Getting from A to B
October 1st 2007

Thousands of organisations have had energy surveys carried out.But too many of them just sit on shelves gathering dust.The Energy Services and Technology Association (ESTA) is determined to tackle the problem as executive director Alan Aldridge explains

Is yours one of the thousands of businesses up and down the country that have had an energy audit carried out? And is yours one of the hundreds where the recommendations have not been implemented? If that is the case, take advantage of the free one-toone consultancy sessions ESTA are offering at their forthcoming series of seminars.

Feedback to ESTA suggests that up to 80% of the energy saving recommendations made following an energy survey are never put into practice. Lack of finance and lack of time or resources are the most common reasons for this.The bottom line, though, is that for some organisations thousands of pounds worth of savings are just not being achieved.

The situation is rather like being given a destination but no route map. ESTA aims to help businesses get from A to B and start achieving results – with consequent benefits to the bottom line and to environmental performance.

Reducing energy consumption, through the elimination of waste and efficient use of energy supplies, remains the first and best way to reduce carbon emissions. Identifying the areas where savings can be made is, in large part, a standard procedure.However, achieving those savings will depend on the differing circumstances of the individual organisation.Often, this part of the exercise – the development of a tailored implementation plan – is not completed.And that leaves the organisation with a glimpse of what is possible without the means to reach that situation.

It is a tragedy that over the last quarter of a century, official estimates of the amount of energy wasted by UK consumers have remained relatively static at around 20%.That is nearly double the savings that the UK is bound to make under our Kyoto commitment – and more than twice the contribution of 'carbon-free' nuclear power to the country's energy mix.

While the Energy White Paper made energy efficiency the first priority in cutting the nation's carbon emissions, the headlines have been dominated by the debate about a new fleet of nuclear reactors.

Energy efficiency is key to meeting all the Government's energy policy targets: security of supply – it reduces the overall demand; climate change – energy efficiency reduces emissions; and energy poverty – it reduces the amount that more vulnerable sections of the community need to buy.And for the non-domestic sector, it improves profitability and cuts operating overheads.Yet study after study shows that energy wastage remains consistently high.

In an attempt to begin to address this problem, ESTA is offering free one-to-one consultancy sessions for those attending its series of regional conferences this autumn. In these sessions, delegates will be able to review their existing survey recommendations with experienced energy consultants.These specialists will help them devise some initial plans to address these issues, and agree further action and follow-up.

The sessions will take place between 9am and 11am at each venue prior to the main conference sessions.

Delegates taking advantage of this offer will need to bring their surveys with them – and it will be beneficial if some information can be made available to the consultant beforehand.

The main conference sessions will continue this theme of tackling barriers to implementation.These will include an examination of the most common problems encountered when putting energy efficiency and energy management programmes into practice.There will also be a focus on ways to introduce efficiency projects with minimum impact and disruption to existing operations, as well as financing options.

The conferences will run in Birmingham, London, Southampton, Wakefield and Mere (just outside Manchester).To register for the conference and book a free consultancy session, visit the ESTA website.www.esta.org.uk

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