An opportunity to save money and cut emissions
August 1st 2009 While the economic downturn may have reached the bottom, predictions are for a
slow recovery.Reducing energy bills is more important than ever, and energy managers
also have to take account of a number of new carbon reduction initiatives, says Alan
Aldridge, executive director of the Energy Services and Technology Association (ESTA)
The pressure is on to find
new ways of saving energy
? and it is coming from the
general economic situation as well as
from new regulations which are
being implemented over the coming
months. Energy waste has always
been ? like all waste ? a direct drain
on profits and, in the worst recession
for 80 years, every penny counts.As
technology improves,more savings
are achievable and payback periods
can be very favourable.
And while the pressure from senior
managers to cut costs is one driver,
regulatory pressure is also increasing.
For larger organisations in both public
and private sectors, registration for
the Carbon Reduction Commitment
(CRC) is going to be a priority this
autumn. As a mandatory scheme
creating both opportunities and risks
(in terms of the cost of allowances
and the need to maximise the return
through recycled funds), this presents
new challenges to many energy and
facilities managers.The compilation of
the Evidence Pack is the first task for
those taking part and this will be one
of key topics at ESTA's free seminars
taking place at The Energy Event on
9-10 September.The event, which is
sponsored by Water, Energy &
Environment, takes place at the
National Motorcycle Museum in
Birmingham (for registration details
visit www.theenergyevent.com).
Another Government initiative is
the roll-out of smart and advanced
metering to business and the
domestic sector over the next few
years.What is likely to be available ?
and how to make the most out of
the information ? will be discussed
at this event. Also, with the
increasing use of renewables,we will
be looking at the latest
developments in metering
technology for grid-connected
onsite renewables such as microwind
and PV.
Like computers,where new more
powerful models come onto the
market every year with added
functionality, energy management
technology does not stand still. Also,
new challenges require new
solutions. Lighting controls are a case
in point. Not only are more
sophisticated control strategies
possible to ensure ever more efficient
use of artificial lighting,but more
types of lighting are being addressed
? such as High Intensity Discharge
lamps.With lighting being one of the
main consumers of energy in modern
buildings, effective control can play a
significant part in bringing down bills.
It can be difficult to keep track of
developments and for new people
entering the business there can be a
bewildering array of options. So ESTA
will be aiming to provide an overview
of developments, setting them in the
context of the main areas of energy
management ? and that should,
hopefully,be of use to both new
entrants and seasoned professionals.
As an example, air conditioning is
innovating to take account of the
spotlight that the Building
Regulations and the Energy
Performance of Buildings Directive
have focussed on this technology.All
air conditioning systems have to be
regularly inspected now (those rated
at more than 250kW were required
to have an initial inspection by
January this year and smaller units
down to 12kW will have to have an
inspection before 4 January 2011).
The idea is to make energy
managers and building owners look
at the efficiency of their systems and
improve it where possible in order
to optimise consumption.
Manufacturers are also doing their
bit to bring higher efficiency
systems to market ? one case being
a new packaged plant where the
design of the package allows better
optimisation of the components and
the control algorithms.
In today's business climate, energy
efficiency is vital both in terms of
compliance and profitability. ESTA
calculates that employing proven,
cost-effective technologies can save
up to 20% of current energy
consumption.That can amount to a
difference in the operational rating
of a building resulting in a one or
two band improve ? say from 'F' to
'D'.At an estimated energy cost
saving of around ?10 per m2 per
band, that is a considerable amount
of money!
ESTA will be running a series of
free seminars at the Energy Event in
September. For more details visit the
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