News Archive - electricity

UK’s electricity system could go carbon-negative from 2033, say National Grid

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A combination of carbon capture technology and continued reliance on renewable forms of energy generation could result in the UK’s electricity grid becoming carbon neutral by 2033, according to the latest Future Energy Scenarios report from National Grid.

With investment in renewable energy generation growing, National Grid expects at least 3GW of new wind power capacity and 1.4GW of solar generation every year from now until 2050 as a result of the upsurge in projects.

It is also anticipated that the Electrical Vehicle (EV) market, set for a boom year in 2020 until Covid-19 put the brakes on, will play a big role moving forward with the potential for as many as 30 million EVs effectively acting as smart-charging “batteries” to help balance the electricity grid. For this to be realised, there needs to be a serious upgrade in vehicle to grid networks

Meanwhile, homeowners will play their part by consuming up to a third less electricity after switching from gas boiler central heating systems to heat pumps fitted with thermal batteries.

Mark Herring, head of strategy at National Grid ESO, said: “Across all scenarios, we see growth in renewable energy generation, including significant expansion in installed offshore wind capacity. There is widespread uptake in domestic electric vehicles, and growth and investment in hydrogen and carbon capture technologies too.

“Although these are not firm predictions, we’ve talked to over 600 industry experts to build this insight and it’s clear while net-zero is achievable, there are significant changes ahead,” he added.

Meeting the challenges of energy procurement head on

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COVID-19 has brought so much uncertainty to the world as people wonder what their future prospects may be, personally or professionally.

The energy market has certainly not been immune to this either, with plummeting oil prices amidst a major downturn in business energy consumption being reflected in historically low business energy costs.

And renewable energy projects and EV installations, which were set for a boom year in 2020, have been held back, especially in the initial stages of the pandemic, because of a disrupted supply chain.

With so many factors to consider – political posturing can also be thrown into the mix – understanding the market and the mechanisms that may trigger wild fluctuations in the price of electricity and gas is vital to successful energy procurement negotiations.

Even for the most trained eye, unprecedented times like these can be extremely challenging for brokers in advising clients on when to sign on the dotted line with energy suppliers, and the length of contract most preferable for their needs.

A good level of market intelligence – through experience and software such as EM-Powered, the energy management portal – is vital in procuring energy at the right price and at the right time.

Minimising those energy costs through smart energy procurement – and taking the hassle away from clients – is at the heart of what we do.

With over two decades’ worth of experience, Energy Management explores the range of options available to their clients, from a fixed-price, longer-term arrangement that allows for greater security, planning and budgeting to a more flexible approach, where advantages can be derived from fluctuations in energy pricing.

Our consultants are experts at knowing which way ‘the wind is blowing’, so why not give them a call, on 01225-867722 or email:sales@energymanagementltd.com

 

Another boost for solar energy in the UK

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The UK, like many parts of Europe, has seen solar power generation records broken in the second half of April, with reduced levels of air pollution and clearer skies due to the lockdown said to be contributory factors.

And there was further good news for the industry with this week’s announcement from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) that a new solar farm in Kent has been approved.

The farm is set to be the largest of its kind in the UK and will be located just outside of Faversham.

The subsidy-free project would begin next year, with electricity generation expected to start by 2023. The 350MW farm would feature almost 900,000 solar panels across 900 acres of farmland.

The developers claim that the farm would generate enough renewable electricity to power 91,000 homes, would reduce UK carbon emissions by 68,000 tonnes annually and generate £1m annually for the Kent and Swale councils.

 

EM-Powered – the secret weapon in managing your energy costs

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To reduce energy consumption and consequently your company’s energy bills, you first need to have a very good understanding of your energy profile.

Energy Management’s energy monitoring and reporting portal, EM-Powered, assists companies in compiling an instant overview of their organisation’s actual energy consumption, predicted energy consumption and peak loads in an easily downloadable report.

Especially useful for multi-site operators and energy-intensive industries, the portal can be adapted to suit an individual company’s needs.

Here’s a breakdown of some of the benefits:

  • Accurate financial reporting – incorporates budget management tools, cost and consumption break downs. Management reports can also be downloaded for an overview of all activities. Ideal for board-level reporting.
  • Market forward pricing – We provide live forward and historic market trading prices. These prices can then be compared between specific dates, or alternatively can be expanded to show a high-level overview. The portal provides the ability to set multiple price notification triggers and alerts. These alerts will then be either sent via SMS or email to the user. Invaluable for flex contract management.
  • Seasonal comparison tables – Market charges can then be compared in table form, giving the customer an accurate and concise method to measure market fluctuations. The system provides you with the current position, and with a comparison to the previous day, week, month, quarter, 6-month and 1-year prices. In addition, you have the ability to choose specific dates, forward or backward, to compare prices over any given time.
  • Market Intelligence Updates – Customers are provided with a daily market intelligence update. The portal will update 3 times a day providing them with the live day ahead, month ahead and 2-month ahead prices. There will be a short commentary of why prices have fallen/risen, along with prices on Brent Crude and EU ETS Carbon, as both have an impact on UK wholesale electricity cost.
  • Daily Updates – Daily news updates are provided within the portal which gives an understanding of current geopolitical factors which may influence the market.

More information about EM-Powered can be found here.

Smart meter roll-out moved back

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Smart Meter roll-out deadline delayed by four years until 2024

Smart meter technology allows energy users to monitor and measure real-time energy consumption without the need for a physical meter reading, saving time and helping to improve efficiencies.

Recognising the important role they play in saving energy consumption, the government’s ‘smart grid’ plan was for all Gas and Electricity suppliers to take steps to roll out smart meters to all their 1, 2 (domestic), 3 and 4 (Small business) class customers by 2020; however, this target has now been extended to 2024.

Why has the smart meter been delayed?

With 35 million homes still without a smart meter, it was felt that levels of customer service would be compromised if the scheme was rushed through.

Also, as time is no longer in such short supply, energy companies will also be less inclined to adopt aggressive techniques to try and encourage people to have smart meters fitted.

By dropping the date back to 2024, this allows time for fixing any meters that are already in use but suffer from poor connectivity and any other issues.

Rising costs

The government are working hard to make sure the cost to customers isn’t too high. Already, the cost of the roll-out has gone from 11 billion in 2016 to 13.5 billion today and this has been passed on to the customer through higher energy bills.

The consumer group, Citizens Advice, welcomed the decision as they acknowledge it has been done in the best interests of the customer.

 

How to embrace the silent revolution of EVs

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revolution of EVs

Energy Management reveals its best-practice approach to installing EV (Electric Vehicle) charging points on your premises.

Revolution of EVs

The climate emergency declared by Parliament earlier this year has placed a further onus on the UK’s business community to reduce its carbon emissions.

Businesses can help drive down carbon use by encouraging employees to use EVs on their commute to work, but without enough charging points on-site, this goal is hard to achieve.

Prominent people in the energy industry are now calling on companies to lobby for more EV charging points for its employees as a result.

If successful, this will open up a host of challenges which may be new to the business concerned but not to us at Energy Management.

Energy Management has expert knowledge in this sector and can guide you through the whole process and the revolution of EVs.

Here’s our four-step approach to making the switch as pain-free as possible.

1. Initial scoping

We work with you to establish initial requirements.

  • Understanding of physical limitations of the site
  • Distribution Network Operator (DNO) enquiries
  • Establish current site loading
  • Evaluate green credentials

2. Plan of action

Energy Management collates, analyses and presents the best options available.

  • Liaise with the DNO and obtain costings for necessary upgrades
  • Review DNO proposals
  • High Voltage or Low Voltage point of connection
  • Remain flexible on approach as schemes can often change

3. Installation

How we manage the installation process:

  • Ongoing liaison with DNO or ICP to completion of works.
  • Partnering with SSE Contracting to deliver any high voltage/low voltage projects
  • Partnering with Energy Metering Technology to provide complete AM&T packages
  • Fiscal metering MOP contracts and installation
  • Procurement of competitive supply contracts

4. Innovative solutions

Our expertise enables us to meet any challenges head-on, such as those below:

  • CHP
  • Battery storage

For more information on how Energy Management can help your business engage with EV charging, contact a member of the team on 01225-867722 or email sales@energymanagementltd.com