More than 30 renewable energy, heating and insulation companies have won places on a new £800 million energy efficiency framework for the public sector. The Energy Efficiency Measures and Associated Works (N8) framework from public sector procurement experts LHC allows local authorities, social landlords and other public bodies to source
Triton Knoll investment enables port transformation Able Seaton Port welcomes first ever turbine components to site All 15 blades to arrive are manufactured by MHI Vestas in the UK Triton Knoll is marking a series of project ‘firsts’ as turbine blades destined to be installed at the 857MW offshore wind
As local authorities come under increasing scrutiny around how they invest their pension funds, some innovative financiers in the renewables sector are developing ground-breaking solutions. The trick is to meet the needs of investors and customers who want access to green energy: pension funds need stable returns, minimal risks and,
Vital Energi have been awarded a £6.58m contract to deliver ThamesWey Energy’s Woking Power Station project which will create a state-of-the-art Combined Heat & Power energy centre providing low-carbon heating and power to local businesses and residents. When complete, the energy centre will produce enough heat and power to supply
Energy Assets Utilities (EAU), one of Britain’s leading utility network design and construction companies, has created two new roles to spearhead its business growth plans. The company has promoted Gary Smith to Head of Residential Sales and Craig Downie to Head of Commercial Sales to help drive the implementation of
IFA2, National Grid’s fourth interconnector, can provide enough clean energy from France to power 1 million British homes, avoiding 1.2 million tonnes (Mt) of CO2 emissions. By 2024, National Grid’s portfolio of interconnectors will provide enough zero carbon energy to power 8 million homes a year, avoiding a total of
Private water supplies in Scotland are more likely to fail stringent water quality tests than public supplies, warns the UK plumber approval body WaterSafe. WaterSafe is highlighting the risk to public health as figures from the Drinking Water Quality Regulator1 show more than 10 per cent of tests on privately
Why do we want wind energy from the sea Wind energy will play a major role for the world in the future. Because wind energy is a lot better for the environment than Fossil fuel. To arouse wind energy there are few things necessary. First of all you need a
As per expert projections, by 2030, the power consumption will rise 70% over today’s levels. On the other hand, energy efficiency systems will contribute to 57% of the decrease in GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions. The energy used in building facilities, all residential, commercial, and industrial facilities, is the largest creator
Vital Energi have won the £17m contract to deliver the primary energy infrastructure package for the Greystar and Henderson Park, Nine Elms Park plots B and D development which will be situated on the former Royal Mail centre. The 14-acre development, which lays between Battersea & Vauxhall, south of the
More than 30 renewable energy, heating and insulation companies have won places on a new £800 million energy efficiency framework for the public sector. The Energy Efficiency Measures and Associated Works (N8) framework from public sector procurement experts LHC allows local authorities, social landlords and other public bodies to source specialist suppliers who can install a variety of carbon-cutting improvement measures for domestic and public buildings and can carry out any associated repairs and retrofit work. The framework is worth up to £500 million in England, £200 million in Scotland and £100 million in Wales. The regional lots cover the procurement of 21 individual energy efficiency measures across the UK as well as providing a multi-disciplinary offer. Mij Rahman, director of procurement at LHC, said: “This framework provides contracting authorities with an easier route to procure a variety of new and emerging energy efficiency technologies along with low carbon retrofit services. Implementing these efficiency measures is essential to help reduce fuel bills, improve asset value and performance, as well as delivering on our obligations to cut greenhouse gas emissions in line with the UK’s ambitious environmental targets. “There is huge interest and demand in the public sector for this work, but many councils and social housing providers need guidance and support with such technically-led procurement demands. To implement their decarbonisation plans, public authorities can take advantage of professional support, through technical and practical guidance available through the N8 framework contractors, and could also seek consultancy support from LHC’s Energy Efficiency Consultancy framework (N8C). “LHC is also here to provide its experience, through local procurement expertise and energy efficiency knowledge, which can certainly help to get best value for money locally.” The N8 framework covers a range of energy efficiency measures including: external, internal and cavity wall insulation; biomass heating systems; solar PV with battery storage; air to water heat pumps; electric vehicle charging infrastructure; solar thermal systems; building energy management systems; ground source heat pumps; commercial boilers; and electric heaters. The full list of appointed companies in alphabetical order is: A C Whyte (Scotland) Aaron Services Absolute Solar & Wind AD Construction Group (Architectural Decorators Ltd) AES Alisa Building Amaresco Aran Services Ltd BCA Insulation Limited (Scotland) Breyer Group British Gas Social Housing CCG Scotland (Scotland) Crystal Electronics Custom Solar Ltd E.On (Midlands) Easy Heat Systems Limited Engie Everwarm Gibson Specialist (Wales) Insulated Render Systems (Scotland) Ltd Ivor Cook K&T Heating Kensa Lawtech Low Carbon Exchange Mi-Space MP Group U K Limited SERS Energy Solutions (Scotland) Limited Sure Maintenance Sustainable Building Services (UK) Limited Swarco UK Ltd Synergize Ltd The Casey Group Thermal Earth Ltd (Wales) United Living (South) Zing Energy www.lhc.gov.uk
Triton Knoll investment enables port transformation Able Seaton Port welcomes first ever turbine components to site All 15 blades to arrive are manufactured by MHI Vestas in the UK Triton Knoll is marking a series of project ‘firsts’ as turbine blades destined to be installed at the 857MW offshore wind farm, arrive at its chosen construction port in Teesside. Able Seaton Port, near Hartlepool, is receiving offshore wind turbine components for the first time in its history, after a combined multi-million pound investment has helped transform the port into a specialist assembly and construction facility for use on the project by turbine supplier MHI Vestas Offshore Wind. Triton Knoll, which is being constructed by RWE(1), will install and operate 90 MHI Vestas state-of-the-art V164-9.5 MW turbines, each stretching 164 metres tip to tip, and capable of powering a typical home for up to 29 hrs with a single rotation of its 80 metre long blades. The first 15 turbine blades to arrive at the port were manufactured by MHI Vestas at its Isle of Wight UK facility and finished at its Fawley plant across the Solent. Julian Garnsey, Project Director for Triton Knoll and RWE Renewables, said: “Triton Knoll has made a significant investment into Able Seaton Port to establish wind turbine handling facilities there for the first time. It’s an investment that secures the North East of England at the very heart of the delivery of Triton Knoll, and which leaves a lasting legacy for future offshore wind farm projects to be constructed from the region. “At Triton Knoll we remain committed to ensuring that our investments from this flagship project benefit local coastal communities, and the UK’s expanding offshore supply chain as much as possible. We are delighted to be working with MHI Vestas and Able UK delivering this new UK infrastructure, and to see the first Triton Knoll components arriving at Seaton, ready to begin installation early next year.” MHI Vestas recently moved onto the 140,000 sq metre Able Seaton Port, where it is establishing a full turbine logistics and pre-assembly hub for the RWE-managed joint venture project. During its site preparations, MHI Vestas has prioritised UK companies in the delivery of the project. ASP now hosts technicians on-site from local suppliers, including Global Wind Service (GWS), Dawson and Boston Energy, as well as MHI Vestas employees. The main crane and Self-Propelled Modular Transporter (SPMT) to be used at ASP for moving turbine components will be supplied by Weldex, based out of Alfreton, UK. Finally, site stevedoring services are supplied by Able. MHI Vestas Project Director Torben Damsgaard said: “We are proud that first components, including our blades from the Isle of Wight, for the V164-9.5 MW turbines have now been delivered to the pre-assembly site at Able Seaton. Our V164 turbines are currently the largest turbines installed in commercial projects in the world, and the 80m blades to be used at Triton Knoll will be the largest blades installed in UK waters. MHI Vestas is committed to the UK, as not only are these world-leading blades produced in the UK, but the Triton Knoll project as a whole is bringing substantial value to local communities. The successful preparation of the Able Seaton site has been one key value driver, as the joint effort by AbleUK and MHI Vestas to prepare the site will pay dividends to the Teesside region as an offshore wind hub for the present and future.” Able’s transformation of the site is a clear sign of its intent for the future as the facility, renowned for end-of-life handling of oil and gas platforms, is gearing up for a future supporting the renewable energy industry. It began the transformation of ASP ready for Triton Knoll in November 2019, and has established a 140,000 sq metre handling facility with specialist quayside, complete with roads and utilities infrastructure, accommodation and office units for those working on site. Peter Stephenson, Able’s Executive Chairman said: “There is no doubt in my mind that offshore wind is fast becoming a key element not only in terms of clean power generation, but also as a major factor that will drive the whole economy forward. The UK has the biggest market and our combined task is to seek to maximise local content and activity. We play our part by developing specialist future-proofed facilities that meet the demanding needs of our customer.” The state-of-the-art Triton Knoll offshore wind farm will have a maximum installed capacity of 857 MW and, once fully operational, will be one of the three largest offshore wind farms in the world, capable of powering the equivalent of over 800,000 UK homes(2). The project is located over 32 kilometres off the Lincolnshire coast, with a turbine array that covers an area of 145 square kilometres, bigger than the City of Manchester. It is jointly owned by RWE, J-Power and Kansai Electric Power, with RWE managing the wind farm’s construction and long-term operation and maintenance works, on behalf of its project partners.For more information about the project, please visit: www.tritonknoll.co.uk (1) RWE Renewables RWE Renewables, the newest subsidiary of the RWE Group, is one of the world’s leading renewable energy companies. With around 3,500 employees, the company has onshore and offshore wind farms, photovoltaic plants and battery storage facilities with a combined capacity of approximately 9 gigawatts. RWE Renewables is driving the expansion of renewable energy in more than 15 countries on four continents. For further growth a net investment budget of €5 billion is available until 2022. When adding in possible partnerships, the medium term investment budget could reach up to €9 billion. The focus is on the Americas, the core markets in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. (2) Energy Generation It is estimated that the average annual generation expected at the site could be equivalent to the approximate domestic needs of an expected minimum of 800,000 average UK households. Energy predicted to be generated by the proposal is derived using wind speeds monitored in the local area and correlated with long term
As local authorities come under increasing scrutiny around how they invest their pension funds, some innovative financiers in the renewables sector are developing ground-breaking solutions. The trick is to meet the needs of investors and customers who want access to green energy: pension funds need stable returns, minimal risks and, ideally, investments that stand up to scrutiny against ESG (environmental, social, and governance) standards. Meanwhile, customers want access to cheaper renewable energy, but they might not have the funds available to purchase the equipment. One innovative asset-backed deal appears to have neatly ticked all these boxes. Engenera Renewables Group has established a bond programme that provides it with the funds to install a wide range of renewable technology projects at no outlay to the customer and which provides long-term (c 25 years) stable cash flows as the investment return. Working directly with an experienced renewable business, Convexity Capital Partners, the arranger of the £100 million Engenera Green Bonds notes programme, issued by Engenera Green Bonds Plc, has already signed up local authority pension funds as investors and is in due diligence with several more. Launched in late 2019 to little fanfare, the first series of bonds were issued from the programme in November 2019. The initial series of bonds offer investors a 5-year senior secured, asset-backed bond, which is listed on Euronext Dublin (GEM) and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, paying 7.00% interest. Proceeds from the initial series (and future series) will allow renewable energy specialist Engenera Renewables Group to install a range of renewable technologies, with a particular focus on solar photovoltaic and renewable heat, to its customers, which are typically companies and public sector bodies with a lot of roof or ground space. Proceeds from Engenera’s bond programme can be used to install rooftop solar panels free-of-charge for clients who then enter into a power purchase agreement (PPA), which typically lasts for 20-25 years. The costs of the electricity under the PPA is usually around 20-25% less than charged by the incumbent energy provider, but importantly it includes the cost of the equipment, the installation and the maintenance during the term of the PPA. At the end of the PPA, the ownership of the equipment is transferred to the customer. Since solar panels can last for up to 40 years, this could give clients a further two decades of nearly free energy. Engenera is an established operator. Since 2017, it has completed nearly 200 installations. Having initially started out by selling, installing and maintaining systems for its customers, Engenera diversified its offer to include projects installed under PPAs with the backing of a small number of investors. Engenera’s bond programme now enables the company to fund projects itself, and this has increased the number of installations it is able to achieve while also speeding up the decision-making process. The key benefits for customers are that the generated electricity is often 25%-30% cheaper and that it comes from a sustainable source – enabling the customer to cut its carbon emissions. This is achieved at no capital outlay to the customer since the funding for the project is provided by the proceeds from Engenera’s bond programme. There is a growing momentum towards companies seeking to manage their carbon footprints. A recent survey carried out by Professional Engineering, in association with Engenera Renewables Group, found that 38% of businesses are looking to reduce their carbon footprints within the next year, while 36% are targeting reductions in the next three years. Engenera’s bond programme provides the capital that enable the company to offer the no capital outlay solution to its customers. Bondholders receive a 7.00% fixed rate of interest on their bonds with the cash to pay the coupon coming from the PPA cashflows that Engenera puts in place with its customers. Furthermore, the deal is asset-backed to include with underlying PPAs. Therefore, once all proceeds have been successfully deployed, investors’ security is a pool of long term, index-linked cash flows. Once the full £100m has been issued and successfully deployed, Engenera expects that the portfolio will contain as many as 400 PPAs diversified by size, demographics and sectors. Over time as the bond programme establishes itself, Engenera intends to establish a number of portfolios, each dedicated to a specific sector. The purpose of this is that each portfolio could be sold to a long-term investor willing to hold them for the duration of the long-term PPAs. The initial series of notes have a 5 year-term, which means that at maturity (or before) the projects funded by the bond proceeds will have a further c. 20 years of inflation-linked cash-flows remaining. Based on current demand for long-term, stable cash flows from long-term investors, Engenera believes that these cash flows will be attractive to investors and a key source of refinancing. Engenera’s bond programme ticks a lot of boxes from an ESG standpoint. But it also has an additional attraction, specific to local authorities; Engenera is also willing to agree that the proceeds of any specific investment be spent within the boundaries of that local authority, meaning that businesses and public sector entities in their immediate area will benefit directly. Therefore, if a local authority’s pension fund invests an amount of £5 million in the programme, that investment will be used to fund free rooftop solar installations in that local authority area. The investor might designate public buildings such as libraries, leisure centres and council buildings for installation and/or stipulate the scheme be offered to private businesses. This means the benefits of an investment for a local authority can be fourfold: in addition to the 7.00% return, it can make an investment in renewable energy, boosting its ESG credentials, utilise local labour through Engenera’s installation network, and provide cheaper energy for local businesses and public bodies. Engenera’s funding solution for green energy is an important development and innovation. While a number of large renewable energy companies can self-fund large installations, this is believed to be the first time a company has raised money specifically to self-fund installations
Vital Energi have been awarded a £6.58m contract to deliver ThamesWey Energy’s Woking Power Station project which will create a state-of-the-art Combined Heat & Power energy centre providing low-carbon heating and power to local businesses and residents. When complete, the energy centre will produce enough heat and power to supply the equivalent of 2,500 homes and it’s first customers will be the new Hilton hotel, shops and over 400 apartments currently being delivered as part of the Victoria Square development. The energy centre has been designed to be both scalable and highly flexible, capable of generating up to 10MW of heat, and adopting progressively lower carbon technologies over the next ten years. The energy centre comprises a three-storey building at the junction of Poole Road and Butts Road, with energy plant and equipment based on the ground and first floors and a new headquarters for ThamesWey on the third floor. The building is being constructed to be capable of upward extension of up to a further 17 stories of co-living space. When complete the flues from the energy centre will measure 29.3m. In addition to initial energy production by Combined Heat & Power engine and generator there will be gas boilers to add resilience and three large thermal stores which will serve the dual purpose of releasing stored heat during peak times of demand and adding an interesting architectural landmark to the development. Rob Callaghan, Regional Director for Vital Energi commented, “This is a fantastic project to be involved in as it will allow Woking to grow and develop in a sustainable way, utilising low-carbon heat to meet the town’s needs. This scheme was designed with long-term growth in mind and will be able to meet Woking’s energy needs well into the future, providing a resilient, low-carbon energy infrastructure.” The project is being delivered for ThamesWey by Galliford Try. The mechanical and engineering consultants on the project are Hulley & Kirkwood and Vital Energi have been working on the project since 2018 and recently won the contract to undertake the mechanical and electrical services installations. This energy centre will feed a new low temperature District Heating Network, delivering low-carbon heat to local buildings. In addition to delivering heat, the energy centre will also provide electricity via an 11kW network within central Woking.
Energy Assets Utilities (EAU), one of Britain’s leading utility network design and construction companies, has created two new roles to spearhead its business growth plans. The company has promoted Gary Smith to Head of Residential Sales and Craig Downie to Head of Commercial Sales to help drive the implementation of a sector-based expansion strategy. “As a business, we have enjoyed consistent growth over the last few years and have built a significant customer base among residential and industrial and commercial developers,” said Steven Lynch, EAU Group Commercial Director. “We see huge potential in both sectors and introducing these new roles will build capacity at a strategic level while at the same time sharpening our sales activities. This organisational change will ensure we optimise the value of our offer based on the needs of our customers, whether they are housebuilders or commercial developers.” EAU has offices across Britain and provides multi-utility design and construction services covering gas, electricity, fibre and water networks. The company possesses a strong pipeline of projects covering housebuilding and large commercial schemes. In their new roles, Gary and Craig will support the wider business development team, while their respective sector focus and knowledge will strengthen EAU’s engagement with utilities construction opportunities in residential and commercial markets. www.energyassets.co.uk/multi-utility/utility-installation
IFA2, National Grid’s fourth interconnector, can provide enough clean energy from France to power 1 million British homes, avoiding 1.2 million tonnes (Mt) of CO2 emissions. By 2024, National Grid’s portfolio of interconnectors will provide enough zero carbon energy to power 8 million homes a year, avoiding a total of 100 million tonnes (Mt) of CO2 emissions by 2030. National Grid today launches Britain’s latest interconnector, IFA2. The 149-mile-long power cable runs along the sea bed between Portsmouth, Hampshire in the UK and near Caen, Normandy in France sharing surplus clean energy between the two countries. IFA2 is expected to deliver 1.2% of Britain’s electricity needs, enough to power up to 1 million homes with zero carbon energy. By the end of it’s first year in operation, IFA2 will have helped avoid 1.2 million tonnes (Mt) of CO2 from entering the atmosphere, equivalent to planting 50 million trees. IFA2 is the latest feat of engineering helping to transform Britain’s energy system. In the last decade, Britain’s power grid has decarbonised faster than that of any other developed country with a 64% decline in carbon emissions[1]. Interconnectors have played a critical role in this: every year, National Grid’s three existing interconnectors power the equivalent of 5 million homes with zero carbon energy. This will increase to the equivalent of 8 million homes a year by 2024, as a further three interconnectors are completed, avoiding a total of 100 million tonnes (Mt) CO2 emissions by 2030. That emission reduction equates to taking 2 million cars off the road. Furthermore, as the country’s renewable energy capacity, such as offshore wind, increases, interconnectors will enable Britain to sell any excess renewable energy to neighbouring countries. Despite the pandemic, IFA2 has remained on time and on budget. The 1,000 MW high voltage direct current (HVDC) electrical interconnector is National Grid’s second link to France and is the result of a shared £700 million investment, with partners RTE. UK Energy Minister Kwasi Kwarteng visits IFA2 today as it enters its energisation phase which allows electricity power to run through the cable ready for testing before going live. With the energisation of IFA2, National Grid now has four operational interconnectors – two to France (IFA and IFA2), one to the Netherlands (BritNed) and one to Belgium (Nemo Link). Two further projects are under construction – Norway (North Sea Link, operational 2021) and Denmark (Viking Link, operational 2023). Interconnectors allow the UK to trade clean energy with neighbouring countries, exporting it during times of excess generation, and vice versa. They play a critical role in the UK’s transition to clean energy resources – connecting the UK to hydropower in Norway, wind power in Denmark, and carbon-free nuclear power in France. Jon Butterworth, CEO of National Grid Ventures, said: “While the world is focused on the pandemic and managing the knock-on effects on our lives, we know that progress towards net zero can’t afford to falter and Britain needs to keep up the momentum in reducing harmful carbon emissions. The launch of the IFA2 interconnector, linking France and Britain’s power grids, is an important step in accelerating our progress to a cleaner, greener future.” Kwasi Kwarteng, Minister for Business, Energy and Clean Growth, said: “The opening of this IFA2 interconnector will provide enough clean electricity to power one million British homes so I am delighted to see this joint venture being launched. “Recent government commitments to the development of our offshore wind infrastructure show how the UK is a world leader in low-carbon energy generation and the IFA2 will allow us to share those benefits with our friends and neighbours in France.”
Private water supplies in Scotland are more likely to fail stringent water quality tests than public supplies, warns the UK plumber approval body WaterSafe. WaterSafe is highlighting the risk to public health as figures from the Drinking Water Quality Regulator1 show more than 10 per cent of tests on privately owned and operated water networks failed to meet drinking water quality standards in the latest published results. This is an increase on 6.5 per cent last year and 125 times the rate of failures in public drinking water supplied by Scottish Water, which continues to be among the safest in the world. Local authorities are responsible for regulating private water supplies – carrying out risk assessments and monitoring them. Each year the Drinking Water Quality Regulator, which regulates public supplies, publishes a report on private supplies based on the local authorities’ findings. These findings have prompted WaterSafe and the Drinking Water Quality Regulator to urge private water supply owners and operators not to take any chances when it comes to protecting their networks – and customers – from potential contamination. About 200,000 people in Scotland receive their drinking water from private water supplies, which supply homes, as well as schools, community halls, hotels, caravan parks, B&Bs and other businesses. Water samples failed due to a number of reasons, including poor water quality at the source, insufficient treatment of the water or poor or no maintenance of the plumbing and treatment systems. Julie Spinks, Director of WaterSafe, said: “There are more than 22,453 registered private water supplies in Scotland which supply drinking water to nearly 200,000 customers across households and businesses, but this report shows a worrying proportion of the samples taken have been deemed unsafe. “Our message to those who own and operate these networks and sources of water is very clear – always be sure to employ a qualified plumber, such as WaterSafe approved as they are properly trained and competent in the water regulations which govern public water supplies. It makes sense to apply these same standards to private supplies to keep them equally healthy and avoid the risk of contamination right up to the tap.” Sue Petch, the Drinking Water Quality Regulator, said: “It is concerning that the quality of private water supplies is not improving. It is vital that these supplies are improved so that people using them have a safe and reliable supply of drinking water. “Local authorities can offer advice and support as well as enabling access to a Scottish Government grant to make improvements. “Private water supplies have many risks, and it is vital that those working on them are competent to do so. We support WaterSafe, as its register of approved plumbers is there to help those responsible for protecting public health make an informed choice and not least ensure any work is done safely by a skilled and competent plumber using approved materials.” The annual Drinking Water Quality Report for public and private water supplies can be read at https://dwqr.scot/information/annual-report/. To find your nearest WaterSafe approved plumber in Scotland, simply enter your postcode online at watersafe.org.uk
Why do we want wind energy from the sea Wind energy will play a major role for the world in the future. Because wind energy is a lot better for the environment than Fossil fuel. To arouse wind energy there are few things necessary. First of all you need a lot windmills but first they have to be built that takes a lot of time after that they need to be transported to sea that will also take some time. For a windmill park you need of space and other people or other facilities should not be bother by it. Another good thing for windmills on the sea is that on the sea a lot wind is, how more wind there is how more energy the windmills will make. Wind turbines how they are made? Tower: The tower is made of an steel tube with a inner ladder there in because you can climb via that ladder to top of windmill. There is a cabine with the main system in it. The tower is with pile driving and a pile drive hammer put in the ground. Rotor and rotor blades: The rotor and the rotor blades are very important for the windmills because via these things they generate energy Nacelle with drive train: The nacelle with drive train. Keep the windmill always producing wind energy because the nacelle with drive train take care that windmill will follow the wind for example the wind direction changed from north-west to south-west the drive train will ensure that windmill also change to the new wind direction. Electronic equipment: The windmill consist of a little electric system for the sensors in the windmill because than knows the windmill where the wind is coming from. With these sensors you can also measure the wind speed and the temperature of the wind. Offshore wind farm installation Creating an offshore wind farm can be a challenging job. Few parties have the necessary materials and the experience to install offshore wind farms. Several parties are involved in the installation of an offshore wind farm and they need to work together. Usually XL monopiles are used for the installation of wind farms. In some cases up to 12 meters long. The monopile is the foundation of the offshore wind farm and is a crucial component. The monopiles are placed in the sea and form the foundation of the wind farms. The entire platform rests on these piles. The complexity of the installation means that it is often a multi-year trajectory. Once the installation has been completed, it is possible to work on renewable energy sources that reduce the cost of energy consumption and use renewable energy.
As per expert projections, by 2030, the power consumption will rise 70% over today’s levels. On the other hand, energy efficiency systems will contribute to 57% of the decrease in GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions. The energy used in building facilities, all residential, commercial, and industrial facilities, is the largest creator of GHGs, and electric power makes up about 50% of emissions attributed to commercial and residential buildings. Buildings can tackle this issue by producing more energy than they consume. Recent regulations reflect this objective. For instance, the EU’s EPBD (Energy Performance of Buildings Directive) stipulates that all new buildings should achieve zero-energy by 2020. But, most building facilities are far off from meeting this objective. To achieve CO2 and energy efficiency goals, effective energy management measures starting with efficient energy consumption measurement needs to be implemented on an enormous scale. Monitoring and electrical meterings are the vital measurement tools and the building blocks for competent energy management. Efficient monitoring and electrical metering offer building operators and owners the critical data they require to enhance their building’s energy performance. In an owner-occupied, single operator office building, a quality monitoring and electrical metering solution can produce instant energy savings of about 10%. In the long term, facilities can achieve improved energy use control, and monitoring can save up to 30% in energy utilization. Continual automatic metering solutions utilize dynamic energy dashboards to display building energy consumption and operation data. Images, tables, and graphs illustrate energy information clearly, so sound decisions can be made. For instance, an energy use dashboard may indicate that the building’s ventilation system utilizes more energy than usual. This alert can make the operator decrease motor speed by a few Hz, which will lower consumption without affecting performance. Continuous automatic electrical metering also offers building occupants, operators, and owners access to the needed data to optimize existing power supply contracts and negotiate new, more cost-efficient ones. Multisite building operators and facility managers can aggregate loads to discuss bulk utility contracts. Further, users can utilize precise shadow bills to identify billing mistakes and determine if suppliers are meeting the contract terms. How to Start the Energy Management Procedure? To make sure that auditing and electrical metering plans meet regulatory and user requirements, you need to measure performance against relevant metrics. For instance, the standard metrics in office buildings are kWh/occupant and kWh/m². In hotels, kWh/overnight or kWh/occupancy rate are important metrics, while kWh/production rate is a crucial metric for industrial buildings. You should also correlate the data with cooling and heating degree days to compare the building’s existing consumption with past years and with facilities in other places. To start, organizations need to pinpoint user requirements and decide the scope of energy monitoring solutions developed for the future. Next, they should determine the performance data and metrics to be gauged to connect building activities and energy consumption. Afterward, the relevant project team needs to decide the metering places (type of electrical meter + location) that will permit operators to control and monitor the building according to their goals and ensure the collected information facilitates the desired assessment. Lastly, electrical meters should be chosen based on the energy objectives of the business. If currently used primary meters have the ability to read energy information, they can be reused for that purpose. Otherwise, new energy and electrical meters need to be installed. You should pick additional meters based on building operation goals and metering points standards. The Final Word As a recommendation, we suggest before you make any decisions regarding electrical works and procedures, you must consult a reliable provider or licensed professionals who can help determine your unique requirements and find the ideal electrical and energy solutions for your needs. Hiring an expert service your electrical systems ensures peace of mind in terms of safety, appropriate installation, and prevention of unwarranted incidents
Vital Energi have won the £17m contract to deliver the primary energy infrastructure package for the Greystar and Henderson Park, Nine Elms Park plots B and D development which will be situated on the former Royal Mail centre. The 14-acre development, which lays between Battersea & Vauxhall, south of the River Thames, will create a total of 894 rental homes in plots B and D with the addition of high spec amenity areas and retail units at ground floor. Each block will be served via their own district heating, chilled and water services plant and the development will be future proofed to enable easy connection to a wider district heating network in the future. Rob Callaghan, Regional director for Vital Energi commented, “Not only are Greystar and Henderson Park, with their delivery partner Telford Homes, creating much-needed, high quality rental housing in London, they are doing it with sustainability at its heart. The overall Nine Elms Park development will deliver a vibrant community with a school, retail units and community facilities and at full build out will deliver almost 2,000 new homes where they are needed. “This will be a fantastic addition to the Vauxhall, Nine Elms and Battersea Regeneration Area (known as VNEB) and London in general and we look forward to beginning work on this exciting new development.”
