefits of acting to cut emissions through the 2020s...while it is essential to understand affordability and competitiveness impacts associated with the budget, the evidence suggests that these are relatively small and manageable. “the government should confirm the budget as a matter of urgency. this would remove the current uncertainly and poor investment climate.”

December 2013/January 2014 | water energy & environment

7

News AND CommeNt

Complacent businesses risk blackout ruin Small and medium-sized businesses must shake off complacency and heed the widely reported warning from the National Grid that the risk of power blackouts this winter is at an all-time high, writes Steve Spicer of power management company Eaton.

As in almost every commercial operation, IT systems are at the heart of most SMBs. If a power cut means that those IT systems stop functioning, the business stops functioning. And it’s not always a case of “when the power comes back, we’ll be up and running again”. Unplanned power interruptions often lead to extensive data loss and corruption.

Why are SMBs particularly at risk? The answer is that larger companies will almost certainly have robust data back-up regimes in place using Virtualised Data Recovery suites. They are also more likely

to have a back-up power source, such as generators, as well as uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems that eliminate – or at least greatly reduce – the risks associated with unexpected mains supply interruptions.

In contrast, SMBs can be more relaxed about performing data back-ups and protecting their equipment from mains power issues. Indeed, it is not unusual for those that do have a UPS system in place to assume it will be ready and working when needed, even if it hasn’t been maintained or checked since purchase.

Some SMBs feel that their IT system is too small for it to be worth installing UPS protection, but they should remember that even if they only have a single PC, the data it contains – sales and customer records, invoicing information, details needed for the compilation of tax and VAT returns – can be hugely valuable and, in many cases, irreplaceable.

Other SMBs feel installing a UPS system is an unwarranted expense and are, perhaps, sufficiently complacent to feel that “it will never happen to me.” Maybe they should bear in mind that in 2012, almost a million people in the UK were affected Now remember the National Grid warning that things are likely to get worse rather than better this winter, and that the supply of mains power from the grid is likely to be even less reliable than it has been in the immediate past. It is clear that there is an increasing chance that “it will happen to you”.

Interestingly, most of those SMBs reluctant to spend on UPS systems have business insurance in place to provide protection against fire, theft and other risks. And a UPS system is nothing other than a form of insurance that provides protection against the adverse effects of power blackouts.

Viewing it in this way can help to put the comparatively modest cost of a UPS into context.

Owners and managers of SMBs are busy people, but that must be no excuse for them to ignore National Grid’s wake-up call. They must find time now to think about the impact that power cuts could have on their business, and how best to limit this impact, rather than waiting for those cuts to happen. It is, of course, always possible to shut the stable door after the horse has bolted, but that’s hardly an effective strategy for business survival and success. www.eaton.eu/powerquality

Investment uncertainty key concern for energy industry Consistency in approach from policy makers is key to encouraging greater investment in the energy sector. That was the opinion at an event organised by law firm Addleshaw Goddard at its Milton Gate office in London.

Richard Goodfellow, who heads the international law firm’s energy and utilities practice, told the event that greater energy efficiency was “becoming a key economic part” of the energy debate.

Hosted by Addleshaw Goddard and organised by the CBI, the “Achieving a secure, affordable and low-carbon future” event saw a panel of senior figures including CBI director general John Cridland, shadow secretary of state for energy and climate change Caroline Flint and GE UK and

“Politicians had to ‘think long-term’ about the UK’s energy future” Ireland president and chief executive Mark Elborne debate the major issues in the sector.

Mr Goodfellow said: “As someone who works with businesses investing their money, what is the chief concern I see over and over again? It is investment uncertainty. Consistency in approach so that investors can plan long term is the key thing we want from policy makers.

Whether investing in assets or in making our businesses

insulated against price risk we want to see consistency in approach.”

Mr Cridland said that politicians had to “think longterm” about the country’s energy future.

“We’ve got a once in a lifetime opportunity to transform our energy infrastructure and build a system that is robust, sustainable and future-proof for the next generations,” he said.“We need our politicians to keep an eye on that prize and maintain the trust and confidence of industry.”

And adding to the investment debate, he told the 100-strong audience: “As we all know, market uncertainty is a surefire way to make an investor think twice about where they are going to put their money.

8 December 2013/January 2014 | water energy & environment

We all know that we are facing a major investment challenge.

We are currently embarking on the biggest transformation of our energy market since privatisation. This will require £110bn of private sector investment.

“We also need to diversify our energy mix, so that we are not relying on any one fuel or technology – we want to see a future where we are getting our power from a mix of nuclear, renewables and gas, eventually with carbon capture and storage in order to achieve our low carbon targets to which the CBI is committed. Whichever way you look at it, we’re going to need investment in a balanced energy portfolio if we are to ensure a secure, lowcarbon and affordable system for the future.”

viewpoint

What is Ofwat for?

Energy Managers Association CEO Lord Redesdale questions why Ofwat isn’t looking more to the long term for its solutions

T

he Water Bill is inching its way through Parliament at the moment with little or no press comment.

It is as though water is an uncontentious irrelevance that has little impact on the lives of those living in Britain. As ever with water, when we are faced with drought, floods, pollution or significant raises in cost there is an outcry, but it is very difficult to maintain political and public interest when things return to normal.

If the Water Bill were going through Parliament in drought conditions far more attention would be paid to its details. At this time when our ever increasing demand and climate change are storing up so many challenges for the future, water and the Water Bill should be the subject of far greater debate.

Privatisation has brought steady investment into the

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remain sustainable.

The climate is already changing. The drought of 2012, which started in 2011, was only elevated due to a 200% increase in the UK’s rainfall pattern. A major water shortage was averted.

Conversely, if we’d had a wet

The government has put forward a proposition that a duty to address resilience is the answer. This would be a start but does not go far enough

industry. Furthermore, Ofwat has micromanaged the water companies through a five-year funding cycle that has kept costs down for the end user. If water were merely a financial product, privatisation would be seen as a great success and the ownership of the water companies by pension funds would be a great model.

The present state of affairs, however, only pays lip service to ensuring supplies

winter many parts of the country would have faced the prospect of ground water flooding because the aquifers were close to capacity. Such an event is almost certain to happen in future. Are we as a nation making adequate preparation?

My argument is that the Water Bill is inadequate to meet the UK’s needs. Ofwat, as ever, is turning to the market to provide solutions.

Competition through the trading of water, it believes, will deal with the difficulties the industry faces. The reality is that there will be a very little opportunity to trade water between companies.

And while different companies offering services outside their captive areas might improve provision to customers, they will do nothing to elevate the effect of drought or flooding.

The concept of pumping water around the country is environmentally illiterate. One litre of water is one kilogram, pumping tens of millions of litres is the equivalent of millions of tonnes. The energy cost would be enormous and the water industry is already one of the biggest energy consumers in the UK. What should be in the Water Bill, and I will move an amendment to make sure it is in the Water Bill, is a fundamental change to Ofwat’s core duties. At present Ofwat only has a

secondary duty to ensure sustainability: I believe this should be a primary duty. The government has put forward a proposition that a duty to address resilience is the answer. This would be a start but does not go far enough.

Sustainability being one of Ofwat’s primary duties would make the regulator give as much consideration to sustainability as it does price. Long-term thinking is required, thinking that will allow the industry to sustainably develop over the next 20 years.

I am a water customer now and I certainly plan to be one in 20 years time.

Treating water as an economic issue alone is short sighted in the extreme. we&e Lord Redesdale established the Energy Managers Association in February 2012 and it now represents energy managers from companies with a collective energy spend of about £3bn

www.theema.org.uk

December 2013/January 2014 | water energy & environment

9

Insight

Energy is what it’s all about Multinational corporation Schneider Electric sees itself as a global specialist in energy management and it is now trying to extend its offering by buying in consultancy expertise and move away from just selling products to selling solutions. Tim McManan-Smith met up with Schneider Electric’s UK & Ireland managing director Stuart Thorogood

W

ould you now call Schneider Electric an energy

company?

Absolutely, I see Schneider as an energy company. It’s become what it is all about.

Everyone knows about energy efficiency now, everyone has bought into the need for it.

You see some of the surveys from organisations like the CBI which have things like 88% of all CEOs are convinced that sustainability is a key strategic part of your business.

95% believe that energy security and pricing is their biggest issue, so it’s there.

Does it translate into action?

It is happening but it is not yet where it needs to be. We’ve been through our kit and made sure that they are highly efficient so that’s all there. It’s had to morph into how can we enable energy efficiency, how can we make it mainstream.

What we call ourselves is the energy management specialist.

The conversations that I have with customers are so different than they were 10 years ago.

They talk about operating expenses rather than cap-ex and they talk about finance.

With the Energy Bill, the CRC and so on in the UK, the best thing that we can do is energy efficiency. CEOs get it now. I know it’s going to cost more to do this but it’s the right thing to do. And when we look at this in five years it’s going to save but at the moment we are going to have to spend some money.

Do you get involved in the financing of projects?

More and more now the discussion is about finance for cap-ex projects – can we lease stuff?

We do energy performance contracting, we’ve been doing that for some time.

But this has been aided by the purchase of companies such as M&C Energy.

We’ve been dealing with the NHS hospitals and universities doing energy performance contracting. So we come along and do a full audit and out of that we can say what the potential savings are. Then we will commit to that formally and then we will bring finance.

It’s not our own finance, there are many people now talking about the green dollar or the green pound so there is money available now. We find ourselves in a position where we are like the broker and we make it happen.

We take the contract. The hospital, for instance, pays nothing on day one. However, it gets this energy reduction.

In the best cases we can get 30% and we have to do some major refurbishment such as boilers, heat exchangers and CHP. We don’t make CHP, so we will procure it and we will run the project and manage it, put it in and so effectively what the building or hospital does is pays for the kit or the lease or whatever arrangement and this comes out of the savings. If the savings don’t come up to the commitment then we pay the difference so it is are never out of pocket.

“

Conversations that I have with customers are so different than they were 10 years ago. They talk about operating expenses rather than cap-ex and they talk about finance

10 December 2013/January 2014 | water energy & environment

Then after the agreed period of time the kit is theirs.

Are you involved much in onsite renewable energy?

If they want to put solar on the roof, for instance, and this is starting to happen more and more, it is more expensive and so the payback is longer. I was talking to the CEO of Honda in Swindon and 25% of its energy comes from solar and this is a manufacturing plant.

It started by doing rooftop solar and then in the adjoining land it has created a solar farm. It hasn’t blown its own trumpet about this. It just does it. Solar is now reaching grid parity so it’s a good option.

Is it a problem that a large multinational equipment manufacturer has bought a consultancy that should be offering independent advice?

I can see that there would be a question mark but in the end it has got to be shown to be able to deliver. In energy performance contracting we have skin in the game and would recommend the best solutions that we could. We wouldn’t just recommend Schneider kit.

M&C Energy offers advice on demand side advice solutions would they recommend Schneider kit?

It has no constraints today that tell it to do that and you have to keep that. It is important to keep the position that you are a credible consultant and that you will bring forward the best offer.

Why does a very successful equipment manufacturer want to get so far into consultancy particularly on the supply side which is not traditionally an area for Schneider Electric?

[It has purchased energy procurement consultancies Summit Energy in 2011 and subsequently M&C Energy] Primarily it helps me when I go to a CEO of a large enterprise and generally the discussions that I want to have these days are about energy

“

The building blocks of efficiency Schneider Electric’s interoperable applications work with virtually any software, hardware, or system. It has a board level overview with mid-level magament and shop flloor solutions.

Enterprise-wide resource planning and management (board level) Executives can evaluate energy, water, and waste; track carbon footprint; and monitor energy markets to drive sustainability strategy effectively: n Resource Advisor Multi-site analysis of energy, operations, and assets (mid-level) Managers can aggregate, analyse, and report on financial and operational data from a single site or company-wide: n Energy operation n Building operation n Data center operation n Plant operation n Meter network operation Facility-level management of systems, devices, and processes (shop floor) Onsite managers and operators can control power and processes down to the device level, preventing business disruptions and disturbances: n Process Expert n Power Monitoring Expert n Data Center Expert n PowerSCADA Expert n SCADA Expert

So was this the aim of buying consultancies so that the conversation could be held higher within a organisation?

It was strategic by Schneider in that it wanted to be having conversations with organisations at several levels. Yes, we will talk about the equipment because it

It’s important to keep the position that you are a credible consultant and that you will bring forward the best offer

and it helps me if I can go with a basket of offers that answers as many questions that the customer has as possible.

We supply customers such as United Utilities, for example, with a lot of equipment but it is not very exciting for me to discuss this with the director.

It is not that interesting to that guy. It’s equipment, he gets

provide the total package.

We can put it all together.

really interested and wants to talk to me if it fails badly but it’s not strategic. But I can go along now ask what’s your energy strategy, what’s your plan for five years, for 10 years out. It comes back to what the customers want from us.

is extremely important and we understand about the criticality of power and so on.

We found that the higher up in an organisation the person we spoke to, the more that they wanted us to provide. These days an energy director wants more. The strategy really became one of being able to

What do you use to put it all together?

We connect everything together with ethernet IP right through the organisation.

Come up into operations from the shopfloor. Mid-level management then enterprise level – which is Resource Advisor (which came from Summit and M&C).

There is plenty of data available for the CEO, CFO but what are you doing with it? We can provide all of this data down here [at shopfloor level] and quantify it in units of carbon and so on. It gives you one version of the truth in realtime. It’s not a report compiled from different sources in an excel spreadsheet.

The data that you get a enterprise level is the real data from down the shopfloor.

You’ve got all this data but how is it leveraged it effectively?

We use it for control and supervision and operations but how do we use it too for making decisions about what we are going to do in

five years time? How do we use it to really tell us we’re doing the right things from an energy efficiency point of view. Rather than relying on an excel spreadsheet that may have an error in it.

Free flow of data allows the users to configure and run itself. You have to keep up with legislation change and so on and the sustainability people from M&C will help a company while the tool is there to simplify and to have everyone looking at the same data and to be able to make decision based on this.

Does the board level need this level of granularity?

At board level they care about the information and to know that savings are actually occurring at the shopfloor level with EcoStruxure and then StruxureWare you are dealing with the same information and integrating third party stuff as well.

Integration with web-based solutions has made it a lot easier, interoperability is not an issue now. Integration is no longer a six-month task but two weeks. we&e www.schneider-electric.co.uk

December 2013/January 2014 | water energy & environment

11

GAS & ELECTRICITY

Big eight challenged An independent energy supplier is challenging the big eight electricity-generating companies to do more to power a competitive market, by improving access for smaller firms in the sector

I

CS Energy has urged major electricity companies to meet their responsibility to offer an open, wholesale trading agreement, just as Ofgem reached its liquidity consultation deadline in mid-December.

With it, the regulator is seeking to improve competition in the sector to benefit consumers and smaller, independent companies.

The call came after iCS sent letters to each of the eight largest electricity-generating companies – Centrica, Drax, EDF Energy, E.On, GDF Suez, RWE npower, SSE and ScottishPower – requesting to purchase electricity for supply to businesses.

However, bosses at iCS say that, so far, they have only received four responses, with just Centrica and SSE offering genuine opportunities.

Meanwhile the company,

which is looking to make a controlled entry into the market in March 2014, has received confirmation from Ed Miliband of a planned roundtable event for small suppliers.

Managing director John Gillborn said: “Establishing a more competitive market, which doesn’t automatically shut the doors to smaller energy suppliers is well overdue for budget-stretched UK customers.

They have simply had enough of footing bottomless household and business bills that fuel the profits of the largest companies.

“We are hoping the Ofgem liquidity consultation will create a step change, promoting more competitive generation and security of supply in a market that currently isn’t allowing independent suppliers – which are often more efficient and offer greener options for customers – to grow and challenge the major players.”

In its letter, iCS requested a wholesale trading agreement that includes: ■ visibility of an 18-month forward price curve, at halfhourly granularity, to price contracts against; and ■ a facility to buy and sell

“

“Supplier Market Access”, which could improve access to the wholesale electricity market. It is hoped that with better liquidity, power sourcing is easier, security of supply stronger and price signals for the future become more visible.

UK customers have simply had enough of footing bottomless household and business bills that fuel the profits of the largest companies

shaped electricity up to 18 months forward at low volumes.

The company’s concerns are reflected in Ofgem’s consultation “Wholesale power market liquidity”, which seeks to provide consumers with more choice, better service and reduced bills. It is looking to make the eight largest generating companies comply with a new license condition,

Mr Gillborn added: “Consumers need a better deal; part of the way we can achieve this is by helping new companies enter the market and independents to grow.

With more visible pricing, trade opportunities open and it becomes harder for companies to make significant price changes.” we&e www.icscomms.co.uk

Leave it to the experts to deliver budget certainty An energy and water management firm that represents thousands of UK businesses says authorities should leave it to the experts to deliver budget certainty for business users.

Utilitywise says ongoing discussions to keep prices universally fixed are totally unworkable because of the structure of the energy supply industry and the effect of global market forces on energy prices.

It says fixed-price contracts can still be negotiated on a case-by-case basis to keep costs manageable in the short term.

And Utilitywise says government efforts should be focused on helping businesses to invest in energy-saving technologies and localised power generation to aid long-term cost reduction.

Tim Hipperson, head of supply and regulation relationships at Utilitywise, said: “It is extremely difficult to control prices because of global pressures, so they need to leave it to the experts in the industry to work on behalf of the end user.

“For example, the knockon effects of the Fukushima nuclear plant catastrophe in

Japan stopped the country using its nuclear generating capacity and created price pressure across the globe.

“Comments that have been made both by government and the opposition will create more uncertainty for businesses already facing the disruption of the Electricity Market Reforms. I would like to have seen more emphasis on investment in the UK’s ageing power infrastructure and more detail around the proposed price freeze.

“We represent more than 15,000 businesses and the message that comes through

12 December 2013/January 2014 | water energy & environment

time and again is that they want budget certainty, which is why we work with so many of them to deliver a range of ways to purchase energy including a choice of utilising shortterm markets to create value through flexible purchasing or the certainty of long-term fixed price contracts.

“However, this can only be done on a contract-bycontract basis – the idea of freezing all energy prices for a whole country for any period of time is fundamentally difficult because of the global pressures on energy prices.” www.utilitywise.com

Risk Management Product of the Year 2013

Take the risk out of energy procurement with BIU’s award winning service BRITISH INDEPENDENT UTILITIES, THE UK’S LEADING ENERGY CONSULTANCY

Cover story

Do you know what you’re paying for?

David Topping, director of corporates, E.ON UK looks at non-energy costs that make up an energy bill and explains how to get a better deal for your company

E

nergy prices often depend on the impact of global events – we only need look at recent history with Fukushima, the knock-on effect on international nuclear policy and, of course, the Arab Spring and its role in rising global oil and gas markets. But alongside the cost of the raw materials, the impact on bills of non-energy costs is a growing concern for many energy buyers – whether those costs come in the form of transmission or distribution charges, the impact of environmental or social obligations or taxes imposed.

To give you a sense of scale, these charges now make up about 40% of the average business electricity bill. These are serious numbers that need full consideration – that was certainly the feedback we received at our recent business energy conference and in direct conversations with customers.

Alongside the confusion around exactly what makes up an energy bill, what is clear is that varying levels of transparency and different pricing methods across the market are making it very difficult for both energy managers and brokers to effectively compare quotes and get the best deal.

Understanding energy prices You can see from the chart, right, that while wholesale power prices have increased by about 15% over the past three years, distribution and transmission charges (the yellow and orange lines) have increased by about 30% and even the smaller Elexon and Hydro charges have risen by about a fifth.

Captiom

But the charge that really stands out is the Renewables Obligation – which levies subsidies for renewable generation technologies to help the UK to hit its green targets – which has more than doubled in just three years. The Feed-in Tariff – a government initiative that pays consumers to generate their own energy from renewable sources – is predicted to be nearly 90 times higher in this year than when the scheme was first

introduced back in 2010.

The real challenge for the energy industry is to clarify the impact of these costs across the market for its customers. Put simply, it is making it much harder to compare quotes and work out who’s offering the best deal. From feedback, we are aware that there are many different approaches to quoting and displaying non-energy costs between suppliers and it’s not always easy to evaluate contracts on a like-forlike basis.

Relative movements in electricity costs 2010 to 2013 % 220 200 180 160

DUoS RIO TNUoS Elexon Hydro* Wholesale energy

140 120 100 80

2010

2011

2012

2013

Source: Chart compiled using published industry data and our view of wholesale power prices for a typical half hourly metered customer consuming approximately £75,000 worth of electricity per year. Please contact us if you’d like more information. * Hydro charge officially known as Assistance for Areas with High Electricity Distribution Costs

14 December 2013/January 2014 | water energy & environment

Some suppliers offer fixed non-energy costs, with guarantees that they will not recover costs where forecasts are incorrect. Others offer fixed energy prices and customers are hit with the additional non-energy charges at a later date. On the other hand, you might be offered a quote which excludes these costs completely – instead receiving a bill with the latest rates added on. Another alternative is for suppliers to provide a more explicit breakdown of costs, either using the latest published rates or with forecasts to help budgeting.

Then there’s the fact that not all customers want the same thing. Some are prepared to pay a premium to fix their prices and for their suppliers to take on that element of risk, while others value transparency and paying the actual outturn rates – even if these fluctuate.

Others might be happy to take on the risk themselves, albeit with greater advice and engagement from their supplier, and then there are some who are simply unaware of what they are signing up to.

“

The real challenge for the energy industry is to clarify the impact of these costs across the market for its customers. Put simply, it is making it much harder to compare quotes and work out who’s offering the best deal

For a customer it’s vital to understand how suppliers quote for non-energy costs and what they are prepared to take on – does the supply quote include all relevant charges for the entire length of the contract or will they be looking at a significant additional charge somewhere down the line because the rules have changed without their knowledge?

At E.ON we’re committed to offering customers transparent quotes and invoices, so they know exactly what they’re paying for. We also provide them with the information they need to make an informed decision about the type of contract they sign up to.

E.ON’s fixed or flexible products – assessing your appetite Once you’re aware of what makes up the total cost of your energy bill, the next step in managing your approach to buying energy is to look inwards

and assess your desire to engage in how, and when, you buy that power or your appetite for risk when it comes to market activity and meeting your demand.

That attitude or appetite for risk is one of the key factors for customers when it comes to agreeing an energy contract.

Products can range from a fully fixed contract, offering consistency and security, to live market-tracking packages.

Using its years of experience in the Corporates market, E.ON offers expert knowledge, with products built in partnership with its customers and based on understanding of individual needs.

Fixed Fixed contracts can be up to three years in length, with the electricity or gas price fixed for the duration. This means customers can forecast and manage their energy budget knowing there won’t be anything unexpected coming for the duration of that contract*.

Flexible products Flexible

Getting the best deal When it comes to making sure you get the right deal for your business, our advice to customers is simple: Ensure you understand suppliers’ terms and conditions, not just their marketing literature!

Look at their past behaviour and historic approaches to recovering these charges Ask for quote transparency – make sure you or your broker are comparing prices on a like-for-like basis Ask for information about what’s driving these charges so you can make informed decisions.

Being better informed about energy and non-energy elements of prices will help companies understand their options on how to buy energy.

To help them, we produce the E.ON MarketReport, which gives a monthly update on the complex UK energy market and world events which influence it as well as key things to watch out for in the month ahead.

To register to receive this monthly report, visit eonenergy.com/marketreport

products allow customers to purchase electricity or gas in tranches through a dedicated flexible products team. This gives greater control of risk – as well as bringing freedom, control and price transparency to power and gas purchasing.

MultiPurchase Multipurchase contracts are designed to give customers flexibility and freedom for both electricity and gas, offering a choice of when to buy energy – monthly, quarterly, seasonally or annually. Instead of being tied to a single price throughout the contract they can take advantage of favourable market conditions with the confidence that E.ON’s regular market reports mean they will be able to make informed decisions.

ACC Liverpool is a landmark £164m regeneration project on Liverpool’s waterfront, home to the 11,000 capacity Echo Arena and the award-winning BT Convention Centre. Gerald Andrews of ACC Liverpool says: “E.ON have always helped us find the best deal. At the moment, we’ve moved to a more flexible way of buying energy through multi purchase contracts, which allows us to fix our costs for longer periods.”

Market trigger A flexible product, enabling customers to buy electricity or gas in more than one go, when market conditions suit.

E.ON will monitor the market for the customer, who has the reassurance of knowing that E.ON will contact them if any triggers are reached, leaving them to get on with running their business.

Bywaters (Leyton), a recycling company, has been helping others to manage their waste for more than 60 years. Understandably they’re passionate about saving energy and protecting the environment, but in the current climate, they need to save money too.

John S Glover, managing director of Bywaters, says: “Our main recycling facility

processes over 125,000 tonnes of material each year, with electricity needed to power most equipment. In 2012, we moved to a flexible ‘market trigger’ product, allowing us to keep track of the ever changing energy market and fix prices for a period of time.

Cost is our biggest driver, with small margins making a huge difference – even 1%. So, being able to make decisions about our energy based on E.ON’s expertise and experience has been invaluable.”

Fully flexible Fully flexible gas and electricity contracts give customers flexibility about when to buy their energy, as well as additional transparency – in terms of both non-energy costs and access to wholesale prices via our sales traders.

Reforecasting and the ability to unfix positions are also available with these products.

This is available to businesses with an annual consumption of more than 10 GWh. E.ON Portfolio Solution (EPS) E.ON Portfolio Solution offers advice and risk management strategies, energy portfolio position reports, market intelligence, detailed commentary on price drivers, and a forward view of the market. EPS enables corporate customers to reduce exposure and risk, while taking advantage of purchasing direct from the wholesale market.

Customers can develop a purchasing strategy through a detailed risk management workshop, then take advice from a dedicated Portfolio Manager on when to buy.

EPS is a subsidiary of E.ON Energy Trading, and is fully licensed and supervised by the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin).

For more information visit eonenergy.com/ corporateenergy *subject to any unknown legal or regulatory changes

December 2013/January 2014 | water energy & environment

15

Gas & Electricity

Where we are and where we’re headed The UK energy market is being rushed through an enforced update because it has been neglected for the past 15 years or so. Today we are embroiled in that legacy. Alfa Energy chairman John Hall looks to the future

W

hen the Large Combustion Plant Directive was first proposed it made sense to phase out the large emissionsemitting power stations and replace them with a greener and more efficient ones, and that was the general view at the time so that the EU could comply with its environmental directives.

Now, 10 years on as the stations are being phased out with 7.5 GW scheduled to go by 2015 but only 2.5 GW being replaced, we realise that we have not only a potential capacity shortfall but also a shortfall in the sustainable capacity coming from Renewables. The original question that this strategy provoked was: “If new renewable capacity is not sufficient, will the government of the day reprieve those stations under the LCPD or let the lights go out?”

We still do not have an answer but what we do know is that there were no plans to

“

The UK has continued to deplete its supply of gas by exporting it through the Bacton Interconnector to the Continent

16 December 2013/January 2014 | water energy & environment

invest further in the actual plant designated for shut down under the LCPD and that it would be run down to the point beyond which it could go no further anyway.

So, reprieve for much of it, without substantial investment is an unlikely option.

National Grid is naturally confident over supplies for the forthcoming winter. Demand for gas will be similar to last year and there is a range of different supply sources while for electricity with more planned scheduled for closure and not being replaced the situation will be tighter.

Nevertheless, assuming we get through this winter, the next will be more demanding as closures take affect.

We hear talk of large industrial customers cutting consumption in times of high demand but does this mean the return of interruptible gas contracts and the creation of such contracts for electricity?

Back in 2004, a statement from the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology stated: “The shift from domestic gas surplus to import dependency may leave the UK more vulnerable to supply interruptions and gas price fluctuations”.

Yet, in spite of the warning, the UK has continued to deplete its supply of gas by exporting it through the Bacton Interconnector to the Continent.

Now, nine years later, the UK can only supply around a quarter of its own gas needs while looking ahead to 2020, gas needed for generation will more than double to around 70% as it replaces coal and oil fired plant.

Concern over the cost of domestic energy is high on the agenda again following the latest round of price increases but this time politicians have attempted to gain from the situation. Ed Miliband for the Labour Party has promised to “freeze” prices for 20

Six are not transparent and months while prime minister one does not know precisely David Cameron, in response, what price levels have been has expressed frustration at agreed and this should be the impact of “green taxes” urgently investigated. from domestic utility bills.

Renewables thrive on Yet, with supplier profit subsidies and while the Feedmargins running at 3 to in Tariffs reward those who 5%, consumers are quick have supposedly invested to castigate them but when in the new technology, other organisations that realisation is filtering through thrive off public expenditure, to the general public that they like supermarkets and high are the ones to pay for the street stores, make good subsidies through the green profits they are applauded and taxes which have made up customers switch to the best! an increasing proportion of Senior Politicians the overall energy bills. The don’t necessarily want to phrase “government money” understand how the market has now been changed operates but prefer to use the to “public money” or headline of the day for “taxpayers money” or political advantage just “our money” where they can. and how it is Their agendas being used is may differ under scrutiny although as politicians in the net generating now know and background capacity to disppear also fear as there is election dates actually by 2015 loom ahead. much cross Green taxes have party consensus always been a threat on what needs to the end user cost but to be done although when people are asked if they environmental issues are often care about the environment, where the disagreement arises. most will say they do but We have a fluid wholesale when they are asked if they market to which we add a want to pay for it, the answer range of pass through costs changes and most do not. and taxes to reach a delivered The government will price. The idea of fixing the finally recognise the delivered price while the impact of environmental components remain flexible or green taxation and simply doesn’t make sense. make concessions which Suppliers have to buy we should see passed back ahead to secure supplies and immediately by the suppliers. because they all follow the Nevertheless, whatever is same markets, under the taken out will not disappear same conditions, it is likely but will be moved from that the pattern from one source to another. will be replicated in others.

Furthermore, in his Autumn Ofgem has stated that had Statement the chancellor the suppliers not bought has again confirmed that ahead for this coming winter Fuel Duty will not be and then bought at the end increased, saving consumers of September the cost for to date around 20p per gas would have been 8% litre. At the same time he higher than it was last winter has given a tax concession and for electricity it would to encourage fracking. have been 13% higher.

Today we are planning Unfortunately the price to back nuclear, which 10 dealing between generation years ago was not the chosen and supply divisions of the Big

5GW

option, and restructure the supply sector but time is against us and what is being agreed now to materialise in ten years or so should have been done fifteen years ago.

I remember Brian Wilson the energy minister from 2001 to 2003 stating that he would reduce nuclear capacity and virtually phase it out by 2020 but he didn’t stay long and left only to reappear a short time later working within the nuclear industry.

Likewise, David Cameron was not a supporter of nuclear early on but pressure from the Conservative Party made him aware of its need and it is now firmly on the agenda.

Having spent years discussing the nuclear option the decision has been made for the plant to be built at Hinkley with EDF. However, until recently, the two German suppliers, RWE and E.ON, were serious contenders to invest in the UK but the decision by Germany to dispense with nuclear generation, their potential investment has switched from the UK to Germany where the two suppliers are charged with generating

“

Japan, China and India.

Meanwhile, having got this far, the EU isn’t sure whether the deal between the UK government and EDF is legal or not and has announced an investigation in to the planned development which will have implications for this and the next one.

Looking ahead, the restructuring of the industry under the Energy Bill should clarify how markets are supplied and simplify the contract and price structures but with perceived energy shortages we are also mindful of climate change and the need to cut pollution without imposing additional taxation on our population and industry in times of austerity.

Delays in lack of activity can readily be blamed on the supply sector, namely the Big Six, who took over the industry back in 1990 but, in reality, government indecision and dithering over the years has been the true reason.

So, today we are in rapid catch up mode at a time when UK stocks of gas have been dramatically depleted and generation plant run down to a dangerously low level

Delays in lack of activity can readily be blamed on the supply sector, namely the Big Six, who took over the industry back in 1990 but, in reality, government indecision and dithering over the years has been the true reason

from renewable sources.

Ironically as Germany phases out nuclear the big switch has been to coal with severe environmental implications.

The UK supposedly needs investment of about £200bn over the next eight years or so and with the French support additional funding will come primarily from the private sector and probably the East, namely

without sufficient planning to replace either. The UK is in for a period of severe restraint, making up for the lack of policy decision making during the past 15 years or so. The decisions that will need to be taken will not be vote winners and this will be to the detriment of the government of the day well in to the future. we&e www.alfaenergy.co.uk

December 2013/January 2014 | water energy & environment

17

Gas & Electricity

Checking in for demand response Ziko Abram, director and co-founder of KiWi Power, explains how the hospitality industry is playing its part in helping the UK keep the lights on by reducing energy demand at peak times. In doing so, international hotel chains are finding themselves in a win-win situation

W

ith annual energy costs for the hospitality sector reported to be in the region of £1.3bn and carbon emissions in excess of 8 million tonnes a year, it is no wonder that hotels are looking for ways to drastically cut power consumption and increase efficiency as hikes in energy prices continue.

Several international hotel chains throughout London have recently taken part in successful trials aimed at reducing energy demand during times of grid stress.

During three months last summer, advance notice of 30 minutes was given to participating hotels asking if they would be willing to undergo a drop in power.

If the hotels decided to participate at that particular time then an automated or manual turn down of non-essential systems took place. This event lasted for a short period of time, usually only an hour.

Perhaps the thought of handing over control of your hotel’s cooling, heating and lighting systems to a third party located several miles away in a smart grid operations centre is just too worrying for some hotel managers.

However, the decision to participate always remains at site level. Site personnel will always decide if the hotel is able to participate, and then either activate the strategy through a BMS (building management system), manually turn the

plant off or authorise the demand response partner to remotely activate the pre-agreed strategy.

This whole process is referred to as demand response or demand-side management. When several sites, whether they are hotels, hospitals, airports or retail distribution centres, all agree to participate, then several megawatts of aggregated power can, in effect, be removed from a congested electricity network.

This allows grid operators

to avoid bringing polluting power stations fully online in order to provide extra capacity (something referred to as spinning reserve) or prevents the need to import expensive energy from abroad.

Funded by Ofgem’s Low Carbon Network Fund, Low Carbon London is a £28.3m pioneering learning and demonstration programme, which is using London as a test bed to support the development of a smarter electricity network. www.kiwpowered.com

Demand response in action n Marriott International During one particular one-hour event the power to the chillers was turned off while the fans continued to blow air across the cold pipes. This resulted in a 2°C rise in temperature from 4°C to 6°C and saved about 30-40 kilowatt hours (kWh) in energy. While this may not seem significant, the benefits soon add up if demand response events such as these occurred on a daily basis across Marriott’s UK hotel chain.

With participation payments of about £5,000 a quarter, Marriott International could benefit from a significant new revenue stream across its portfolio.

John Conlon, senior director facilities and project management for Marriott International Europe, said: “Through participation, we have gained deeper insight into our energy use through KiWi Power’s smart meters and software.

We have successfully been able to turn down some of our non-essential systems for up to an hour without any negative impact on business operations or customer comfort levels. We are now looking to increase participation in demand response across our portfolio and hope to roll out the programme to all of our UK hotels.” n Hilton Worldwide As part of this commitment, Hilton Worldwide signed up five of its Londonbased hotels, including Hilton Hotels and Resorts and DoubleTree by Hilton properties, to take part in the demand response trials with KiWi Power. Over the 90 days in which they took part,

18 December 2013/January 2014 | water energy & environment

the hotels made more than 500 kW of demand available to the trial.

Ed Gray, director of energy and utilities for Europe at Hilton Worldwide, said: “Demand response not only reduces our hotel’s overall consumption of electricity, but also focuses our attention on costly wastage during periods of high demand and grid stress. This in turn allows us to be more strategic in the control of our energy for our buildings and delivery of superior comfort for our guests during their stay. It is also one of the many ways we are demonstrating our commitment to living sustainably as a company, as part of our wider Travel with Purpose CR strategy.” n Park Plaza Hotels Park Plaza Westminster Bridge London Hotel is the company’s largest London branch. It will be participating in trials during winter 2013 to find out how demand response could be extended to other hotels in the group.

Daniel Pedreschi, general manager from Park Plaza Westminster Bridge London, commented: “Working with KiWi Power to identify a turndown strategy was a simple process. The strategy identified not only allows the hotel to maintain its high standards in customer comfort, but also to save energy and take part in a green initiative that helps to secure the electricity supply for the local community, reduce carbon footprint while being cost-effective.”

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Gas & electricity

AMR is complex… simple In most cases, the use of automatic meter reading (AMR) is a benefit.

However, getting the most out of it is by no means simple. You have to work it… hard, says BIU head of consultancy Jonathan Akers

The theory is that by using accurate half hourly profile data from the AMR meters, suppliers will be more accurately able to purchase energy to match the usage of their customers. This, however, seems to be an unlikely outcome of the Ofgem and BSC review

I

t would be nice to create a priority list of things you should do in order to maximise the benefits of your AMR meters.

However, with the variety of sites having them installed, even within your own portfolio, you may have already realised that one solution does not fit all.

I don’t want to spend much time talking rhetoric about why AMR is good, because in principle it is. Having more transparency around your building’s usage has got to be

a benefit (so long as the usage of the building is sufficient to make it worthwhile.) As a rule of thumb, if the cost of AMR is less than 2% of the annual spend of the site then it is worth doing.

An end to estimated bills?

The myth around no more estimated bills appears to have subsided; yes, AMR can provide that. However, you have to ensure that the supplier has appointed the correct DCDA, and that the billing cycle and read cycle

system changes have been put in place in order to get your bills on the frequency you want, and using the reads that you want.

I have witnessed organisations receiving monthly bills for quarterly profile sites once AMR has been installed, with actual AMR reads only every three months. It was a half thought out solution to the fact that monthly bills would be better to the end user, but with actual reads only used every quarter.

What it actually resulted

20 December 2013/January 2014 | water energy & environment

in was more bills for the end user to process and check. The accuracy of the bills was improved but the biggest beneficiary was the supplier, which received more regular payments.

It was possible to ensure that either: a) the bills were received monthly, all with actual reads; or, b) that bills reverted back to being received quarterly, again with actual reads.

Either way, it needed intervention to ensure that the supplier and metering

of both operating hours and installed equipment then the benefit will be sufficient enough to have a look. It can be a timely and exhaustive process. However, if you use the AMR profile data the results will only ever fall in your favour. After all, why would you change tariff to a less optimum one?

On average we have found that the savings benefits range As a rule of thumb, from 2% to Optimising 4% of the your tariff if the cost of AMR is annual spend, AMR data less than this, it is which might is a massive worth doing be enough assistance to to offset those evaluating tariff other increases options and profile mentioned earlier. class changes within the NHH market. The ability to Efficiency is key see whether the night time It goes without saying that usage is sufficient to be moved the cheapest energy is that to an Economy 7 or evening/ which is not used at all and weekend tariff is key to behavioural change is still ensuring that the right profile one of the biggest areas of class and tariff is selected. success. We still come across The apparent rarity of the odd site that can reduce NHH AMR meters trading its consumption by 15% or within the settled HH market more due to equipment and does beg the question as to lights being left on overnight, why there is such ambiguity but we generally find that the within the CRC’s Phase 2 impact of a good, continually qualifying criteria that I monitored behavioural incorrectly mentioned in the change programme last article (we&e, October/ produces consumption November 2013, p16). reductions of between 2% For the avoidance of any Location and profile and 6% across all sites. doubt, AMR meters do not Of course, using accurate half BIU operates an Energy form part of the qualifying hourly profile data from the Alarms service to an extensive criteria for the second phase AMR meters makes sense range of clients and although unless they are traded in the from some perspectives. a couple of companies Half hourly market, which However, the assumption achieved close to 10% is very, very unlikely. that this method of purchasing reductions, these are rare.

Savings from tariff and energy will be cheaper for the The important thing is to profile optimisation largely end user than being settled ensure that communication depend upon how well the on the NHH market using to the sites is regular, old meters are matched to the standard profiles appears consistent and informative. the ideal SSC profile. If your to largely depend upon the In the retail environment, sites have changed in terms area of the country that your which represents more than half of our client base, the sites For the avoidance of any doubt, are predominantly concerned with the shelves being stocked, AMR meters do not form part of the the customers being happy qualifying criteria for the second phase and that the food served is of a high quality, not who unless they are traded in the half hourly left the light on in the store cupboard? End users need market, which is very, very unlikely agent were providing what was needed.

It may surprise you to know that your energy supplier will probably not use your AMR collected half hourly consumption to price your energy contracts. BIU has contacted a number of major electricity suppliers and confirmed that only a handful of non half hourly (NHH) AMR meters are actually traded using the half hourly (HH) profile data (on the settled half hourly market).

There is a desire within the marketplace to do this, with this matter having been raised with Elexon in 2011. This is currently under review by Ofgem and the BSC (Balancing and Settlement Code) panel.

The theory behind this is that by using accurate half hourly profile data from the AMR meters, suppliers will be more accurately able to purchase energy to match the usage of their customers.

BIU has been advised that this is unlikely to happen though, with the BSC panel unanimously recommending to the authority that the changes should be rejected.

The jury is out on this one for the time being.

“

supplies are in, due to the variance in Distribution Use of System (Duos) charges.

The increase in these Duos charges places the emphasis more on whether your sites’ consumption is sufficiently different to the existing profile class to change the Standard Settlement Code (SSC) and benefit from a tariff change rather than upgrading to Half hourly.

2%

to know “when” they should do something and “how” they should do something.

The beauty of behavioural change is that it is often repetitive and cyclic along with shift patterns and operational hours. Point out when the problem occurs, the day time period, and this will prevent it from happening again and the lesson is often transferred to other times of day too.

Area managers and properties alike need to be engaged to ensure that there is both a top-down and bottomup drive to tackle the wasted energy problem. Some of our clients have decided to treat wasted energy like stock loss, and I understand why.

That is not to say behavioural change is right for everyone. Building controls do have their place too. Whether it is ensuring that existing ones are working properly or that new ones are performing to meet the original business case consumption profile, data from an AMR meter (or other capable meters) is essential.

This is also true of other technologies such as voltage optimisation or lighting upgrades.

To summarise, it is clear that AMR is good but it won’t achieve much by itself. You’ve got to work it… hard. we&e www.biu.com

Smart metering will change the way we obtain data but it needs to be managed correctly

December 2013/January 2014 | water energy & environment

21

Energy reduction

The heat is on Thermal destratification’s energy reduction process is becoming increasingly popular with businesses worldwide thanks to its impressive cost savings. Airius managing director Stephen Bridges discusses the technology

W

ith prices for energy at an all time high, businesses of all sizes across the UK are seeking innovative solutions to cut their heating bills.

One easy solution that businesses of all types – ranging from SMEs to huge international firms – can implement and benefit from is to install a thermal destratification system.

The natural process of thermal stratification occurs in all buildings. Thermal stratification is caused by hot air rising up to the ceiling or roof Energy savings space because delivered by leading metres to it is lighter than the surrounding 2 metres destratisfication cooler air. from the systems Conversely, cool floor. This costs air falls to the floor a considerable as it is heavier than the amount of money surrounding warmer air. It and produces significant results in dramatic differences carbon dioxide emissions. in temperature from floor Large amounts of wasted to ceiling and wall to wall. heat can build up unseen in According to utility ceilings where the difference giant DTE Energy, thermal in temperature can easily stratification is the single rise 14°C or higher than the biggest waste of energy temperature at floor level, in buildings today and depending on the floor to stratification is an issue ceiling height. The higher that has proven problematic the building, the more to the HVAC industry extreme this temperature for a number of years. difference can be.

Current HVAC systems Destratification is the are typically over-delivering process of equalising the either heating or cooling air temperatures within to compensate for this internal spaces. The smaller stratification phenomenon the temperature differential, in an attempt to achieve the greater the saving on the required temperature heating and cooling costs. A at working level, which is typical installation includes normally only around 1.5 a series of fan units, evenly

50%

spaced throughout a facility, working in conjunction to improve comfort, reduce heating and cooling costs, as well as carbon emissions.

The importance of destratification systems to today’s HVAC industry is enhanced by the proposals being made by the government, as it looks to implement new legislation to tackle the production of harmful emissions. Plans are in place to clamp down on the carbon effect of UK businesses, meaning companies are constantly searching for solutions to

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reduce their energy bills.

Over recent years, numerous systems have been developed with the sole aim of decreasing the temperature gradient from floor to ceiling.

As a result, there are a number of types of destratification fan on the market offering varying degrees of efficiency and energy savings. Over the past few years destratification fan technology has moved on dramatically from the traditional, ineffective paddle and box type fans to the new third generation axial turbine fan.

Destratification systems

Destratification is the process of equalising the air temperatures within internal spaces. The smaller the temperature differential, the greater the saving on heating and cooling costs

22 December 2013/January 2014 | water energy & environment

Sponsored column

Space Airconditioning plc, the uK daikin distributor, comments on matters currently impacting on the air conditioning industry

Hello 2014 – goodbye r22

offer substantial annual energy savings on both heating and cooling costs, with the market leading solution proven to reduce consumption by up to 50%.

The systems maximise the performance of existing heating and cooling systems and equipment, and are designed to be installed alongside all types of heating and cooling equipment to optimise the hot or cool air produced – creating uniform temperatures, while reducing energy costs and carbon emissions.

The Carbon Trust recommends destratification as one of its top three carbon saving measures.

Airius systems are installed in a variety of business facilities including supermarkets, hospitals, warehouse and distribution centres, schools, sports halls, defence and government facilities, museums, gyms, manufacturing facilities, shopping centres and theatres. we&e www.airius.co.uk

A thermal destratification system includes a series of fan units, evenly spaced throughout a facility to improve comfort, reduce heating and cooling costs, as well as carbon emissions

2014 is a critical year. For any business still operating air conditioning or refrigeration equipment designed to use the refrigerant gas HCFC R22, as from 1 January 2015 this refrigerant will be banned throughout Europe and can no longer be legally used for service and maintenance purposes.

Due to its chlorine content, HCFC was classified as an ozone depleting substance so became the subject of a global phase out programme. This was accelerated in Europe under the European Community (EC) Regulation No. 2037/2000. The regulation was re-cast in 2009 under EC 10052009 introducing new controls including leak check and logging requirements aligned with the F-Gas Regulation.

Basically, under these EC Regulations, for service and maintenance purposes, only the use of recycled or reclaimed HCFC R22 has been permitted since December 2009.

Already in very short supply, it will not have gone unnoticed that reclaimed HCFC R22 has become prohibitively expensive in the past few years. This will have pushed up the general cost of maintenance and spare parts are increasingly difficult to obtain. Yet there remains a very substantial amount of equipment still operating with R22.

The manufacture of all new air conditioning, heat pump and refrigeration equipment designed to use HCFC R22 (for the European market) had been prohibited by 2004, but most production ceased well ahead of the phased deadlines.

As a result such equipment is technically classified as obsolete; complete replacement is now the only cost effective option.

As Daikin Distributors for more than 33 years 1980, Space Airconditioning supports the entire Daikin product range including

Chillers, VRV, Split and Multi-Split systems, AHUs and heat recovery ventilation – plus we stock more than 5,000 genuine Daikin parts.

We have invested a great deal of time and effort to raise awareness of current and imminent legal obligations affecting air conditioning, heat pump and refrigeration equipment installations. We offer free assistance with replacement strategies for existing systems, advice on all environmentally acceptable, energy efficient alternatives available from Daikin’s extensive and world leading range as well as finance options.

Among the main benefits offered by today’s alternatives to R22-based equipment include: ■ Greater energy efficiency and thereby reduced operating costs.

■ Heat Pumps can replace coolingonly plant, obsoleting secondary heating systems.

■ R22 replacement affords the opportunity to re-evaluate today’s capacity needs.

■ One of the most important cost benefits in replacing R22-based equipment and systems will be measured in life cycle terms. The maintenance costs relating to R22 systems will already be prohibitive; availability of critical and noncritical components is extending down times and risking complete failure.

Reliable HCFC R22-based airconditioning and refrigeration equipment can legally be operated beyond the deadline of 1 January 2015. However, as soon as any service or repair is required that involves removing the refrigerant, it will be illegal to put R22 back into the system.

2014 business plans should include an R22 replacement strategy, if not already in place, as any air conditioning, refrigeration or heat pump equipment designed to operate with R22 is fast approaching the end of its useful and serviceable life – by law. if you would like more information or assistance email r22@spaceair.co.uk

December 2013/January 2014 | water energy & environment

23

Biomass heat

Mass appeal A 1 MW biomass boiler system is now available from Treco and tax changes could mean up to £242,000 net gain in a year

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ritish businesses looking for medium to large scale biomass heat up to 1 MW can now buy Guntamatic systems of this size. This means proven designs, short lead times and a range of additional financial benefits including tax relief and a 15-25% return on investment.

National biomass heat specialist Treco, Guntamatic’s exclusive UK distributor outside Northern Ireland, has now launched the Guntamatic Pro range of Austrian manufactured boilers with an installed capacity of up to 1 MW. In addition, the maximum annual investment allowance (AIA) increased tenfold from £25,000 to £250,000 on 1 January 2013. This will revert back to a limit of £25,000 on 31 December 2014, so this gives businesses a great opportunity to gain additional Corporation Tax relief by investing in biomass during this time.

Tracey Watts, tax partner from Albert Goodman Chartered Accountants, said: “Combined with an up to £117,000 per year annual benefit in RHI payments and fuel cost savings

we can finally meet the growing from a larger Guntamatic demand we’re experiencing biomass system, Treco can in the UK for systems up to offer a net gain in this period one megawatt. The launch of of up to £167,000 a year to the Guntamatic Pro brings a an incorporated company. simple, modular system proven However, up to £242,000 a year in Europe to mainland UK. annual net gain is available to With the Guntamatic range an unincorporated business.’’ and our own installation teams Treco has completed more we are using proven than 600 installations equipment, installed in the UK, mostly by experienced and Guntamatic, for highly qualified commercial specialists.” customers. It The Pro has already Reduction in carbon range brings confirmed emissions by Guntamatic a first build quality Guntamatic switching from and innovative Pro order oil or LPG designs to systems for 1 MW of of up to 1 MW , boiler capacity, made up from individual although details 175 kW to 250 kW biomass of this are commercially boilers in series. They are confidential. Guntamatic has purpose-designed to stand more than 15,000 systems alone or be used in series, installed and more than 50 offering greater reliability than Pro systems already sold in with a single 1 MW system. mainland Europe since the Mr Trail continued: “Biomass Pro launched there in 2012. heat systems are still fairly new Treco’s founder and in the UK. However, businesses managing director, Gordon and entire communities have Traill, said: “We are pleased that been using them for decades in other parts of Europe. The commercial Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) encourages medium-scale businesses to move to biomass. The numbers are compelling, with a tremendous 15 to 25% return on investment – a net gain of up to £242,000 a year. In addition, carbon emissions are typically reduced by 96% by switching from oil or LPG to biomass heat.”

“Treco and Guntamatic make delivery and installation to the customer fast, easy and flexible via a commercial relationship that focuses on delivering customers’ requirements.

96%

24 December 2013/January 2014 | water energy & environment

Facts about biomass

n A typical Guntamatic biomass boiler is up to 96% efficient in comparison with a domestic wood burning stove’s 70% efficiency and an open fire’s 25% efficiency. n Emissions for biomass heat are typically 98% lower than that for electric heat. Source: Biomass Energy Centre: www. biomassenergycentre.org.uk n A typical large oil boiler is about 86% efficient and produces 350kg of CO2 annually per MW h.

Emissions are typically reduced by 96% vs oil by switching to a Guntamatic system. (Biomass Energy Centre) This means proven designs, short lead times, and excellent, predictable returns for biomass heat right up to one megawatt,” added Mr Trail.

“A business investing up to £250,000 in a large Guntamatic system can now gain tax relief of up to £50,000 for a company or up to £125,000 for an unincorporated business per accounting year pro-rated until 31 December 2014. It’s simple – the sooner you invest, the greater the AIA tax relief is available,” continued Ms Watts. we&e www.treco.co.uk/ products/ boiler/promulti-fuel-175-1000 kW

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Humidity control

Air of change Humidity control is vital in maintaining workplace comfort but often overlooked. John Barker of Humidity Solutions discusses energy-efficient retrofit options

T

here can be no question that indoor air quality (IAQ) is critical to maintaining the health and productivity of the workforce. However, when addressing IAQ there is a tendency to focus on indoor pollutants and overlook the relative humidity (RH).

However, failing to control RH can cause a wide range of health problems for occupants, interfere with the proper operation of office machines and damage the building fabric.

In addition, if the RH isn’t controlled properly (4060% RH is the acceptable range) it can increase energy consumption. If it is too high people feel hot and sweaty out of all proportion to the actual temperature and are likely to use comfort cooling unnecessarily. If it is too low, people feel colder than is justified by the room temperature and turn the heating up. Ironically, raising the temperature also lowers the RH even further, thus exacerbating the problem.

These phenomena are well known and understood but humidity control is often removed from a design during a “value engineering” exercise, leaving building operators with the prospect of retrofitting humidity control after handover.

Low RH is far more common than high RH in the UK and often results from the ventilation system being separate from the heating and cooling systems, such as when VRF or split system heat pumps are in use. This arrangement relies on the outdoor air used

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The most effective and energy-efficient way to deal with low humidity is to introduce a separate humidification system that injects water vapour directly into the space

for ventilation having suitable moisture content. In the winter, though, cold outdoor air may have an RH as low as 25%.

One option would be to greatly increase the amount of outdoor air being introduced but the need to temper this air, and increase the fan power required to move it around, would greatly increase energy consumption.

In our experience the most effective and energyefficient way to deal with low

humidity, particularly when retrofitting to an existing building, is to introduce a separate humidification system that injects water vapour directly into the space.

The options available include atmospheric steam generators with fan boxes on top, or ultrasonic humidifiers spread around the perimeters of the building. However, both take up valuable floor space and do little to complement the aesthetics. A less intrusive option is to use wetted media placed above the ceiling, but this will require extra ductwork and diffusers.

An alternative that avoids these issues is a pressurised water system using compact multi-directional fan assisted nozzles mounted strategically in the space. The nozzles are about the same size as a CCTV camera and are served by a high pressure water ring main that follows cable

26 December 2013/January 2014 | water energy & environment

routes and uses mechanical joints so no fire certification is required for the site.

Each nozzle can be controlled individually or collectively in a zone, via a central controller that maintains the water treatment plant and pumping station. The fan in each nozzle ensures the water is atomised and absorbed within 1.5 metres of the nozzle, enabling this system to be used in spaces with ceiling heights as low as 2.4m. The fact that cold water is used means there is no additional heating energy.

Clearly, such systems require appropriate water treatment and their design facilitates centralised water treatment at the pumping station so that access for maintenance is straightforward and does not disrupt the workplace. This is an important consideration, as all humidification systems, as with most building services systems, require regular maintenance if they are to continue to deliver the required performance.

In taking these steps to gain effective control over RH in winter, building occupiers don’t just get a healthy and comfortable workplace and reduce absenteeism, they are also able to turn the temperature set point down to reduce energy usage.

So, when the full picture is taken into account, humidity control makes perfect sense. we&e www.humiditysolutions.co.uk

HVAC

Doing the business A sustainability charity has upgraded its air-conitioning system in light of decreasing system performance and the phase-out of the R22 refrigerant

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usiness in the Community (BITC) promotes business and workplace sustainability. The BITC offices are on the ground floor of a four-storey building located in Shepherdess Walk in Greater London.

The existing air conditioning system, which contained the refrigerant R-22, had experienced a drop in efficiency, primarily due to the condensers being enclosed, which was carried out some time after completion of the installation.

As the system will not be able to be topped up with R-22 from 2014, performance would continue to decrease and result in increased running costs. Demand for air conditioning had risen, since the system was installed, due to increasing staff numbers.

The installation of a completely new system was also considered but not pursued, due to cost and installation logistics.

The solution The Daikin VRVIII-Q system was chosen for true heat recovery, as this allowed the existing pipe run to be used for the new system. Retaining the existing pipe run overcame the problem of accessing the ceiling void throughout the office areas and meant that cost savings on the installation could be made.

To keep noise levels to a minimum the condensers were housed within a customdesigned acoustic enclosure.

The new installation includes 12 externally fitted

Heat Recovery Condenser units connected using the existing copper pipework to 35 new fan coil units fitted internally for the distribution of uniform air flow at a controlled temperature within set parameters.

The fan coil units consist of a mixture of concealed ceilingmounted units and round flow cassettes of varying capacities between 2 kW and 6 kW. To facilitate independent heating or cooling of different fan coil units each unit had a branch selector box fitted to enable separate unit outputs.

Heat can be recovered from the system where fan coil units are in cooling mode and transferred to areas requiring heating, or surplus heat can be transferred and released externally.

The Daikin VRVIII-Q system operates within the pressure parameters of the old system to allow the reuse of the existing pipework. The lower pressure results in a minor reduction in capacity and duty of the units in relation to a completely new system. However, the cost savings outweigh the capital cost of the installation.

The latest systems incorporating current technology and R-410A refrigerant can operate with an increased efficiency of up to 30% in comparison with older systems containing the R-22 refrigerant. Therefore

“

the capital costs of replacing, or updating, the system can be partially offset by lower, ongoing running costs.

The installation also included a Daikin Sky Air Seasonal Smart DX Split AC system to serve the IT communications room and provide high levels of seasonal efficiency. This is ideal for IT rooms to allow constant cooling at low humidity levels, thus providing ideal temperature control for computer equipment.

Evaporating and condensing temperatures can also be altered to further enhance energy efficiency levels.

A total of 27 wired remote controls were installed for users to be able to easily set winter, summer, or midseason schedules. Maximum and minimum temperature set points are configured so that they can be easily changed by the user. Presence sensors were set up to run

Heat can be recovered from the system in cooling mode and transferred to areas requiring heating

automatically on the round flow cassettes with a potential running cost saving of up to 27% over a three-hour period of non-occupancy achieved by altering the temperature based on occupancy levels.

The Daikin i-Touch controller was installed to manage the temperature parameters for the complete system with thermostatic cut off to improve energy usage.

The temperature band can be widened to save even more energy. From this controller, detailed monitoring and simplified operation of the system is accessible with current and historical energy consumption performance data. This can be monitored across the internet and adjustments made as required.

Kellie Lord, facilities manager at BITC, commented: “We are very happy with the Daikin system – it is 1,000 times better than the old system and was installed just in time for the hot summer weather. A total of 200 employees work here and the system should help with productivity.” we&e www.daikin.co.uk

December 2013/January 2014 | water energy & environment

27

viewpoint

Quantifying our case Alan Aldridge is stepping down from his role as executive director of the Energy Services and Technology Association (ESTA) after 15 years. Here he outlines one of the fresh challenges he sees for the industry

E

far are we prepared to venture nergy is always in out of our individual comfort the media but most zones and work together with of the coverage is our competitors? How ready about generation, are we to share information distribution and bills. Precious in pursuit of a higher goal? little looks at how consumers The industry has come a can help themselves long way in the past couple of by using less, through decades. Energy management implementing demandas a discipline has become side efficiency measures. much more professional The energy services and driven by international and energy management norms like ISO 50001. It industry does not always has incorporated robust get its message through to measurement and verification government and the media methods. There has been a because it does not present move towards speaking with its case clearly, setting out the a joint voice to government financial benefits for UK plc and other decision makers while emphasising how energy – through the Alliance for users can keep bills down.

Energy Management (AfEM), Accurate market and for example, of which ESTA is sales statistics are often the a member. But our voices still hardest to come by, since tend to get drowned out by the manufacturers and suppliers megaphones of the generators regard these as commercial and the infrastructure matters, which could be providers. useful to their direct Coincidentally, a competitors. The new report from budgets for power the Treasury stations and focuses on the infrastructure The net benefit of carbon bound up projects are often best practice in in the national easier to source as infrastructure infrastructure these “big ticket” and ways to reduce numbers hide most it. Infrastructure here of the detail (however, refers to the country’s there seems to be little interest energy systems but also to in finding out retrospectively communications networks, how accurate those initial transport systems and water estimates were). There are industry. There are several also fewer organisations on messages that the energy the large-scale supply side management industry should infrastructure market – how be taking on board too. The many companies do you know first is that the government that build power stations? understands the message that The energy management “reducing carbon reduces industry still has some costs”. To be effective in searching questions to answer. business and to get measures As a sector, how keen are we implemented in practice to get our message to the organisations must do both. heart of government? How

£1.46bn

If the Treasury has now got the message, we can hope that it will be taken seriously across government and beyond.

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However, the Treasury report does not consider what the impact of lower energy consumption by end-users

In order to convince the government that investing in energy efficiency is just as important as building new infrastructure, we as an industry need to be able to demonstrate that it would be more cost-effective for UK plc

Secondly, it notes that carbon is a proxy for resource efficiency, a variation of the message the energy management industry has been stressing for many years now. Resource efficiency is something everyone should all be concerned with, in both the private and public sectors. In manufacturing, for example, the most energy efficient factory will also have lower product wastage – because the management are on the ball and know what they are doing across all aspects of the business.

The report also quantifies the effect of carbon savings. “If emerging best practice is driven across the infrastructure sector over the coming years, analysis suggests that up to 4 MtCO2e/ year of capital carbon and 20 MtCO2e/year of operational carbon could be saved by 2050. This represents a net benefit to the UK economy in that year of up to £1.46bn/ year,” it says. Could the energy management industry come up with a similar ball-park figure for all its activities?

28 December 2013/January 2014 | water energy & environment

would be on the infrastructure issue. The report does note, though, that “there’s huge scope for reducing infrastructure carbon by changing customer behaviour” adding that this is a topic deserving of its own report but that this lies outside the scope of the present study.

In order to convince the government that investing in energy efficiency is just as important as building new infrastructure, we as an industry need to be able to demonstrate that it would be more cost-effective for UK plc.

We will need to come up with robust figures for the potential impact of energy efficiency and we will need to speak with a single voice across the whole energy efficiency landscape in order to compete with the supply side. It is incumbent on the industry to make this case. Do we have the desire and the ambition to achieve this goal? we&e ESTA represents more than 100 major providers of energy management equipment and services across the UK www.esta.org.uk

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Training

Reaching the top in energy management Energy management has to tackle staff awareness if it is to achieve effective reductions in energy consumption. Sarah Beacock, skills and capability director at the Energy Institute, explains the some of the training opions available for energy professionals

I

n the summer of 2013 the Carbon Trust carried out a survey of the energy efficiency investment options undertaken by almost a thousand businesses in the past year. The results showed that top of the “technologies” invested in was lighting (77%) but next on the list was employer awareness training.

It is interesting to note that although every other item on the list was in fact a technology of some type, nevertheless training featured high on the list of needs for most organisations serious about energy use. A study by Natural Resources Canada has shown that the energy savings made from investing in people can be about four times higher than those made from investing in technology.

(Investing in both resulted in savings of almost 25%.)

In recent years this number of organisations has been growing due to a combination of legislation around carbon emissions and the strong desire to control costs beyond the most expedient method of changing supplier every few years. As energy has moved higher up the boardroom agenda more companies are realising that they need a basic internal understanding of their energy use. However, the more savvy companies are realising the need for some level of expertise in both the technology and human factors related to energy use.

Undoubtedly the greater the

experience of managing and reducing energy consumption an organisation has, the better it is able to understand both its future needs and its real limitations. A large organisation may already have some level of suitable engineering expertise in its team that can take on an energy management role.

For others, however, there is a real need for either training or the use of expert consultants. As you would expect of a growing area of need, there are also many more suppliers of such services coming to the fore.

The constant concern for organisations with growing energy bills and no experience therefore is where to get trusted expert help?

At the Energy Institute we celebrate 100 years of energy professionalism in 2014 and our members have worked in all facets of the energy industry in the UK and around the world. We have specialised in commercial energy management training for more than 15 years and in the past two to three years have overhauled our provision

in this sector to meet the more specialised needs of buildings, industry and transport. We have also focused our efforts on establishing the importance of the role of energy managers in their organisations, as well as the critical additional skills that qualified and experienced consultants can bring to even the most experienced energy managers.

Career pathway This has created a valuable career path for the developing energy manager and a minimum benchmark standard for those who operate at the highest level in energy management consultancy. The path begins with our three levels of energy management training – suitable for the new entrant to an energy management role up to the experienced engineer who needs more specialised focus on the main technologies.

Training for energy managers Level 1 covers the introductory Certificate in Energy Management Essentials qualification, designed to give participants an overview in the fundamentals of energy management. The course includes participation in five days of energy management workshops, taking place over one week.

The course comprises 50 continuing professional development (CPD) hours and incorporates energy regulations and standards,

30 December 2013/January 2014 | water energy & environment

monitoring and targeting, as well as practical energy auditing. As part of this, course delegates conduct a supervised visit to a plant room, which forms part of the assessment alongside an exam.

The course is run throughout the year in Glasgow, London and Manchester.

In 2013, the Energy Institute also developed an online version of the Level 1 qualification, including 10 online modules and an exam assessment, offering a flexible approach to the training needs of anyone working in this sector. The programme is interactive and provides a series of practical questions and scenarios for learners to engage with. The syllabus uses case studies and helps individuals to create action points they can take forward on completion of the module.

Level 2 is the EI’s Training in Energy Management through Open Learning (TEMOL) course. This flexible distance-learning programme incorporates 360 CPD hours over a course of 12-18 months’ part-time study.

The programme is ideal for those with some experience of working in energy management and should provide the full range of content that someone would need to take on the role of energy manager.

Topics covered include principles of fuel combustion, heat transfer fundamentals, management techniques for the energy manager and

“

A study by Natural Resources Canada has shown that the energy savings made from investing in people can be about four times higher than those made from investing in technology

developing the financial case.

It also includes working on a project that requires the student to solve a real issue within their organisation as part of the learning process. By enrolling in a distance-learning programme, students are able to start the course at any time and complete the course at their own pace – ideal for busy professionals.

Level 3 provides the EI’s Advanced Energy Manager qualification. This 12-day programme is held in four blocks of training workshops across a six-month period. The qualification is assessed on a feasibility study for a project

(usually conducted in the individual’s workplace) and presented to a panel, and a final examination. This qualification is suitable for established energy managers with at least three years’ experience. The training course consists of 72 CPD hours and covers project management, heating, air conditioning, refrigeration, lighting, compressed air, energy and emissions law and trading, and renewables.

Professional recognition Achieving level 2 or 3 (or similar qualifications offered by other providers) plus

significant experience in the role of energy manager should enable the holder to progress to professional status.

A specialist chartered title – Chartered Energy Manager – was registered by the Energy Institute to enhance the role and status of the energy manager and increases their influence by recognising their expertise through a competencebased assessment of their achievements. It is the gold standard for energy managers and has become a very popular career goal for many because it relies not on course attendance or examinations but an assessment of your competence by your peers.

Many organisations will already be aware of forthcoming legislation for non-SMEs to require an energy audit. With the Department of Energy & Climate Change’s plans well in hand for

meeting the EU’s deadline (through the Energy Savings Opportunities Scheme), organisations should not consider this to be an extra cost or imposition on their ability to conduct their business.

A good consultant will be able to identify energy and cost savings that will both meet the legal requirements and save them money. All the consultants on the EI/ESTA Register of Professional Energy Consultants are experienced, qualified, independently assessed individuals that can deliver you savings. With a unique customer satisfaction guarantee RPEC is the first place to look for cost-effective, high quality expertise (www. energyinst.org/rpec). we&e For more information on the EI’s energy management programme visit www.energyinst.org/ energy-management

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December 2013/January 2014 | water energy & environment

31

Renewable energy

Is the fuel supply sustainable?

With an increase in demand across the commercial sector for wood-fuelled heating, the sustainability of our wood fuel supply is increasingly called into question. Treco has actively worked across the wood fuel supply chain since it established in 2005 and this article discusses the reasons why we may have more wood fuel than we might think

A

lthough current Forestry Commission figures show that today only 53% of our woodlands are being actively managed, they also show that there is a significant and untapped resource of timber, and therefore wood fuel.

The Forestry Commission has been leading a drive to reclaim our vital forestry resources, the economic value of timber produced, the byproducts created from it and businesses based on them.

It has developed a number of woodland grant schemes, wood use initiatives and is actively working with key stakeholders to increase our overall wood supply. The aim is to increase the percentage of managed woodland to 66% in five years and woodland cover in England has already returned to the figure it was in the Middle Ages.

Other organisations such as the National Trust are becoming proactive in using wood fuel sourced from managing the woodlands on their own estates to burn in biomass boilers in their properties. They are paving the way as a great example of self-supply, carbon reduction, energy

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Our new biomass plant will help meet the energy challenges of the next two decades

efficiency and in the adoption of renewable energy in their stock of heritage buildings.

This kind of sustainable woodland management underpins the whole supply chain, giving some assurance that this most precious and valuable resource is available in perpetuity, and is fuel sustainability is quite rightly becoming a prominent feature of the Renewable Heat Incentive.

The Forestry Commission also recognises the “whole value” of trees. Tall, straight trees will still earn the most value for the high quality timber that is used for furniture and construction but is, at best, only 50% of a healthy tree grown to maturity.

The other 50%, the twisted and low quality residues, are often largely discarded but have a great deal of value as fuel. The rising popularity of wood-fuelled heating is in fact acting as a catalyst and early income stream for woodland owners, which can be put into active woodland management.

Let’s not forget that for every healthy tree grown, there are essential cycles of planting and thinning, to avoid the forest choking and tangling and to encourage growth. So active woodland

Appropriate uses of wood fuel We also need to consider the uses which wood fuel is put to. Burning wood chips in biomass boiler for heating at efficiencies of more than 90% means that very little of the energy in the fuel is wasted. Using biomass fuel in vast quantities to generate electricity-only in large power stations may reduce CO2 emissions, but only about a third of the woodfuel’s energy of produces useful electricity. The remaining two thirds is wasted heat, so is this a sustainable use of our resources?

32 December 2013/January 2014 | water energy & environment

management can only increase the level of wood available.

Self-supply Many of Treco’s commercial clients are making huge fuel cost savings by turning their own wood supply into wood chips to heat their commercial spaces and processes. Rural estates and farms with their own woodlands, chipping their own wood fuel supply directly into a fuel store, are gaining the highest fuel cost savings of 50-80% versus fossil fuels.

Hedgerows are a significant, and as yet largely untapped resource of wood fuel.

Managing these through “coppice and lay” techniques not only produces wood fuel, but also increases wildlife habitats. Using local woodland for wood fuel boosts the local economy, creates jobs and uses our own resources sustainably.

There are several by products which can also be turned into wood fuel that can often be viewed just as waste. Timber processed through sawmills produces sawdust, which can be compressed into wood pellets and increase or wood fuel supply potential more than it is at present. As part of demolition, we produce huge volumes of waste wood, which can be recycled as fuel.

The question of our wood fuel supply chain’s sustainability is one that keeps coming up and one which needs to be addressed. However, it is more a case that we can’t see the wood for the trees.

There is far more available than we might think. we&e www.treco.co.uk

Energy efficient drive solutions Frequency inverters with intuitive energy saving functions Premium efficient IE3 motors High efficiency range of inline, parallel and right angle gearboxes then utilise helical and bevel gears to achieve between 95...98% overall efficiency NORDAC frequency inverters and IE3 motors qualify for Enhanced Capital Allowance

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TAP INTO RAIN WATER AND SAVE ON BILLS

Ride the waves as your building saves The t-mac energy management system can reduce your business’ energy consumption by 30%.

Manage energy and costs through the online software suite and, if you are on the move, you can view your building’s energy with the t-mac smartphone APP.

Our Rain Water Management System collects rain falling on your roof which is directed through guttering into a tank outside and pumped into the property to a specially-adapted header tank in the loft, to flush your sanitary wear. With average UK water bills £334 a year and rising, there couldn’t be a better time to install the system.

The t-mac energy management system makes energy saving a breeze: • easy to use cloud-based energy software • real-time metering and monitoring • building and equipment controls • smartphone energy APP t-mac is the perfect addition to an energy managers toolbox

To find out more contact t-mac Technologies on: 01246 233 632 info@t-mac.co.uk www.t-mac.co.uk

To find out more call Dan Goldsmith on 01206 215121 email: dlg@aqpm.co.uk www.aquatechpressmain.co.uk

Lighting

LEDing the way to energy savings Nick Clark, director of LED light fittings designer and manufacturer Lietcorp, explains why LEDs are becoming the lighting product of choice

L

ighting accounts for a fifth of all electricity generated in the UK and 24 million tonnes of carbon dioxide is produced from non-domestic lighting alone. Some 80% of our sensory output at work comes through our eyes and so compromising our vision is not an option when considering energy efficiency measures.

High quality lighting can add significant value by reducing operational costs, lowering energy consumption while also enhancing satisfaction and productivity.

In the past LEDs were predominantly used as a background lighting source in secondary lighting applications, including Christmas decorations and more recently the dramatic lighting effects often seen on large structures, such as the London Eye. As the technology has developed, it is now more readily available to the wider market and frequently used in large retail stores and commercial spaces, for instance malls, car parks, factories and offices. At Lietcorp we work with a number of clients in these areas including The Hilton Group, Odeon cinemas and Dubai Festival City Mall.

As the technology improves, LEDs will be able to help businesses cut both the energy they use and the carbon emitted from traditional lighting, helping to reduce costs while making the building more energy efficient.

On average, organisations can look to save up to 60% on their energy with a two to

LEDs are frequently used in retail and commercial spaces

three year payback and the lighting life span should last for the full refurbishment cycle of the building.

LEDs use less energy than traditional light sources and offer the most efficient lumen per watt measurement. They also give off significantly less heat than metal halide and halogens reducing the need for air conditioning. The lower temperature also means that they last considerably longer, meaning they do not need to be replaced as frequently as incandescent bulbs.

Quality LEDs are designed to last for up to 90,000 hours compared with fluorescent tubes, which last between

“

Both daylight and motion sensors can save about 45% of a building’s energy use

12,000 and 20,000 hours.

Additionally, LEDs are virtually maintenance free so there is no down time or costs for relamping.

Controls are also becoming a huge feature. Intelligent controls that know when to dim in daylight or turn off when no-one is in the room can deliver significant additional energy savings.

When considering what controls to use it is recommended to review options that offer more than one benefit. Many daylight controls, for example, will also include motion sensors, meaning that lights will remain off when a building is empty. This combination of both daylight and motion sensors can save around 45% of a building’s energy usage, making it a worthwhile long-term investment.

In the past, there have been incidents of businesses buying cheap LEDs from

34 December 2013/January 2014 | water energy & environment

overseas markets with inflated performance promises along with a lack of instructions on how to install, use and control the products, resulting in a failed project. This has given the industry an unfair reputation but it is now beginning to change through more education and successful case studies. For example, we installed LED lighting into a number of Bathstore locations across the UK and have already seen annual savings of £15,817 per store and an annual reduction of 62.1 tonnes. Furthermore, with footfall rising this year, sales have increased by 10%.

Quality LED lights last longer, are more durable, and by incorporating lighting controls will play an integral role in shaping not only the look and feel of a business but also the efficiency of a building while keeping costs down. we&e www.lietcorp.com

MEGAMAN® LEDs The Perfect Retrofit Solution

The Megaman® LED Professional range of reflectors and decorative lamps includes a number of unique and patented design features, which allow them to deliver superior performance, including low power consumption, excellent light output and low maintenance costs.

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automatic Monitoring & Targeting 12th Annual conference and exhibition Ricoh Arena, Coventry, Thursday 27 February 2014

Unlock the energy savings in your business • Guide to an efficient aM&T solution • Making sense of energy efficiency policies • Evolve your energy strategy for profit • Consumer case studies • Energy Clinics; extensive exhibition Apply for your FREE* places at www.esta.org.uk/key

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aM&T the key to successful energy management Promoting EnErgy EfficiEncy

lighting

Philips delivers ‘cradle-to-cradle’ lighting The new BREEAM Excellent headquarters of the National Union of Students uses Philips LED lighting throughout, procured through a ground-breaking “Pay per Lux” solution

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acadam House on Gray’s Inn Road, London, the new headquarters of NUS, has been totally refurbished to create one of the most sustainable offices in the country. As well as providing a high quality working environment for staff, the building is an excellent example for other parties involved in promoting and delivering sustainability.

“NUS does a great deal of work in encouraging sustainability in students’ unions throughout the country and educating students about sustainability issues,” explained NUS ethical and environmental manager Jamie Agombar. “Our goal is to turn students’ unions into hubs of sustainability within their wider communities.

So when the decision was made to move to new headquarters we were determined to embody these principles in our own building by examining every aspect of sustainability in the design,” he added.

As would be expected of a BREEAM Excellent building, Macadam House incorporates a raft of design features to minimise energy consumption, carbon emissions and other aspects of environmental impact. However, NUS has taken the principles of sustainability a step further by introducing a pioneering approach to the procurement of lighting and other services.

“As a registered charity we didn’t want to own services like the lighting; our priority was to ensure the lighting performed as required in terms of light levels and energy consumption.

So we approached a number of lighting companies with

a proposal for a cradle-tocradle rental scheme. Philips was the only one that was prepared to discuss ways of doing business differently,” Jamie Agombar continued.

Discussions between the NUS and Philips led to the creation of a “Pay Per Lux” solution, whereby Philips retains responsibility for the performance of the lighting over a 15-year period and the NUS pays for the energy consumed through a quarterly fee. The solution encompasses a total service and warranty solution that fits within the 15year timescale of the contract.

“The Pay Per Lux concept is a completely new business model that enables NUS, and

“

Pay Per Lux is a business model that enables organisations, to take advantage of LED lighting and be able to minimise their energy costs without a major capital outlay

other organisations, to take advantage of LED lighting and be able to minimise their energy costs well into the future, without a major capital outlay,” explained Philips business development manager Jeremy Palmer.

“It also includes an element of future-proofing, as any replacements during the life of the contract will make use of the latest LED lighting technologies,” he added.

During the period of the contract Philips will guarantee that light levels are maintained to the Illuminating Engineering Society L70 standard. The company will also maintain pre-agreed energy savings.

The lighting system uses a combination of PowerBalance and LuxSpace luminaires in office and circulation areas, installed as part of an integrated acoustic solution developed with Saint Gobain Ecophon. Bulkhead fittings and amenity lighting have also been supplied and included in the Pay Per Lux contract.

Overall, the installed lighting electrical load of the 784 light points is just 5.9 W/ m2, delivering significant energy and carbon savings compared with traditional

36 December 2013/January 2014 | water energy & environment

office lighting installations.

All of the lighting is fully addressable and controllable with links to daylight and occupancy sensors so that lighting is only used where it is needed. This principle has even been applied to the lifts, where the LED lighting is only switched on when a lift is occupied. Sensor and dimming settings can be adjusted to fine-tune the control of the lighting in relation to any changes in building usage.

All of the lighting and other small power is linked to an alarm system to ensure that all non-essential items are switched off overnight.

Under the Pay Per Lux agreement the lighting will be monitored online with annual reporting back to NUS. Philips will also carry out annual health checks and preventative maintenance of the lighting and recommend any new technologies or innovations that have the potential to deliver enhanced energy savings.

Mr Agombar explained: “The Pay Per Lux scheme enables us to delegate the responsibility for managing the lighting to those with the most expertise, while giving us predictable costs over a 15-year period. At the same time it ensures that we will continue to benefit from the best energysaving opportunities with a guarantee that the required light levels will be maintained through the period of the contract. “Just as importantly, it demonstrates the benefits of challenging the status quo and exploring alternative, more sustainable, ways of doing business,” he concluded. we&e www.lighting.philips.co.uk

Lighting

Do you have the manpower to commit to energy efficiency?

The ability to save energy and reduce costs is in everyone’s reach but as James Hart of CP Northern explains, it needs to be viewed as a continuous process in order for real savings to be made

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nergy Performance Certificates are just one of the drivers that are forcing the issue of energy efficiency to the top of the agenda, but internal pressure to reduce costs is another factor that is of equal importance. If you take both of these factors into account, it is clear that it is a subject which should be receiving top priority.

But this need to reduce costs must be balanced with the budget that is available to implement the necessary measures to achieve energy savings, and as a result many companies are taking a very short term view. However, this is where the main problem lies because many companies look no further than the initial installation to achieve savings when what is actually needed is a long-term approach to the situation.

Long-term view Energy efficiency requires a long-term commitment to identifying savings, maintaining the equipment and constantly reviewing in order to be really successful, but even the most energy conscious companies struggle to meet this 24/7 requirement.

In fact one of the main problems is that companies lack the ability to continuously monitor the equipment that they have installed so while they may have all of the latest energy saving technology, if there are changes to the layout or use of the building the ability to achieve savings

Achieving energy savings does not happen overnight

could be drastically reduced.

Another area of concern lies in the fact that a shortage of manpower and budget cutbacks often means that there isn’t a designated person who has sole responsibility for energy management.

As a result, if a problem does occur with equipment it is often not identified for a significant period of time – adding unnecessary cost to the bottom line.

This was perhaps one of the main drivers for the launch of CP Energy, which aims to help companies achieve the energy savings that are within their reach but aren’t currently being achieved.

Energy management should not be an onerous task but if it isn’t your speciality then it doesn’t make sense to plod along while gaining little or no return. In the same way that you wouldn’t offer to re-wire a house if you weren’t an electrician, why would you take on the task of energy management if you didn’t understand how to achieve savings – and this is where

it makes sense to hand the job over to a specialist.

The main benefit of CP Energy is that it offers a comprehensive energy management service that incorporates energy monitoring with lighting and building controls to optimise the energy usage in a building.

Planning for energy management Whatever your type of business or building, planning for energy efficiency should follow the same process which starts by identifying savings which are achievable both in the short and longer term. This is a very important step and all too often one which is overlooked by companies who want to make a quick return on their investment by implementing a short term solution.

The adoption of a longer term strategy allows greater savings to be achieved and this is where monitoring is of vital importance. Through the introduction of a combination of sub-metering and remote

metering we are able to monitor your entire site in real time and then suggest areas for improvement. For example, if the monitoring shows that your lighting costs are disproportionately high then we can recommend a controls strategy and products which will ensure that lights are not left on when everyone has left the building.

In fact it is this process of continuous review which is the most important part of the service because by optimising and maintaining any control system you are able to manage the building in a more efficient and cost effective manner – and more importantly plan for the future.

There is no getting away from the fact that taking a proactive approach to energy management is the only way to achieve results which will make a real difference to the bottom line. But at the same time, it is also important to remember that it is a continuous process and that just because you installed a controls system two years ago it doesn’t necessarily follow that it is still functioning in the way it was meant to.

The integration of energy monitoring in real time with simple to use control packages is therefore something you should be giving serious consideration to because achieving energy savings does not happen overnight – it requires regular monitoring, maintenance and review in order to achieve success. we&e www.cpnorthern.co.uk

December 2013/January 2014 | water energy & environment

37

LIGHTING PRODUCTS Sports centre stays in control CP Electronics’ Rapid control system with scene setting has been used to great effect at a new multimillion-pound sports centre at Truro School in Cornwall. Specified by E3 Consulting Engineers, Rapid was chosen as the system offers easy installation with simple control via standard light switches, handsets or from a central computerised source.

The new facility is named after Olympic Gold-medal winning sailor Sir Ben Ainslie, a former Truro School pupil. The new facilities will not only benefit the school but will also be open to the public.

The planning process started with E3’s consultant Michael Freke, who downloaded the CP App, an online specification creator that enables users to browse energy-saving control apps and download specifications

to suit their particular project. The system facilitates compliance with Part L of the Building Regulations and the ability to score the maximum number of BREEAM points available for each design. CP’s Rapid System was chosen for the sports facility as it enables a wide selection of devices to be fitted and configured. The system chosen for this project includes lighting control modules, interfaces, presence detectors and photocells.

The Truro sports facility required specific lighting requirements for areas such as the sports hall, which was divided up into four quarter sections. CP’s wall-mounted sensors were installed into each of the four areas so that, should any particular quarter of the hall not be in use for more than 20 minutes, the lights would switch off automatically. A scene setting facility has also been installed in the main hall area to provide flexibility so that

Improved waste management performance Lumicom, working closely with Thorn Lighting, is helping the University of Lincoln to meet stringent waste management targets. The university has set itself strict targets with a view to improving its waste management performance. By 2017, therefore, the university is committed to recycling more than half of its waste and not sending any to landfill.

A refurbishment programme to modernise 17 buildings in its halls of residence estate, comprising 1,037 furnished student bedrooms, included replacement of existing lighting with a lower energy solution using Thorn LED and T5 fluorescent luminaires. In the first phase of the refurbishment programme, 1,479 luminaires were removed, with the waste being segregated into skips provided by Lumicom. The second phase began in July 2013, with a further 1,429 luminaires being disposed of under the WEEE Directive. The final phase, in 2014, will complete the refurbishment of all 17 buildings. www.lumicom.co.uk

lights can be dimmed in accordance with the relevant functions.

Other areas using CP’s absence detectors are changing rooms, classrooms and the dance studio, while long range detectors have been installed in all corridors. www.cpelectronics.co.uk

A smart partnership Megaman has officially become the UK wholesale and retail distributor for Birmingham-based LightwaveRF, which provides wireless automated lighting, power and heating devices. The LightwaveRF product range can be retro-fitted with no extra wiring required and controlled over an internet connection from a smartphone, tablet or from a handheld remote control.

LightwaveRF is a range of intelligent dimmers, radiator valves, sockets and sensors that are just that little bit smarter. Automated lighting and heating can cost thousands of pounds and usually involves major wiring and renovation work but LightwaveRF is different. The retrofit involves straightforward replacement of your old sockets, switches and radiator valves. www.megamanuk.com

Flying the flag for NEW Energy Saving Controls DANLERS UK manufactured, high quality, cost effective products are ideal for the automatic control of lighting loads and come with a 5 year warranty. Contact us for more information, a free catalogue or where and when to see our products in action:

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38 December 2013/January 2014 | water energy & environment

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building controls

The future of energy harvesting On the Journey to the Internet of Things, Laurent Giai-Miniet, CEO of EnOcean, takes a look ahead at further developments in energy harvesting wireless solutions and potential future applications

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nergy is everywhere within reach, it just needs to be harvested: this is the principle of energy harvesting. Today, energy harvesting wireless solutions are already well established in the commercial building automation sector.

But the technology is just getting started. Tomorrow, new application fields for batteryless wireless communication will be found to further enhance the world around us, including structural health monitoring (SHM), water quality control and forest fire prevention, smart city management and medical assessment.

And this future is not so far off. Based on energy harvesting wireless technology, a wide range of energy-autonomous applications are currently available for connected buildings that use motion, light or temperature differences as their energy source such as batteryless switches, intelligent window handles, temperature, moisture, light sensors, presence detectors, heating valves and smart home systems.

However, building automation is by no means where energy harvesting wireless ends.

Already today, the energy harvesting market is growing and multiplies on a year-byyear basis. At EnOcean, our forecasts show that this trend will continue, especially as the next generation of energy harvesting wireless solutions are just around the corner. This includes the development of: The next generation of self-powered radio technology will enable radio signal ranges of more than 10 times the current range – capable of

“

In the near future, we will see new types of mechanical energy harvesters, which make use of the energy generated from flowing gases and liquids in particular

wirelessly transmitting data via a distance of more up to 5km and enabling new applications with high range requirements outside of the building.

This long distance radio range will be enabled by improved energy converters opening up new energy sources.

In the near future, we will see new types of mechanical energy harvesters, which make use of the energy generated from flowing gases and liquids in particular. For example, metering applications.

New light harvester generations will combine smaller-sized solar cells with improved performance.

Together with improved energy storage, solar-powered devices will run in complete darkness for several months up to a year.

The potential of harvesting energy from differences in temperature is only at the early stages of development. One option is to harvest energy from temperature differences between day and night for outdoor applications.

As energy harvesting wireless technology advances, new application fields will become feasible: n Structural health monitoring Large structures such as bridges, tunnels, dams or drilling platforms have to resist extreme forces imposed by weather, earthquakes or traffic. Radio sensors, powered by light, temperature changes or vibrations, that permanently monitor critical parameters, can warn against non-conformance and prevent break downs. A similar functionality can provide an alarm notice in the event of an avalanche or rock fall.

n Environmental monitoring Long range energy-autonomous wireless sensors could be placed over large areas to provide early warnings or monitoring of farm animals and plants to react rapidly to changing conditions. For example, to prevent the spread of forest fires or to ensure an optimal supply of water and care for plants. n Resources monitoring We only have one planet.

So, all resources need to be protected and sustainably used.

Batteryless sensor networks can support this by providing the data required to monitor water in terms of quantity and quality or the movement of shoals of fish. In addition, self-powered detectors can report water, oil or gas leaks. n Smart Cities By 2030, 60% of people will live in a city – representing almost six billion people. Intelligent control will be needed to coordinate people’s daily lives and prevent a city from collapsing into turmoil.

This includes automated control of traffic, street lights, energy supply or transportation of goods as well as waste disposal.

This can only be realised with millions of energy-autonomous sensor nodes collecting and delivering the necessary data. n Health Care Another wide field of application is making our life easier, more secure and comfortable. This includes new solutions for monitoring vital functions as well as an autonomous and healthy lifestyle. There are already bracelet prototypes that can monitor vital functions by using the heat from the body as a source of energy to transmit wireless signals. we&e www.enocean.com

December 2013/January 2014 | water energy & environment

39

Bogus Products

Too good to be true?

The first instalment of a two-part article in which Vilnis Vesma discusses the hallmarks of bogus energy-saving products and how to deal with their pushy salesmen

S

ome energy-saving products and techniques always work: fitting a properly sized, high-efficiency electric motor, for example.

Some, like condensing boilers and voltage reduction, only work in the right circumstances. Some will work only if properly commissioned and operated (automatic lighting controls are a case in point). Some products, like those based on automatic control algorithms, may be perfectly good from some vendors but not others.

Certain products, however, will never save energy under any circumstances because they are bogus.

The Advertising Standards Authority ruled last year, for instance, that Blue Carbon Ltd must not claim that its “current optimisation” device saves energy, because its claims could not be substantiated.

But how is the hardpressed environmental manager, facilities manager or works engineer, who may have little grounding in the subject, going to make the judgment about something which just feels wrong?

There are perhaps 10 hallmarks of a suspicious product. Apart from bad science (which can be difficult for the lay person to judge), no single factor will definitively identify a bogus offering, and some (like ease of installation, testimonials, and high percentage savings) could be perfectly genuine. But if four or more of the following apply, there may well be a problem.

Here are the first five:

“

Be skeptical of any proposal which seems to dodge the more direct and rigorous option of measuring total energy consumption before and after installation

1

unlikely to be feasible.

Failure to adhere to the known laws of science Extreme ease of A sure sign, and pseudoinstallation It has to be scientific jargon should raise just a simple additive, boltsuspicion. Usually spurious on, or electrical connection claims can be debunked with for two reasons. First, the basic school science, but not salesman needs to put as many people will remember few obstacles in your way as their physics and chemistry possible. Second, it needs to lessons all that clearly in later be cheap for him to install and life and most will just be left easy to remove (or abandon) with that vague feeling that when a diligent customer the claims sound wrong. discovers it does not work.

Help may be needed from a Being dismissive trustworthy source of established like the UK test methods or Association expertise Snakeof Energy oil merchants Engineers, sometimes which rubbish savings – if this is operates conventional so good why isn’t it an “Ask wisdom, and the Expert” when I argue fitted everywhere? service for its with them, they members, and point out that is free to join. scientific knowledge Technical is always advancing, that inconsistencies may give people once thought the earth the game away (the ASA’s was flat, etc., etc. But however ruling on Blue Carbon’s novel a product may be, its advertising drew attention effect on losses and to contradictory assertions efficiency will be in relation to magnetic indistinguishable in kind from fields). And the vendor may other products that achieve inadvertently tip you off: one the same thing. In general, stated on his web site that his if a product gives poor or invention was not a perpetualno results with realistic motion machine. Why tests, it will give poor or no would he need to say that? results when installed.

One web site said this about Implausible percentage people who questioned the savings claims Some technical basis of their claims: technologies genuinely can “They are wrong because they yield 20% savings or more, do not have the knowledge so what is really at issue is and technology we do”. A the nagging question: “If compelling argument indeed. this is so good, why isn’t it fitted everywhere?” Taken on Analysis based on indirect its own, a high claim is not measurements like evidence enough, although reduced running hours It is it is sometimes possible not safe to infer that reducing to show from engineering running hours reduces energy calculations that a claim is consumption. If you turn your

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20%

2

40 December 2013/January 2014 | water energy & environment

5

Buying an energy saving product can be a step into the unknown. How is the hardpressed specifier going to make the judgment about something which just feels wrong?

heating off for 10 minutes in every hour, for example, you will have an intermittent drop in space temperature and each time the heating

“

temperature with intermittent heat input, you would use more fuel by having to maintain a higher average.

Similar considerations

adjudication, Blue Carbon had its product tested in Austria using a method based upon the time taken to boil water. Really? One has to wonder why. Be skeptical of any proposal which seems to dodge the more direct and rigorous

It is not safe to infer that reducing running hours reduces energy consumption

system runs it will use extra fuel to restore the desired temperature. Remember in this case that heat is flowing out of the building all the time (even when the heating is off ) and over the course of a day or a week, all the heat lost must be balanced by heat input, regardless of how intermittently it is supplied. In fact, to maintain the same minimum inside

apply to voltage reduction, in that any reduction in current, while proving a reduction in instantaneous power, does not take running hours into account. A thermostaticallycontrolled electric heater in particular will run for longer in order to deliver the required quantity of heat, negating any apparent savings inferred from a spot check.

According to the ASA

option of measuring total energy consumption before and after installation. we&e The author (vilnis@vesma.com) is a chartered engineer and certified energy manager who provides information, guidance and training for people whose job is to save energy

Next time...

The other five hallmarks that Vilnis Vesma will cover in greater depth in the next article are: n Secret ingredients or principles of operation n Reliance on being patented as proof of effectiveness n Heavy reliance on testimonials n Literature plastered with ISO9001 and other certification logos n Dense academic research reports He will also provide some guidance on how to make fraudsters go away, though sadly we will never be totally rid of them.

December 2013/January 2014 | water energy & environment

41

ENERGY AWARDS 2 1

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The Energy Awards 2013 Winners of coveted awards revealed

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n Wednesday 4 December 2013, more than 500 of the energy industry’s elite gathered at the Grosvenor House hotel, London to see who had walked away with an Energy Award. We had another record breaking year for entries and more impressive companies on the shortlist than ever before.

The deserving winners are listed right. All of this year’s entrants, finalists and winners deserve to be recognised for their contribution to the energy industry. Our esteemed judging panel had the very difficult task of narrowing down the entries to an exceptional shortlist and then to select the very worthy winners.

The judges were extremely impressed with all the hard work and innovation displayed by the entrants this year.

Congratulations to all this year’s winners and finalists. we&e

The winners 1. Broker of the Year – The Energy Brokers 2. Energy Buyer of the Year – Mace 3. Energy Efficient Data Centre Project of the Year – Red Engineering Design, Ark Continuity, Spring Park Data Centre Campus – Phase 1 4. Energy Efficient Partnership of the Year – Global Action Plan, Operation TLC at Barts Health NHS Trust 5. Energy Efficient Product of the Year – SAVORTEX, Sustainable, Connected Washroom Technology for Hand Dryers 6. Energy Efficient Retrofit/ Refurbishment of the Year – City

42 December 2013/January 2014 | water energy & environment

South Manchester Housing Trust, Hulme High Rise Retrofit 7. Excellence in Carbon Reduction – npower, npower Sets the Standard 8. Energy Efficiency through Water Management – Waterscan & Sainsbury’s 9. Renewable Energy Project of the Year – GMI Energy, Morrison’s Stores 10. Risk Management Project and Service of the Year – British Independent Utilities, Dynamic Energy Procurement 11. Supplier of the Year – npower 12. Judges Supreme Award – Global Action Plan, Operation TLC at Barts Health NHS Trust 13. Outstanding Contribution Award – Alan Aldridge, executive drector, ESTA

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December 2013/January 2014 | water energy & environment

43

Energy awards round-up

An outstanding contribution

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lan Aldridge, executive director of the Energy Services and Technology Association, won the Outstanding Contribution to the Energy Industry Award for his efforts in encouraging cost reductions and energy saving particularly through times when it was not vogue to do so.

Alan has been in the energy industry for more than 40 years. Interestingly though, he joined Ilford Films at Brentwood in Essex in the late 1960s and in 1975 he gained his Chartered Engineer with the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.

He was involved in the move

of Ilford’s UK headquarters from Essex to Mobberley in Cheshire between 1982 and 1983. He decided to leave Cheshire in December 1983.

From January 1984 until June 1997, he was head of UK business development at Trend Control Systems based in Horsham in West Sussex. Then in July 1997 he joined the Energy Auditing Agency based in Milton Keynes as UK sales manager.

In January 1999, he took the reins of ESTA as executive director. Since then he has been instrumental in guiding the association through the times when energy and energy efficiency were not particularly in vogue but

npower is named 2013 Supplier of the Year npower has been named Supplier of the Year at the 2013 Energy Awards.

Jodie Eaton, director, industrial and commercial markets at npower, commented: “Becoming our customers’ energy partner, not just supplier, is core to our business aims. By providing a commentary of business needs and relaying that to government, we feel that we have helped to shape awareness of what new legislation should look like in a way that will help wider business in the UK. “We are particularly pleased to be recognised in ‘Excellence in Carbon Reduction’, as it shows our capability in providing innovative solutions to minimise energy costs faced by business every day.

“Every organisation is different, with different levels of understanding

of the energy market, and different energy needs – it is therefore critical to ensure that customers have the right knowledge to make long term decisions for success in the future. Today’s award shows that we have been successful in delivering this to our customers.”

2013 was a landmark year for the energy industry, with key changes in government legislation, such as the Electricity Market Reform (EMR), starting to take shape.

The award was made to npower in recognition of its successful initiatives that have led the debate on policy within the industry.

The award recognises the extent to which npower has become a knowledge resource for customers and its work in helping communicate businesses’ needs to the government.

“

He won the award for his efforts in encouraging cost reductions and energy saving

has continued right up to the present day. Alan later organised the change of name of the association to the Energy Services and Technology Association, better known as ESTA, to reflect what its many members represent here in the UK. He has spent huge amounts of his own energy

in managing ESTA events, attending meetings with other august bodies like the Energy Institute, British Standards Institute, the British Energy Efficiency Federation and many more plus chairing meetings and presenting at energy events and meeting with government ministers – the list is endless. On top of this, he has found time to write in many magazines top of which is every single issue of water energy & environment.

It was Alan who initiated the joint effort of ESTA and the Energy Institute in taking on the Register of Professional Energy Consultants after the Carbon Trust dropped it.

Vortex EcoSmart has the power SAVORTEX has been awarded the Energy Efficient Product of the Year Award at The Energy Awards.

SAVORTEX is a British manufacturer of energy-efficient, sustainable washroom power hand dryers.

The Vortex EcoSmart hand dryer uses just 550 W of power consumption and comes with a sevenyear, no-quibble replacement warranty.

The Vortex uses a brushless bypass motor technology, replacing heating elements, to compress and recycle energy to produce heat and thereby delivering long life and industry-leading power drying.

SAVORTEX CEO Syed Ahmed said: “This is a fantastic achievement for the whole team at SAVORTEX. This award is the best in the energy industry. We are thrilled to have won the most energy-efficient product of the year category.”

44 December 2013/January 2014 | water energy & environment

viewpoint

Qualifications and accreditation The UKAEE ‘s secretary reports on the question of qualifications

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KAEE has recently become the local certification body for the Certified Energy Manager (CEM) qualification awarded by the US-based Association of Energy Engineers (AEE).

Candidates, who are normally expected to have a science or engineering degree and three years’ experience in energy management, are obliged to take an intensive five-day refresher course taught by an AEE-accredited instructor before being eligible to sit the examination, which has significant technical content.

This puts CEM on a par with the Energy Institute’s “Advanced Energy Manager” qualification, which is its successor to the better-known European Energy Manager (EUREM).

Two CEM training courses have been run this year.

Five people passed the examination Paul Spencer of Oxford City Council, who is the first UK local-government energy manager to achieve that distinction and who now serves on our local CEM certification board.

Early indications are that everyone who sat the December examination has passed, which is a reflection of the high quality of candidates coming forward for the training.

Qualifications have been very much on our minds this past month or two, not least because it is UKAEE’s mission to help energy managers (regardless of their background) to develop their knowledge and competence. One significant event was the government’s consultation on the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS), which will make fouryearly energy audits mandatory

Paul Spencer of Oxford City Council (right) with another successful candidate, Nigel Henshall, estates facilities manager of STFC Daresbury Laboratory

for all non-SME private-sector organisations from 2015.

Among the aspects being considered was the question of qualification of energy auditors, and of course we responded to the consultation by making the Department of Energy & Climate Change aware of the Certified Energy Manager programme, although realistically we do not expect our qualification to be adopted exclusively and some of us privately fear that the bar will be set very much lower.

ESOS will have – or should have – a predominantly technical focus because it is to do with funding energysaving opportunities.

Management audits In parallel with this there is the question of managementsystem audits, notably dealing with ISO50001 compliance.

This is a less-technical activity, because it focuses on policy, procedures and record-keeping, but it cannot be undertaken in ignorance of the technical aspects. The audit team needs to be able to verify that, for example, the organisation is using appropriate energy performance indicators, that the “energy review” they have carried out was

sufficient to identify significant opportunities and appropriate operational controls, and that their method for calculating “expected” energy consumptions is realistic and sufficiently rigorous. These are not matters that an untutored environmental auditor would necessarily be able to judge, and indeed some degree of industryspecific knowledge would be essential if the assessment is to be done effectively.

At this point I probably need to explain that the certifying body which assess your compliance may or may not be “accredited” to carry out ISO50001 certification. Accreditation is the mechanism whereby uniformity of inspections and certification is maintained, and it should prevent the race to the bottom that might occur if certifying bodies were totally free to use their own interpretations of ISO standards and, more dangerously, use ill-qualified assessors.

Ireland is ahead of the UK in this respect because the Irish National Accreditation Board had a scheme covering ISO50001 long before the United Kingdom Accreditation Service got theirs in place. This led to a situation where UK

certifying bodies might be able to assess quality (ISO9001) or environmental (ISO140001) management systems, and give accredited certification, while their certification of ISO50001 compliance was unaccredited.

For a long while the only accredited body in the UK for ISO50001 Certification was an Irish firm, Certification Europe.

Importance of accreditation Why is accreditation important?

Partly because the certifying body’s activities are scrutinised and their audits may also be independently witnessed. One important facet of this is that, in recognition of the need for technical understanding, accreditation will entail ensuring that every audit team has sufficient expertise.

Interestingly, Certification Europe has said that when seeking technical experts for audit teams it will only consider people with the CEM qualification. We are not yet in the position where CEM is almost mandatory for serious energy-management posts, like it is in North America, but whether it is our CEM or the Energy Institute’s AEM, it would be good to see employers begin to look for proper qualifications when recruiting. we&e UKAEE: basic membership is free, and despite having “engineers” in the name, it is open to anybody responsible for energy saving at work regardless of their professional background www.ukaee.org

December 2013/January 2014 | water energy & environment

45

Compressed air

Waste not, want not In recent years it has been recognised that the waste heat generated by compressors can be recovered and put to good use. Here Andy Jones, general manager at Mattei, explains more

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ith the industrial sector facing increasingly high energy costs and also needing to reduce carbon emissions, heat recovery systems should be a serious consideration for any site using heatgenerating equipment.

Put simply, heat recovery systems collect and reuse waste heat that ordinarily would be wasted. Waste heat can be recovered from all sorts of appliances, machinery and equipment, but compressors are regarded as an ideal choice because water absorbs the heat and is they generate a lot of heat. hence heated. This hot water In fact, about 90% of the (which can actually reach up electrical input used to power to 90°C) can then be used a compressor’s motor is turned for a number of different into heat. In an oil-injected purposes, such as for process compressor about 80% of water, to pre-heat boiler-feed this is transferred as heat to water or for sanitary purposes. the lubricant oil and some is It is possible to use the transferred to the compressed recovered heat for local space air – 10 to 12% in the form of heating, but automatic heat and two to three controls might per cent as energy. be necessary The remaining to avoid amount is overheating dissipated the building into the Annual savings for a and, to aid atmosphere 125cfm, 22 kW compressor efficient via heat running for 2,000 transmission, radiation. hours a year the compressor The good news needs to be is that around located near to 80% of this heat where the heat is can be recovered. required. If space heating is In a typical heat recovery needed over the other side system for an oil-injected of a factory, for example, compressor, the waste heat ducting and fans will have to is used to generate hot be installed, which reduces water. This is achieved by efficiency and increases cost. passing water through a Furthermore, as space heat exchanger (which is heating tends to be a seasonal generally a low-cost piece of requirement, we don’t believe equipment) to cool the oil and it provides the most efficient air circuits, during which the

£1035

A heat recovery kit

use of the available heat.

Generally, a compressor runs all year – so it is more efficient to have a constant demand for the recovered heat. Hot water is required all year round, for sanitary purposes at the very least.

Waste heat can be recovered from all types of compressor, but for the system to make financial sense the machine generally needs to be above 15 kW. And the energy and carbon savings delivered can be significant, especially if the compressor is operating for long hours.

Figures from the Carbon Trust suggest that for a 125cfm, 22 kW compressor running for 2,000 hours a year the annual savings would be in the region of £1,035 (depending on the boiler efficiency and gas costs). Of course, for larger compressors and/or longer running hours the potential savings are much greater. The organisation suggests that in many cases the cost of recovering warm air can be recouped in

46 December 2013/January 2014 | water energy & environment

“

In many cases the cost of recovering warm air can be recouped in less than a year less than a year, while hot water systems can pay back in less than two years.

However, the benefits of heat recovery can only be realised if a factory or plant has a requirement for heating of some sort – and although this sounds obvious and is generally the case, careful analysis is required before a heat recovery system is installed. This should consider how much heat can actually be generated, and at what temperature, and how much of it can be used, and where.

It’s worth remembering that heat recovery will only save energy if it’s appropriate for the application/situation in question and if it’s an addition to an already efficient compressed air system.

With spiralling energy costs and carbon emission reduction commitments to consider, heat recovery must be a key consideration for anyone running a site where a compressor is installed.

Providing that a compressed air system is already efficient and effective, the application is suitable and the heat can be put to good use, adding a heat recovery system can only be positive, both financially and environmentally. we&e www.mattei.co.uk

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11/12/2013 12:48

compressed air

Resolve to plug those leaks Compressed air users can and should be taking measures to prevent air going from high pressure to atmosphere without a practical value, says Beko Technologies

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f a compressed air user wants to make a New Year resolution for 2014 then Beko Technologies strongly advises to focus on one simple area for savings.

That area could be to stop letting air go from 7barg to atmosphere without doing any useful work or work that could be done more efficiently or less costly. What would come to mind for most engineers would be leaks.

It is well known these days that compressed air is not cheap. It is in fact less efficient power source than electricity but has many other benefits such as safety, ergonomic lightweight tools to mention a couple of reasons that engineers select compressed air driven products.

So the engineer is aware that they should get their leakage down.

How should they start?

Without a measure of how much leakage there is currently then effort could be wasted on a diminishing returns basis.

So get a percentage of how

much air is leaking. There are many ways to do this: simply checking how much air a compressor will provide when the factory is off line is the simplest way provided the factory does go off line.

What is acceptable as a percentage? This is a difficult question to answer because waste should be stopped but if it costs more to stop than the saving then it is pointless.

Many systems have more than 10% leakage and this would represent a significant sum. The answer is to have scheduled ultrasonic leak testing on a basis that can be determined by results – ie how quickly after an exercise to reduce leaks do they start reappearing. If after a three-month check there is little change then push the frequency out and the converse is obvious. This is one of many energy saving services that Beko Technologies provide.

There are other ways that air goes from pressure to atmosphere without a practical value. Solenoid drain traps for

compressed air condensate are a step up from the old converted steam traps but are a source of wasted compressed air. The setting of the timer will nearly always be wrong and the setter will err on the side of caution and waste air rather than

“

15% but it can be higher. If this type of dryer is present then the best option would be to change out the product for a zero purge dryer such as the EVERDRY range.

Beko Technologies has examples of paybacks as

Many systems have more than 10% leakage and this would represent a significant sum. The answer is to have scheduled ultrasonic leak testing on a basis that can be determined by results

have a build-up of oily, acidic condensate. The reason that solenoid/timer systems waste air is because of the infinite number of combinations of temperature, relative humidity, blocking of coolers etc means that in summer the condensate volumes will be different to winter. There is a very simple solution to this, in fact the start-up of Beko Technologies was about solving this problem.

Berthold Koch, an engineer entrepreneur, set up the business after being told by his employer at the time “there is no market for a drain like that”. The drain was the level sensing BEKOMAT, which has now sold more than 3 million units and is the generic product for the compressed air industry.

No compressed air is wasted on installing this type of drain, which looks expensive at first sight but has a quick pay back.

There are not too many large heatless desiccant dryers installed but they consume so much compressed air, typically

48 December 2013/January 2014 | water energy & environment

low as six months but less than two years is the norm.

The wastage of compressed air is on the use of dried air expanded to produce super dry air for the regeneration of the desiccant column once saturated. The water vapour migrates to the super dry air to create an equilibrium and is then purged away to waste.

There are some heated dryers, too, which have purge losses and while the same dramatic level of payback cannot be seen there is still a good case for investigating.

Another solution would be to retrofit a system which does not purge automatically on a timer but measure the Dewpoint and only switches from the drying tower to the regenerating tower when necessary.

Desiccant drying is an area where products and diversity have improved tremendously in recent years and engineers looking to save cost should definitely be checking out the cost of drying the compressed air. we&e www.beko-technologies.co.uk

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25/10/2013 14:16

RENEWABLE ENERGY

Powering the renewables sector The renewable energy sector has been under intense pressure over the past decade from national trade bodies, imposed UK energy targets and EU regulations. In fact, in 2010, renewable power constituted about a third of all newly built power generation capacity. Here Steve Hughes, managing director of REO UK, explains how the testing of electrical equipment used in the renewable sector should best be conducted

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orldwide renewable energy capacity has grown at between 10-60% per year since 2004, with some individual technologies growing much faster than others. Gridconnected PV (photovoltaic) for instance has increased at the fastest rate of all renewable technologies, with a 60% annual average growth rate.

The renewable energy sector is reliant upon converting DC voltage into usable AC voltage.

This is normally achieved through the use of a power inverter which converts direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC). The best way to make sure inverters perform at their peak is to test them

using a high power variable DC supply. The input voltage, output voltage, and frequency are dependent on design.

Manufacturing abroad Although it may sound like a routine activity, it is important to thoroughly test the power conversion equipment used.

With the majority of switch, relay and circuit breaker manufacturing now being conducted in Asian markets, where different standards apply, there is an even greater need to ensure that the equipment be validated when brought to the UK. A direct consequence of manufacturing moving to different countries is that validation can sometimes be

lost in translation. Because Chinese manufactured electrical products are used in North America and Europe, they need to comply with home market regulations. It is crucial, for example, that inverters comply with, and perform up to, European Union and US standards, including UL (Underwriters Laboratories in the US) and CSA (Canadian Standards Authority).

In addition to responding to these legal requirements, there has also been an increase in demand for these components. This means that, in order to maintain the supply chain, the integrity of individual components must also be maintained.

50 December 2013/January 2014 | water energy & environment

If for instance a fake circuit breaker is integrated, it poses a serious safety threat in overload conditions. Designers would normally integrate the unit upstream or downstream in accordance with known characteristics. If it doesn’t do what it says on the tin, then it will not react as it should and that implies danger to the user and the entire system.

Testing and validation In order to avoid such costly and potentially dangerous mistakes, REO can provide the necessary equipment to test relays, switches, cables and high current, high voltage AC and DC equipment. The company also offers conventional load systems and regenerative load systems which help recover the current otherwise lost while testing the application.

For example, if you have a converter for a wind turbine which needs extensive testing then the extra energy resulting from the process has to be disposed of. This is normally achieved by dumping that extra energy into a load bank.

Ideally, that extra power could be sent back to the grid. This would not only benefit the environment but also help reduce the financial burden associated with the cost of electricity used during the testing process to 10% of its original total.

Testing should always be conducted in a safe and controlled manner. The best way to achieve that is by

slowly increasing the voltages and monitoring the safety features of the products. It is essential to observe and evaluate their response during voltage changes.

Companies embarking on the testing process should always look for a broad range of products and comprehensive knowledge of the applications from their testing partners.

However, it is important

that testing is factored in at the beginning of the design process. This ensures that you get the most economical and safe levels, as required for your particular application.

Stepping up to the challenges Standard levels of safety may be acceptable for most systems, but for those that use higher voltages, systems may be designed which integrate air circuit breakers. These require an external high pressure air source, but ensure that units are safely powered down and perform a ‘crow-bar’ safety function by shorting out the output to ensure that no residual voltage remains.

Being responsible about the energy usage associated with your system should also be high on the agenda of conscientious businesses.

At REO we’ve delivered high power water-cooled load banks for one of the world’s largest suppliers

of engineering equipment.

Their objective was to re-use the water in the factory’s heating system, in line with their environmental policy.

It was much more efficient to reduce waste by dumping the used water from the water cooled resistors into the radiator system, than dispose of it in any other way. The need to externally

“

manner, which also saved them money on heating bills.

With the renewables industry expected to surpass gas production in the global power mix by 2016, expect an increased demand for testing, validation and compliance. Companies will be under increased pressure to qualify and guarantee the safety of their systems.

It was much more efficient to reduce waste by dumping the used water from the water cooled resistors into the radiator system, than dispose of it in any other way

heat water for the building was vastly reduced, which send savings straight to the bottom line.

The client therefore managed to dissipate 300 KW of energy in a safe, compliant and eco-friendly

Choosing a supplier with years of experience and broad knowledge can help overcome these challenges and offer effective and eco-friendly solutions, in a single package. we&e www.reo.co.uk

December 2013/January 2014 | water energy & environment

51

WATER MANAGEMENT

Water saving winners Waterscan and Sainbury’s won the Energy Efficiency through Water Management prize at this year’s Energy Awards after achieving a 50% reduction target

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aterscan and Sainsbury’s have picked up the ‘Energy Efficiency through Water Management’ prize at the Energy Awards 2013.

Waterscan’s entry in partnership with Sainsbury’s, demonstrated the advantages of adopting a water strategy, a new service provided by Waterscan, and highlighted a relative water consumption reduction across the Sainsbury’s estate of 50% against a 05/06 baseline.

The project used car wash water reclaim units and rainwater harvesting to reduce

“

It is testament to what can be accomplished by adopting a strategic and holistic approach to water management

mains water consumption.

The deployment of AMR (automatic meter reading) and extensive leak eradication further reduced water usage and contributed to successful achievement of the 50% reduction target.

“To win this prestigious award is a huge achievement for Waterscan and we are delighted to be recognised

by industry peers for all our hard work with Sainsbury’s.

It is testament to what can be accomplished by adopting a strategic and holistic approach to water management,” said Neil Pendle, managing director of Waterscan. we&e ■ For more on the Energy Awards 2013 winners see pages 42-44 www.waterscan.com

Accurate liquid measurements Liquids from pure water and high value chemicals to viscous fluids can be measured to a high level of accuracy using the very reliable U1000 Ultrasonic Flow Meter, made by George Fischer.

This compact and easy to install device operates on the “time of flight” principle with the two integral sensors sending and receiving ultrasonic waves.

It then measures the speed U1000 Ultrasonic Flow Meter

of propagation of the waves and calculates the flow rate on a continuous basis.

The mounting provisions for the U1000 make it adaptable to different diameters and types of pipework and it is suitable for a wide variety of applications. It is important, though, for the device to be in close contact with the surface of the pipe – employing ultrasonic coupling grease – as any air gap would make

measurement impossible. The installer must also ensure the meter is located on a straight section of pipe where the flow is uniform rather than distorted or turbulent. The meter itself is robust and offers an extended working life even in aggressive environments.

Crucially, there is no need to cut the pipe during installation and there is no chance of contaminating pure or costly liquids. The U1000 will therefore find applications in the water, beverage, food processing and other industries as well as in various building services roles.

A spokesperson for George Fischer said: “Developed primarily for plastic pipework systems, the U1000 Ultrasonic Flow Meter offers straightforward installation taking just a matter of minutes for reliable, maintenance-free

52 December 2013/January 2014 | water energy & environment

non-contact measurement. The sensors can be easily adapted to the pipe dimensions with the continuous measurement being based on the timeof-flight principle.”

The U1000 can be installed on pipe diameters from 25 to 115mm and is able to measure flow rates from 0.1 to 10m/s.

The model is suitable for use on a wide variety of pipe materials including PVC, ABS, PVDF, PE, PP and PB Instaflex, with an operating temperature from +50°C down to 0°C. Overall as a mid-priced flow measurement device, the U1000 offers an attractive combination of performance, accuracy and very low maintenance coupled with an impressive arrange of features such as clear display and a concise menu. www.georgefischer.co.uk

environmental management

Tokenism is a waste of time

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Change will not come by fine words alone if we are to effectively tackle waste in the UK, says Professor Tim Cooper, head of the Sustainable Consumption Research Group at Nottingham Trent University

educing unnecessary waste saves money and helps the environment.

It should be uncontroversial. But while the government’s newly published waste prevention programme represents an advance on past waste strategies, it ought to have been far bolder.

The five pence tax on single-use plastic carrier bags was welcome and overdue but it is essentially a token gesture that will not reduce waste volumes significantly.

The report highlights several interesting developments, particularly recent work on longer lasting clothing by the publicly funded Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP): more than one million tonnes of clothing are discarded each year in the UK. But too often it is unclear how laudable proposals are going to be realised in practice.

For instance, the programme proposes that products should be designed for optimum lifetimes and with repair, reuse, remanufacturing and recycling in mind. Yet it does not explain the process whereby companies might respond to its plea. If commercial logic favours short-lived goods, how might change come about?

Not by fine words alone.

A key design requirement is ease of repair and maintenance: products must be quick to disassemble in order to minimise labour costs.

Crucially, spare parts must be affordable. Yet all too often products suffer from poor design and spare parts are overpriced. When repair work

Waste not: households should be encouraged to throw less away

“

The paltry sum allocated to the waste prevention programme, just £800,000, amounts to £470 per town in England and Wales

costs more than half the price of a new product, as is all too often the case, replacement is understandably seen as a more reasonable option.

It appears that many companies prefer users to replace faulty products in order to maximise their revenues.

And if commercial logic currently drives a throwaway culture, then governments need to produce robust proposals to incentivise change.

One intriguing idea in the report is the possibility of a shift towards hire as a

resource-efficient business model. In theory, greater intrinsic durability is encouraged as the supplier retains ownership of the product. Yet advocating hire sounds unconvincing from a government whose policies has been forcing the closure of hundreds of hire specialists – public libraries.

The programme reveals a new scheme to support communities taking action on waste prevention, reuse and repair. This is excellent: we can only tackle the problem of waste if people work together.

But the paltry sum allocated, just £800,000, amounts to £470 per town in England and Wales. That is not going to change the world very fast. It is tokenism rather than a serious effort to reshape our economy.

Waste begins when we shop, and the report’s recognition of “information failure” is important. Consumers need more information on the anticipated life expectancy

of the products that they purchase, particularly cheaper items. Too often we are left in the dark. So it is imperative that more is done to develop some form of lifespan labelling, or far longer guarantees are offered, replacing extended warranties of dubious value.

People need to be able to judge when it is worth paying more for premium priced products.

Ultimately, a product will reach the end of its lifespan and become waste.

Successive governments have been reticent to introduce weight-related charges for household waste disposal, such as those used in other countries, and in this regard the new waste prevention programme represents another missed opportunity.

Waste represents discarded resources – and these resources are in finite supply. It is only right that the less a household throws away, the less it should pay in tax. we&e www.ntu.ac.uk

December 2013/January 2014 | water energy & environment

53

PRODUCTS Biofuel for Lancashire community complex A neighbourhood centre and new GP practice in Oldham have both chosen biofuel technology by Atlantic Boilers for their heating and hot water needs. Selected

by consulting engineer Blue Sky Inspired of Stockport, each building has a 90 kW R Series Atlantic year-round condensing boiler having an efficiency of between 92% GCV and 97% GCV – (98% NCV and 103% NCV).

The neighbourhood centre boiler burns B100 bio-liquid transformed from waste vegetable oil and rape seed oil, and the GP surgery boiler burns natural gas with an option to burn B100 biofuel in the future.

Fitton Hill Neighbourhood Centre is a purpose-built facility and provides enhanced community services. The building houses a library, youth centre and community facilities.

Phase two of the development comprises a purpose-built medical facility, Hill Top Surgery. www.atlanticboilers.com

Cutting out £10,000 pump repairs ABB is helping a major producer of energy from coal mine methane to cut its pumping costs by using variable-speed drives (VSDs) to make the process more reliable. The VSDs ensure the pumps are not over stressed, allowing them to last longer.

Alkane Energy is one of the UK’s fastest growing independent power generators. The company operates mid-sized “gas to power” electricity plants providing both predictable and fast response capacity to the grid. Alkane now has a total of 81MW of installed generating capacity and an electricity grid capacity of 100MW. Keith Mitchell of Alkane says: “As we pump gas deeper from the mine, the pumps need to work even harder. A failed pump can cost around £10,000 to repair. We can also lose generation revenue, as well as the cost to remove the failed pump, so it is important we know that retrofits of drives are possible on existing sites.”

Phil Nightingale of Inverter Drive Systems (IDS), an ABB Drives Alliance member, says: “The existing set up uses soft starts to slowly start the pumps. When the pump is at full speed, the soft start is bypassed with a contactor. The pressure was then controlled with a bypass valve. The inverter installation does away with this valve and modulates the pump to keep the pressure constant and saves the wasted bypass energy.”

The drive chosen was a 75kW ABB industrial drive. IDS designed a bespoke door as well as a back panel to fit the existing cabinet so that the drives’ switches and connections could be accommodated.

Says Mr Mitchell: “The VSDs give us a fine control of the gas pumping, compared with the coarse control of the soft starts. As well as the money saved from cutting the number of pump repairs and the lost production, the VSDs also save about 12kW an hour in energy that we can sell to the grid.” www.abb.com

Combat waste water In the world of plumbing, as style and functionality increase, it is often the case that so does the water consumption. The war against increased demand is a challenge, one which Aqualogic is fighting on the front line – from retrofitting homes and businesses across the UK, to convincing water users that they need not compromise with a extensive armoury of water-saving services and devices.

Aqualogic, in collaboration with its Italian supplier DMP, brings the latest weapon to moderate demand, the no-touch auto kitchen tap – the “Hello”. The Hello has a special dual function sensor that optimises convenience in the kitchen. It comes with an angled or curved neck and in a range of colours.

Designed, developed and manufactured in Canzano, on the east coast of Italy, the Hello tap not only saves water but is hygienic (no touching during food preparation). It has been extensively developed to provide ease of installation and maintenance by using standard AA batteries, which can last up to three years. www.aqualogic-wc.com

Gas absorption heat pump opportunity Leading gas absorption heat pump (GAHP) developers have published a position paper (download at the web address below) setting out how this renewable technology can deliver cost and carbon reductions, without loss of comfort or costly infrastructure upgrades. The government’s heat strategy recognises that GAHPs have an important role to play to decarbonise heat supply; however, the technology is not supported under the Renewable Heat Incentive.

GAHPs are the most efficient available natural gas-fired heating solution. By combining two established technologies, a traditional gas boiler and an air source heat pump, GAHPs provide a cost-effective use of gas.

Like all heat pumps, GAHPs essentially work like an air conditioning unit in reverse, capturing low grade heat from the surrounding environment including heat from the sun, air, water or soil, and converting it into high grade heat for space heating and domestic hot water. However, while an electric heat pump uses an electric-driven compressor, a GAHP uses gas to drive the heat transfer process. A number of companies have developed a wide range of highly efficient GAHP products in the UK, with diverse sizes and technical characteristics suitable for commercial, industrial and community infrastructure. With an energy efficiency of up to 150%, a GAHP can be up to 50% more efficient than a high-efficiency condensing boiler.

Baxi, British Gas, Calor and Robur have decided to undertake a joint initiative to work with policy stakeholders to deliver the longterm strategic potential for the technology. www.ecuity.com

54 December 2013/January 2014 | water energy & environment

£65,000 saving in one week

Energy savings delivered at GSK sites by treating air source HVAC equipment

Marshall-Tufflex has saved a customer more than £65,000 in just one week. The client – a manufacturer of heating products – installed a Marshall-Tufflex Sinergy e-Tracker sub-metering unit to get an in-depth view of its energy usage over one week. When the stats were examined the company discovered its electricity meters were making incorrect readings. The matter was taken up with the power supplier and a refund of £65,000 issued along with an assurance that future bills would be correct.

Marshall-Tufflex business development manager Kristie Donachie explained that the client was interested in the Voltis commercial voltage optimisation system: “Their onsite mains voltage was high – between 245 V and 250 V – making it a potentially good fit for voltage optimisation,” said Ms Donachie. “As part of the Voltis specification process we examined their billing data and discovered that power usage was much lower than the site’s main switch rating of 400 amps. To enable a closer fit for a VO unit, and better payback, I suggested installing an e-Tracker for a week to get a better idea of energy usage. When fitting the e-Tracker the electrical engineer noted that it was showing a different reading to site meters.”

The Sinergy e-Tracker uses non-invasive clip-on transducer clamps that are quick to install and do not require power being turned off. www.marshalltufflexenergy.com

Blygold applies anti-corrosion coatings to heat exchangers such as chillers, AHUs, air conditioning and so on. In effect the coatings double the life of the coils blocks and reduce energy consumption by as much as 25%, particularly on units in such corrosive environments as airports, ports, industrial areas, coastal areas and city centres. The coatings can be applied to new units prior to installation or to existing units already installed on site.

The coating is a polyurethane impregnated with aluminium and is applied as a post-coat treatment, effectively sealing off the dissimilar metals from the atmosphere. The aluminium in the coating ensures no deregulation in heat transfer and will actually increase it. The coating is hydrophobic and so keeps the coil cleaner.

GSK has used Blygold in a test study carried out at the GSK R&D facility at Ware in Hertfordshire: three HT York chillers were treated and their performance monitored before and after. The power usage dropped by 25 to 30A per phase, which equated to a 10-15% power drop while running at full duty. Payback was less than six months.

As part of an energy-saving initiative by David Featherston, director, Environmental Engineering, Blygold was invited to do a test at GSK Maidenhead to quantify savings. Three chillers were deep cleaned and coated. The calculated energy savings predicted on the Comp Chiller, York Chiller and Carrier Chiller are in excess of £23,000 and the annual carbon dioxide saving will be in excess of 108,695 kg.

The cost to do the work was £5,610, which gives an ROI of less than six months in energy savings alone, without taking into account increased lifetime, the reduced maintenance or early replacement. www.blygold.com/uk

SAV’s FlatStations help to boost comfort for Southampton residents

Cofely completes the aquisition of Balfour Beatty WorkPlace Cofely, a GDF SUEZ company, has completed the acquisition of Balfour Beatty’s UK facilities management business, Balfour Beatty WorkPlace, following full approval from the relevant authorities. Balfour Beatty WorkPlace will be combined with Cofely’s existing UK business with immediate effect, with the new entity operating under the Cofely brand.

The acquisition creates an enlarged Cofely business with more than 15,000 employees and a turnover of close to £1bn. The new business will operate within four key service areas – energy services; technical services; facilities management; and business process outsourcing – offering individual services or a fully integrated service from a single source.

Wilfrid Petrie, chief executive of Cofely UK, commented: “This acquisition builds on Cofely’s leading position in energy and technical services to equip us with additional capabilities for the delivery of total facilities management services and the outsourcing of business processes.” www.cofely.co.uk

SAV Systems has supplied 416 x 3-Series Flatstation heat interface units for use in a major refurbishment of four council-owned blocks of flats at International Way in Southampton. The project was managed by British Gas on behalf of Southampton City Council, with mechanical and thermal insulation works being delivered by contractor Lawtech.

“Originally the flats were heated using electric underfloor heating, with domestic hot water from point-of-use water heaters,” recalled Mark Ashley of British Gas. “The space heating was controlled centrally, which meant that tenants had no local control of temperature, other than by opening windows and wasting energy,” he added. As a result of this major refurbishment, each flat now has full control of heating and hot water via a programmable room thermostat/timer.

Each FlatStation incorporates differential pressure and temperature control. The integral differential pressure control valve ensures optimal hydraulic balancing of the primary central heating network, resulting in reduced flows, reduced heat losses and increased pump performance. This also reduces the building’s energy and maintenance costs. www.sav-systems.com

December 2013/January 2014 | water energy & environment

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Product & Services Directory Contact Steve Swaine Tel 020 3714 4451 AIR CONDITIONING

Europe's largest independent Daikin distributor.

Unparalleled range of air conditioning equipment and parts.

BOILERS

ENERGY MANAGEMENT

INDUSTRIAL BOILER SALES & HIRE

Comprehensive customer support service.

3 Year Warranty

Call 01483 504 883 Visit www.spaceair.co.uk Working with Daikin since 1980

NOBODY KNOWS DAIKIN BETTER

ENERGY METERING & MONITORING SYSTEMS • Steam Boilers 150-15,880Kg/hr • Hot Water Boilers 30-8000kW/hr • Pressures 7bar-17bar • Oil, Gas or dual fuel

DRIVES & MOTORs Geared motors and Drives

HIRE•SALES•EXPORT VISIT OUR NEW WEBSITE www.kingsboilerhire.com

Tel: 01992 451629

Motor powers - 0.12 to 2,000kW Motor efficiency IE2 & IE3 WIMES Compliant

MAINTENANCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS Multi-tool maintenance solutions

• Steam/Hot Water • High Efficiency • Biomass • Heat Recovery • Buy, Lease or Hire

NORD Gear Limited | T: +44 1235 534404 E:GB-sales@nord.com | www.nord.com

ENERGY SAVING CONTROLS

Tel: 01535 665225

www.byworth.co.uk ENERGY MANAGEMENT

SavaControls 20% Refrigeration & A/C savings

• Over 20 years of delivering maintenance software benefits • Range of solutions to match your specific requirements • Proven by hundreds of customers across a wide range of industries • Now even simpler to implement, to use, and to own • Fully feature systems start from only £1,490 Visit www.cayman.co.uk or call today to find out more Tel: 0191 296 3816 • Fax: 0191 296 3856 info@cayman.co.uk • www.cayman.co.uk

SavaWatt Controls have been used worldwide since 1985

Energy management Data collection Sub metering Power quality Tel: 01455 840 100 www.enercom.co.uk enercom@enercom.co.uk MANAGE YOUR ENERGY

56 December 2013/January 2014 | water energy & environment

SavaLight 35%+ Lighting cost reduction Join the 1,000’s already benefiting from SavaWatt Controls

Tel: 01455 818 208 Web: www.savawatt.com E-Mail: info@savawatt.com

ENERGY MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE

MEASUREMENT, MONITORING & CONTROL

RENEWABLE POWER SOLUTIONS

FLOWMETERS

VALVES

www.dmsltd.com

Metering . Heat & Chilled Energy Meters . RHI Compliant Heat Meters . Water Meters . Gas Meters . Steam Meters . Gas Regulators . And much more…

FLOWMETERS

WATER PURIFICATION EQUIPMENT

METERS - WATER, OIL, GAS & HEAT

Independent Metering Specialists

0121 327 7771

Sales & Technical Helpline call: 01773 534555 email: meters@dmsltd.com web: www.dmsltd.com

GAS ENERGY WATER ELECTRICITY OIL STEAM HEAT

MAGNETIC CONDITIONING

Magnatech Fuel Conditioning Ltd

Guaranteed Fuel Reduction!

Or your money back!

Pay back normally within 10 months No lines cut, no break in production A fit and forget technology.

Works on any hydrocarbon gas or liquid.

Contact us for a free site survey info@magnatech.org.uk www.magnatechfuel.co.uk 01327 831515 or 07870 185730

• Softeners • Deionisation (SDI cylinder exchange) • Reverse Osmosis • Filtration • Water treatment chemicals • Water recovery & reuse • 24/7 mobile water treatment • Nationwide service support

Tel: 01628 897000 sales.uk@veoliawater.com www.elgaprocesswater.co.uk

info@mwatechnology.com www.mwatechnology.com

mwa TECHNOLOGY

Delivering innovative, sustainable solutions for all your process water needs

meters@dmsltd.com

TEMPERATURE SENSOR

To feature your company’s products or services on these pages please contact Steve Swaine on 020 3714 4451 December 2013/January 2014 | water energy & environment

57

Q&A

Alan Aldridge The executive director of ESTA is stepping down after 15 years and has just won the Outstanding Contribution to Industry Award at The Energy Awards. He talks about time travel, dancing in Swan Lake and cocktails

W

ho would you least like to share a lift with?

Ronaldo – great footballer, but me and his ego wouldn’t fit into a lift.

You’re God for the day. What’s the first thing you do?

Apart from Leyton Orient winning the Premiership, I would instil in all children an appreciation and fascination for the natural world to carry through their lives.

If you could travel back in time to a period in history, what would it be and why?

The early 1800s/ Victorian era, because so much of our lives are shaped by what occurred then. The great engineers of that era covered all aspects of engineering rather than the very detailed specialisations we have today.

Who or what are you enjoying listening to? (music, radio etc) Choice between the two greatest jazz musicians ever – Art Tatum and Django Rheinhart. Art just wins.

What unsolved mystery would you like the answers to?

Extra-terrestrials do exist somewhere. The mystery is how to meet them.

What would you take to a desert island and why? (excluding loved ones and practical things) An endless supply of Chambord – best cocktail ingredient ever.

What’s your favourite film (or book) and why?

Raiders of the Lost Ark. Just takes you away to somewhere else – and I have an Indiana Jones hat.

If you could perpetuate a myth about yourself, what would it be?

That I danced Swan Lake on stage with the London City Ballet – no wait, that’s true!

What would your super power be and why?

Time travel. Create a real TARDIS and go to all the remote and beautiful places I’ve not visited and back in time before they were heavily developed.

What would you do with a million pounds?

Put a deposit on a space mission.

What’s your greatest extravagance?

Travel and cocktails.

“

Instead of moaning about wind farms, nuclear power stations or the risks of the lights going off, we should all take responsibility for our consumption

If you were blessed with any talent, what would your dream job be and why?

To be an incredibly good jazz pianist playing in small club venues – Ronnie Scott’s or the Blue Note in New York would be a great start.

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Career aim “to be well paid to do something interesting”.

That’s very good advice and leads to meeting and working with the most interesting and engaging colleagues.

58 December 2013/January 2014 | water energy & environment

What irritates you the most?

Outrageous decisions made by unaccountable people that affect us all in everyday life but which we can’t change or even challenge.

What should the energy users be doing to help itself in the current climate?

Instead of moaning about wind farms, nuclear power stations or the risks of the lights going off, we should all take responsibility for our consumption and realise the opportunities available. A late friend and colleague often remarked: “We have over 60 million energy managers in the UK.” So let’s all make a difference.

What’s the best thing – work wise – that you did recently?

Difficult. Our trip to Moscow to sign a cooperation agreement with our equivalent body in Russia, in the presence of senior British and Russian politicians, takes some beating.

However, receiving an award for Outstanding Contribution to the Energy Industry at the Energy Awards just has to be a career highlight. we&e

SM2000A4UK.pdf

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Compact MID flow meter The new SM2000 magnetic inductive flow meter from ifm can measure even mildly conductive liquids at flow rates up to 600 l/min.

Indication of the flow, total quantity and temperature as well as integrated empty pipe detection and simulation mode.

www.ifm.com/uk/mid

Cofely and Balfour Beatty WorkPlace.

Your workplace services. United.

ENERGY SERVICES | TECHNICAL SERVICES | FACILITIES MANAGEMENT | BUSINESS PROCESSES

Cofely has joined forces with Balfour Beatty WorkPlace.

So now we can help your organisation run more efficiently by providing key services right across your infrastructure.

From the energy that runs your buildings, to the performance of your business itself.

Find out more at cofely.co.uk

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