TM Energy Supplement Part 2 2013

ENERGY PART II Energy security and competitive manufacturing in the UK

ENERGY 2013 PART II

What’s in this report?

P3 Achieving Energy security: An introduction to the challenges and opportunities for UK manufacturers

P5 Feeling secure?

Dong Energy’s Mike Hogg explores the interplay between storage, capacity and demand in creating security of supply for industrial energy users

P6 Build your own green grid: Explaining the multi-dimensional green energy generation strategy at cheese manufacturer Wyke Farms

P8 Energy saving retro-fits: Eon examines the role of energy performance contracts in encouraging energy security through greater efficiency, with no upfront investment required

P10 Knowledge is power: Smartest Energy’s James Graham on the surge in on-site generation and the potential of linked supply contracts in addressing the UK’s energy security challenges

Editorial

This report was compiled for The Manufacturer magazine by: Jane Gray, Editor j.gray@sayonemedia.com

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INTRODUCTION I

n October, the Royal Academy of Engineering published GB Electricity Capacity Margin*, a report, commissioned by government to investigate the reality of Britain’s energy security in the immediate and medium-term future.

The findings of this report are clear. The UK’s energy capacity margin is precariously thin to survive in the event of parallel stresses being put on the Grid – like a bought of cold weather coinciding with an outage at a single generation plant.

But the reasons for this, and the proposed solutions, are less clear cut. There’s a complex interplay between political and market forces which is both the cause and effect of energy strategy uncertainty. As the RAEng report observes, these conditions have caused supply shortages and price spike crises in other countries in the past – for example in Ontario Canada in 2002-2003 and in Victoria, Australia in 2000.

With six major energy companies hauled before the Energy and Climate Change Committee last month to explain the wave of significant price increases they had just announced, there are ominous signs that the UK could be on the brink of a similar fiasco.

On the other hand, there have been recent announcements which suggest the longer term future of energy security in the UK is being attended to.

October saw confirmation that GDF Suez will invest £25m in UK shale gas, partnering with UK-based Dart Energy to explore the reserves in Cheshire and the East Midlands. Jean-Marie Dauger, chief executive of GDF Suez, said: “We are very confident about the potential of shale gas in the UK, and its anticipated contributions to UK energy security.”

Also last month, the UK had confirmation that the its first new nuclear power station in almost 60 years will go ahead.

Many in industry welcomed the confirmation of Hinkley Point C. For those in the nuclear supply chain who have been chewing their nails awaiting a strike price agreement for years, the October announcement hails movement on contracts, orders and cash flow at long last. For those outside the supply chain, the prospect of new nuclear capacity in the UK also offers hope of a reliable, low carbon energy source to supply their operations in years to come.

Putting other controversies about nuclear power aside, the question which remains for industry is; will it come too late? And what can manufacturers do in the decade before Hinkley Point C, and other sizable investments in Britain’s energy infrastructure, become operational?

The following pages explore the challenges and opportunities in securing energy supplies for competitive UK-based manufacturing. END

Download the GB Electricity Capacity Margin report at bit.ly/ GBElectrictyCapacityMargin

ENERGY 2013 PART II TECHNOLOGY STRATEGY BOARD

Achieving energy Rob Saunders head of energy at the Technology Strategy Board, the UK’s innovation agency, explains the complex issues surrounding the UK’s future energy security and what manufacturers can do to mitigate the threats it poses to their operations.

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hile the national ‘redtops’ may sum up the energy challenge in the single, melodramatic image of ‘the lights going out’, the reality is of course much more complex.

Increasing energy demand combined with aging power plants means decreasing electricity capacity margins and greater reliance on imported energy, particularly gas. The recently announced decision on nuclear generation will have some impact on this situation but the new station will not come on stream for a number of years.

The UK has statutory targets for reducing carbon emissions and this is leading to an increased focus on integrating more renewables into the electricity generation mix. As some of these – and particularly wind power – are essentially variable in output, there is a

significant challenge in integrating them into the distribution system.

Then, economic growth around the world is leading to increased – and more volatile – energy prices; it is notable that prices did not fall during the recent recession among the Western economies because worldwide demand was still growing.

All these factors are impacting on the security of our energy supplies. While many users will have contingency plans in case of disruption – particularly in manufacturing industries – these add to costs and make it more difficult to plan and to guarantee delivery times.

In some cases, there may even be impacts on product quality. For energy-intensive industries, the threat of interruption can constitute a major commercial risk.

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ENERGY 2013 PART II TECHNOLOGY STRATEGY BOARD

Risk distribution and energy generation technologies So how can the risks be minimised? The UK government has taken a ‘portfolio’ approach to energy generation, ensuring that different power generation technologies are included in the overall supply mix. It means that all our eggs are not in one basket.

It also means that new technologies can be integrated within a diverse system. But it can take time to bring new technologies online.

Offshore wind power is now being assimilated but wave and tidal power are still at the development stage. Shale gas may have transformed the market in the USA, but for a number of reasons this energy source is unlikely to make a major impact on the UK market in the short term.

As the UK’s innovation agency, the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) is constantly assessing the potential for change and the resulting businesses opportunities across the energy landscape.

System management – the bigger picture But while we help businesses to innovate in specific generation technologies like offshore wind power, much of our focus has been more strategic, identifying ways in which the whole network – not just power generation but distribution as well – can be made more efficient and robust, while flexible enough to adapt to changing usage patterns, and thus enhance security of supply.

In the traditional model of electricity supply, central network controllers bring large power plants onstream when necessary in order to meet projected demand.

These plants are available for use at any time of the day or night as required.

With an increasing amount of variable, low-carbon supply and changing use patterns, the scheduling is becoming more complex.

Energy storage provides added security and resilience to the network.

However, electricity is hard to store.

To make best use of energy sources that depend on the vagaries of the weather, like

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wind power and photovoltaics, the UK will need more efficient storage, at both local level and grid scale.

TSB is investing in a number of projects that look at novel ways of storing this type of energy sometimes through intermediate vectors like hydrogen – so that this power is available when needed, not just when first produced.

A particular concern for manufacturing is the amount of energy lost as low grade waste heat.

As this is only a few degrees above ambient temperature, it is difficult to capture and reuse.

In a recent TSB competition for emerging energy technologies, several of the projects awarded funding addressed this very issue. Reducing demand by recycling energy will cut bills and reduce the scale of the risk from interruption.

In terms of demand, and risk, reduction, there is a substantial benefit to be gained from better energy management.

For energy-intensive industries, this is a core activity but for many other businesses, including manufacturers, a number of studies suggest there are significant opportunities for improving efficiency through better performance management.

If we just look at these different aspects in isolation however, we will miss the potential benefits of an integrated systems approach.

If the smart grid is ever to become a reality, all them will have work together.

To achieve this, the use of power electronics has to become more widespread. This is one area where TSB has seen an urgent need and it has been supporting businesses in developing this important technology area.

In terms of demand, and risk, reduction, there is a substantial benefit to be gained from better energy management

Local energy networks Another approach to reducing risk and increasing security is to focus on local system optimisation for local needs.

Generating power at a very local level, using Combined Heat & Power for both electricity and heat, using building-integrated renewables, integrating local storage and demand response – these strategies offer opportunities for better balancing of supply and demand, more independence from the national grid and a reduction in the amount of distribution infrastructure needed.

In the New Year, four of TSB largest programmes – energy, low-impact buildings, digital and transport – will explore ways in which, together, these technology areas can contribute to a more sustainable, affordable and secure energy future for all of us. END

For more information about TSB’s involvement with energy security programmes, visit: www.innovateuk.org

ENERGY 2013 PART II DONG Energy Sales

Feeling

e

nergy is a hot topic in the UK today. From concerns about a fair deal for consumers to complex debates about generation and network capacity, everyone is interested in molecules and electrons.

Recently, the discussion has focused on the security of supply. Commonly this debate has emerged in the form of nervous questions as to whether we will face energy shortages this winter or in the near future?

This simple question is far from having a simple answer: a number of complex dynamics are involved storage, capacity and generation.

Storage The UK has relatively limited storage facilities in comparison with other European countries - largely because we have indigenous supplies of oil and gas in the North Sea. However, now we also have access to a wide variety of energy sources – including renewables – which considerably strengthens the security of supply.

Capacity Capacity is a bigger issue and raises bigger questions.

Can the existing networks handle the demands of an increasingly energy-hungry population? The answer is not straightforward. Whilst the existing networks can handle more than the total volume of power the UK needs, there are short bursts when demand surges and spare capacity disappears.

Investing in infrastructure that can meet peak demand may not be the best answer because outside of those peak hours there would be considerable waste capacity.

Demand side management solutions have been mooted, such as incentivising households and industry to avoid using energy during peak hours. It is too early to judge the uptake and outcomes of such measures but clearly behaviour change would need to be part of the solution.

Generation As existing older power stations are taken out of operation, there is likely to be a lag before the replacements (new nuclear, gas facilities or renewable energy sources) are brought online.

Although this could potentially create a generation shortfall, at DONG Energy, we believe that a secure energy supply is a diverse energy supply. This is why we have committed more than £5.5 billion in offshore wind power generation and oil and gas exploration and production as part of the future mix for the UK.

The future The interplay of these factors points to a need for behaviour change. If we succeed in managing demand away from peak hours then filling the gap becomes less critical. The true scale of the challenge this represents remains to be seen, but we firmly believe that the mitigation of energy supply risks can best be tackled through trusted partnerships between customers and suppliers. END

About DONG Energy Sales DONG Energy Sales, formerly Shell Gas Direct, began operations in 1989, and supplies gas to over 5,000 UK businesses across a variety of industries.

DONG Energy Sales was formed in May 2012 following an acquisition by DONG Energy one of the leading energy groups in Northern Europe.

The company has around 12% share of the Industrial and Commercial (I&C) gas market in the UK, making DES UK the 3rd largest supplier to the UK I&C market.

www.dongenergysales.co.uk

Mike Hogg, managing director, DONG Energy Sales explores the reality of the UK’s security of energy supply.

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Build YOUR OWN Wyke Farms’ energy security and sustainability strategy

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hen it comes to investment in on-site power generation, Wyke Farms knows its stuff.

Since 2005 the cheese manufacturer has been working on a strategy to become 100% sustainable with 100% of the energy used in its manufacturing operations produced and stored at its Somerset farm, dairy and packing facilities – excess will be fed into the grid to support ROI. This vision has necessitated investment in an assortment of energy generation and storage technologies including solar, bio-gas via an anaerobic digestion plant and Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plants.

So far Wyke has invested around £5m in these systems but it still plans to expand generation capacity. For instance the solar array – now capable

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of generating 50kw of energy, which is used to cool milk and build ice stores – will multiply in size eight to 10 times in the next few years if all goes to plan.

Wyke’s enthusiasm for these investments is driven by the family owners’ love of the land and community on which their company has always relied. But don’t be fooled into thinking the strategy is sentimental because of this.

Best fit The logic has been painstakingly researched with balances calculated for return on investment and marketing developed to help wring every drop of value out for the brand.

They key element to a successful energy generation strategy however, according to Wyke Farm’s CEO Richard Clothier, is not to become obsessed with capturing the best government investment incentive, but instead to think hard about which technologies offer the best fit with your business and manufacturing processes.

“Consider your ‘natural assets’ and requirements,” advises Mr Clothier.

“For example, when we look at natural assets we need to consider whether there are waste streams that are either degradable or combustible for AD or boilers. When installing CHP plants to generate power, can the surplus heat be harnessed in addition?”

Clothier finally observes that large areas of south facing roofs combined with a strong grid connection can be a solid PV asset base. “This asset is further enhanced if the business is using, or has the capacity to use, large amounts of daytime power,” he comments.

Getting the best out of your energy generation investment may therefore, require changes in processes or business habits Clothier goes on to explain. “Now that our solar array is installed and working well, we find ourselves moving timers and changing work practise to operate within the 10am to 4pm ‘solar window’.”

The upheaval of changing shift patterns and instilling new behaviours

ENERGY 2013 PART II Wyke Farms’

Call to arms If manufacturers don’t strive to understand the incentives available for onsite power generation and invest, other less suitable investors will compromise the ethics and the sustainability logic of green energy says Richard Clothier.

Wyke Farms

“There are so many green energy solutions available on the market today that picking where to spend your money can be daunting.

Turnover: £50m

“The main subsidies for manufacturers to look out for if they are thinking of investing in their own generation capacity are the feed in tariffs and recovered heat Incentives, although enhanced capital allowances can be an important incentive for a profitable business.

a t

a g l a nce

Products: Cheddar cheese Number of export markets: 160 Strongest export market: France Employees: 149 is worthwhile says Clothier who notes that “While we don’t get the best feed in subsidy for investment in solar - because these arrays produce the most energy on hot sunny days when cooling machinery for milk is working hardest – the savings we have achieved on day rate electricity quickly made the installation make strong business sense.”

Energy mix In government, energy security conversations gravitate towards the central goal of achieving the right energy mix for the UK including more efficiently produced and used fossil fuel-based energy, nuclear and renewables.

And Clothier believes that a localised, green energy security strategy should be equally multidimensional with businesses creating their own diversified green energy networks across individual or multiple sites.

“Our energy strategy must not be one dimensional.” Clothier says manufacturers must learn how to connect and balance energy created by different sources within their organisation in order to get overall optimisation.

“For example,” Clothier explains, “sometimes, in order to take advantage of heat recovery, we have to find ways to buffer heat or change working practises to make timings of operations match.”

This can be challenging and requires resource and buy-in from the business the CEO admits. But he is convinced that Wyke is on the right path to securing its long term sustainability. It will soon be almost entirely independent of a national grid with an uncertain future and offering increasingly expensive energy options. END

“These subsidies can be a strong incentive to embark on a green energy strategy, especially as they are often index linked to RPI for around 20 years.

The downside is that this means they are rapidly being used up by investment houses who have little or none of the natural assets to run them that we manufacturers have.

“If us manufacturers don’t take up green energy options I can see investors putting AD plants in areas where food has to be brought in and waste shipped out, and solar parks being built on prime farmland.

Where’s the sense in this while many south facing roofs of our manufacturing buildings may be unused for ever.

“We as manufacturers have to use these green subsidies to make UK manufacturing more efficient and robust.

Any manufacturing strategy which is fit for the future must incorporate green energy.

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provider, such as E.ON. The client need not make any capital investment, but instead pay a monthly service fee to the ESCo with the contract terms entirely guaranteeing a level of energy savings sufficient to more than cover the fees charged. There is no pay-back period to consider as zero capital has been spent by the client, meaning they are cash positive in the first year.

Energy saving retro-fits with no upfront investment While managing energy costs through effective procurement is vital, E.ON argues that it should only mark the start of a broader energy plan which requires deeper customersupplier relationships to encompass energy efficiency advice, infrastructure solutions and financial savings.

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nergy efficiency of buildings and facilities must top the list of potential genuine financial savings for businesses today.

Energy efficiency in buildings is an area of significant innovation – both in terms of technology, advanced control processes and the investment support.

For example, there is now a contractually binding way to reduce energy consumption that facilitates capital investment and guarantees lower energy consumption without compromising operations or comfort levels. This is an energy performance contract; but as yet, just a small minority of UK organisations are taking advantage of it.

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What is an Energy Performance Contract?

An energy performance contract (EPC) is fundamentally a partnership between a client and an energy services company (ESCo) and based around an alternative means of enabling investment in relevant and proven technologies. It allows an organisation to implement the changes needed to improve energy efficiency in its buildings or facilities without having to raise the required capital themselves.

A combination of the best energy conservation methods are designed to suit the specific circumstances of the client; these are then installed, commissioned and potentially even funded by the EPC

The current UK market Long-term EPC agreements represent an attractive and low risk opportunity for clients to manage energy consumption, carbon emissions and cost.

There are various estimates around the current level of EPC activity in the UK, all putting the overall market value significantly below £200m which is, at most, a tenth of the value seen in the US1. It is clear that a great deal is still to be done to break the perceived barriers in this country and capture energy savings that might otherwise be lost.

The EPC model is starting to gather support, with organisations such as the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) pointing to the potential benefits for the private sector. Richard Griffiths, Policy and Campaigns Consultant at UKGBC, comments: “Over recent years, the amount of regulation seeking to drive energy efficiency in non-domestic buildings has increased significantly. On top of this, private commercial landlords are faced with regulations from 2018 that will effectively outlaw the rental of low efficiency buildings. So, while the take up of EPCs has so far been limited, there are certainly a host of policy drivers that look set to make their use more attractive and widespread.

That’s not to mention the demand that will be generated as a result of increases in energy prices.”

Learning from the public sector In the UK, the public sector is very much leading the way when it comes to entering EPC partnerships; the majority being implemented in the local government, education, and health sectors. This is partly due to budget pressures but it also comes down to the availability of agreed procurement frameworks for running an EPC. For example, government initiatives

ENERGY 2013 PART II E.ON

such as RE:FIT have helped to boost awareness and uptake amongst public sector institutions. Under the RE:FIT framework, the design, implementation and maintenance of the EPC for public sector buildings can be funded entirely through public funds or the EPC provider.

Removing the fear factor for business Despite the relative lack of take-up in the UK, EPCs are neither exotic nor particularly new, and they are a particularly low risk proposition for UK organisations.

Aside from the fact this is already a major and well established market in North America and Australia, EPCs are already generating clear and significant value for those adopting them in the UK. There are undeniably some fundamental differences between the US and UK in terms of governance and general business culture which may explain the divergence in uptake of EPCs, but the benefit to business is universal. As well as providing guaranteed long-term energy performance security, they can empower clients to further reduce energy consumption, capture otherwise wasted energy, help achieve environmental and corporate social responsibility targets, and, subject to approval by the client’s auditor, can be treated as an ‘off balance sheet’ solution.

At E.ON we are able to offer a full suite of tools to help customers manage their energy needs; from new connections and supply agreements through to consultancy advice, monitoring and technology solutions. It is by offering this range of services that we’re able to build deeper, lasting relationships with our clients based on a true understanding of their businesses. END

Case study: Leeds City Council

E.ON

is working with Leeds City Council to significantly reduce the energy consumption and carbon footprint of nine public buildings throughout the city, including leisure centres, schools, and data centres, with the incremental savings achieved paying for the investment.

The seven-year contract is calculated to achieve a 26% saving2 in energy costs through a range of energy-saving measures including boiler and voltage optimisation, lighting improvements and upgraded air handling units and building management systems. In order to help finance the work, E.ON developed an EPC with Leeds City Council which guarantees the level of energy savings within a fixed budget.

The city-wide project is part of the RE:FIT initiative.

The benefits The guaranteed savings pay for the investment; More effective control of heating, cooling and lighting throughout the buildings; Improved energy efficiency using upgraded lamps, motion detection and daylight harvesting; Reduced energy consumption through voltage and boiler optimisation; and Reduced heat loss via swimming pool covers and fast-acting vehicle access doors.

Fore more information visit eonenergy.com/sustainable

Sources 1 Building Services Research Information Association, 2006, review of EPC market, Frost & Sullivan – Credo Research.

2 Based on a reduction of 6,604,936 kWh against a baseline of 20,282,124 kWh given an electricity price of 7.5501 ppkWh and a gas price of 2.3796 ppkWh.

Retain capital Polly Cook, Executive Project Manager, Leeds City Council said: “This is an important step forwards for the city of Leeds as we move towards a low-carbon, energy-efficient future. By offering us the flexibility of an Energy Performance Contract, E.ON has enabled us to invest in important sustainability measures that would have been difficult to finance otherwise.

We’re looking forward to realising the expected cost savings following the completion of the improvements.”

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Knowledge is James Graham, business development manager at leading independent energy supplier and purchaser SmartestEnergy, argues security of supply makes it vital manufacturers stay informed of industry developments and understand their options in a changing energy landscape.

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hile rising costs have been the most pressing concern for energy managers in recent years, the looming threat posed by a potential capacity crunch is rapidly moving up the agenda.

The latest report from Ofgem on security of supply highlighted a faster than anticipated tightening of electricity margins towards the middle of this decade as a significant proportion of existing power generating capacity goes offline.

Although the reforms being introduced under the Energy Bill are aimed at encouraging the investment needed to keep the lights on and reduce dependence on imported oil and gas in the long term, security of supply concerns are increasingly an issue raised by our customers in the manufacturing sector.

Onsite generation Concerns over security are leading a growing number of manufacturers to consider developing their own facilities, particularly those which rely on continuous power for processes.

Figures compiled by SmartestEnergy for the Energy Entrepreneurs 2013 report estimate that onsite renewable

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energy projects developed by manufacturers are now generating almost ÂŁ40m worth of electricity a year in total with a combined capacity of 190MW. The advent of the Feed-in Tariff (FiT) scheme has helped enable much of the growth by providing security for those looking to invest in projects. A FiT-specific Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) developed by SmartestEnergy has proved popular among onsite generators, providing commitment for up to 10 years and enabling many projects to secure necessary finance.

As companies look for longer term price stability, Linked Supply agreements are likely to become increasingly attractive for manufacturers

That’s our guarantee.

ENERGY 2013 PART II

To find out more about our fixed price products visit

www.smartestenergy.com/fixed

SmartestEnergy

Or contact our award-winning customer service team on 01473 234 150 or supply@smartestenergy.com

Energy

SmartestEnergy Ltd is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Marubeni Corporation of Japan

While there have been some concerns over the complexity of the new regime, PPA providers such as SmartestEnergy could also offer services to help support onsite generators.

Linked Supply

The product enables customers to switch between a market rate and the Export Tariff, providing the opportunity to benefit from wholesale prices, together with the security of a guaranteed minimum income.

For SmartestEnergy customers such as Toyota, onsite generation is both reducing reliance on the grid and contributing to sustainability targets.

A solar panel array of around 17,000 panels at Toyota’s plant in South Derbyshire provides enough energy to build approximately 7,000 vehicles while reducing annual CO2 emissions by approximately 2,000 tons.

Smaller manufacturers are also embracing onsite generation. Low carbon cement alternative manufacturer Cenin, which has a FiT PPA with SmartestEnergy, is able to power its mill in Wales purely off its solar installations when weather conditions allow.

The investment has further reduced the carbon footprint of its products as well as cutting energy costs.

Energy Market Reform The reforms under EMR will see the introduction of the FiT Contracts for Difference (CfD) mechanism, a development we believe will be positive for independent generators.

CfDs effectively provide generators with a strike price giving them a stable long term power price which previously has been difficult for some PPA providers to offer and removing this barrier should aid competition in the market.

While the reduction in generating capacity ahead presents security of supply risks, it also threatens further price increases and volatility.

As companies look for longer term price stability, Linked Supply agreements are likely to become increasingly attractive for manufacturers and are an area where SmartestEnergy is seeing significant interest from customers.

Under a linked supply agreement, a consumer purchases power direct from a renewable generator at an agreed price for a period of time, typically around 10-15 years. This provides the generator with a guaranteed revenue stream which facilitates the financing of their project, and allows the consumer to secure a guaranteed long term power price.

As well as potential discounts against wholesale prices, consumers can also achieve further savings on industry costs from embedded benefits, ROCs and LECs (renewable certificates), which can form part of an agreement.

Agreements can be structured in a number of ways depending on the consumer’s needs, including choice of generation technology and pricing structure.

A solar panel array of around 17,000 panels at Toyota’s plant in South Derbyshire provides enough energy to build approximately 7,000 vehicles Important to keep on top of changes With so much regulatory change ahead, coupled with the concerns over security of supply and greater volatility in energy markets, it is vital manufacturers maintain a good understanding of the issues and the options available to them.

Last year SmartestEnergy launched a series of industry briefing events aimed at helping both customers and non-customers gain better insight into energy issues.

Initial areas of focus at the events have included the rising cost of non-energy charges, which has strengthened the investment case for onsite generation and demand management measures such as energy efficiency and off-peak scheduling.

The levels of interest seen in the events and lively debate which have taken place have been encouraging at a time when it is increasingly important for large energy users to keep on top of what is a rapidly changing market. END

Events&publications The next event in the SmartestEnergy Informer Industry Briefing series, focusing on the impact of government policy on prices, will be held in London on November 20. For further details and to reserve a place, contact events@smartestenergy.com SmartestEnergy also publishes The Informer, a free weekly round-up of news relevant to the sector. To subscribe visit bit.ly/SmartestTheInformer

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