Energy efficiency - Carbon versus energy
With the government placing so much emphasis on carbon emissions rather than 
energy savings, the focus appears to be shifting away from technological solutions and moving towards environmental considerations. But is this right? Anecdotal evidence suggests businesses view carbon saving as too distant an issue, as they don't see immediate results. Whereas, energy savings can produce efficient, tangible results on a company's bottom-line. So should the emphasis be more on energy savings? David Lewis from Schneider Electric discusses
When the government signed up to the Kyoto Protocol, it immediately set the tone for emphasising the UK would be judged on its carbon emissions. The Climate Change Act (which the UK adopted in 2008) sets a target for the country to reduce carbon emissions to 80% below 1990 levels by 2050.
To help meet this target, the government has implemented a number of policies focusing on the reduction of carbon. This abundance of legislation aimed at encouraging businesses to lower their emissions includes the recently introduced Carbon Reduction Commitment, the Building Regulations, the Energy Performance in Buildings Directive and The EU Emissions Trading Scheme. However, most of these regulations address thermal and insulation issues, rather than encouraging and rewarding businesses to economise on energy use by the intelligent application of technology to bring about energy efficiency, which would engage engineers and contractors within the specification and installation process.
In addition the majority of businesses see reducing carbon emissions as an environmental concern that should be tackled by bigger organisations and those responsible for energy generation - looking at the way energy is produced as a means to lower emissions. The need to reduce carbon is seen as a distant issue and one that does not always rate highly on a business' agenda when compared to surviving the recession, growing the company or expanding into new markets. Coupled with this, very few companies actually closely monitor their carbon emissions and don't see savings on a daily basis. This view could lead to despondency.
Changing the focus away from carbon emissions towards energy efficiency is the quickest, cheapest and cleanest way to reduce energy consumption, meeting Kyoto targets for greenhouse gas emissions while presenting an opportunity for contractors to add value to their business proposition and stimulating growth and job creation through greater use of energy efficiency technologies. Energy usage can be lowered by effective control, but those with influence in industry, business and the government need to focus on making energy efficiency a critical target.
For example, achieving economies in energy usage is readily possible in electricity generation and distribution and the way it is used. Contractors could be improving the efficiency of the network and maximising the available capacity to consumers by installing low loss transformers, checking the integrity of the cabling, installing active harmonic filters to reduce harmonics, variable speed drives to control electric motors and utilising low and medium power factor correction.
While controlling energy can be a complex task, by understanding the business' current situation, developing a strategy, implementing plans and constantly reviewing progress, it is possible to achieve maximum results. This will deliver cost savings, eliminate waste, improve profits, provide a positive message that can be communicated to customers and create a ‘feel good' factor. Through experience Schneider Electric knows, by using a four-step approach, ‘Measure, fix the basics, automate and monitor and improve', tangible energy efficiency and monetary gains can be made - a message all those involved within the industry, including engineers and contractors, can communicate to customers.
As the ability to meet targets is unlikely to succeed by simply persuading people to act differently or deploying new energy saving or energy efficient technologies, it's important to tap into the aforementioned key motivators that will drive an organisation to adopt measures and reduce the amount of energy it consumes.
Manufacturers are continually developing more efficient products but it's really the overall energy performance of a system that counts. This is because if an energy saving device is left permanently on standby, it can be less efficient than a higher consuming product that is always switched off when not in use. So, it's vital all elements in a system combine to bring about the maximum energy efficiency possible and contractors are well aware of the extensive range of integrated solutions available.
To do this though, there needs to be a greater understanding of how power is used, in order for a business to take advantage of the technologies available to manage and save energy. Coupled with this, businesses need to realise energy consumption can also be reduced by using electrical control technology, which is where an informed engineer can help make a difference.
Apart from building management systems, there are advanced heating, ventilation, lighting and air conditioning controllers that can all contribute to maximising efficiency. Energy audits by qualified experts are readily available as a stepping stone in the process but there needs to be a will by an organisation to undertake such auditing. Therefore, the challenge for contractors is to build a better understanding among their customers about what can be achieved and how to achieve it.
There are many factors influencing businesses' attitudes and opinions towards carbon reduction but by shifting the focus to energy efficiency, the increase in energy costs and the rising social conscience makes it a more appealing issue for businesses to buy into. But like any corporate vision, the commitment to energy efficiency starts at the top. As businesses grapple with the need to fundamentally change the way they view energy, that leadership is vital and there is a role for contractors to play in influencing this. No longer is energy an overhead cost, a minor company expense that is only marginally controllable. Energy should be viewed as a risk and one that can be managed and controlled through energy efficiency.
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