Investec and fund managers Earth Capital Partners (ECP) and Universal Partners (UP) have made an £8 million investment in Propelair, maker of a low water usage toilet. ECP, through its Nobel Sustainability Fund, was already an existing shareholder and has now increased its shareholding, whereas Investec and UP are new investors. They join the founder, Read more…
Lighting company fined £2.7 million for restricting online prices
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has found The National Lighting Company (NLC) imposed a minimum price on online sellers, who then had to retail goods at, or above, this price. This kind of illegal practice, known as resale price maintenance (RPM), means customers miss out on the best possible prices and cannot shop around for Read more…
Grand National vs the Boat Race: generating enough energy to power 100,000 TVs
A racehorse completing the Grand National will use twelve times more energy than an entire Boat Race crew, according to new research released ahead of the upcoming sporting events, which fall just one week apart. British Gas Business research shows the average male Blue Boat rowing team could generate almost 2.3kWh during Sunday’s race, the Read more…
New BRE and ESTA guide helps businesses gain value from ESOS audits
A newly published briefing paper from BRE in collaboration with the Energy Services and Technology Association (ESTA) addresses the opportunities that an ESOS audit offers and how organisations can benefit from them. Aimed at businesses that don’t already have energy-savings measures in place, it provides guidance on how ESOS compliance processes can be optimised in Read more…
Business rates on rooftop solar installations could increase eightfold from April
The Solar Trade Association has warned that business rates taxes on commercial rooftop solar installations could increase eightfold next April unless ministers intervene. The association told the Financial Times last week of a looming “bombshell”. The change is coming due to a periodic re-evaluation of business rates, where the Valuation Office Agency looks at how assets are valued, Read more…
Cometh the Brexit, cometh the energy manager
Post-Brexit, the only certainty is uncertainty. The pound and the FTSE250 continue to slide and nobody knows what will happen to UK energy policy as it pulls away from the EU. Energy investors have been calling for certainty since electricity market reform (EMR) began almost six years ago. Now they have less certainty than ever. Read more…
Is there a business case for the ‘SDGs’?
As the European Commission kicks off Sustainable Energy Week, Toby Crewe, Sustainability Director, Schneider Electric, Energy and Sustainability Services, looks at the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the associated obstacles and barriers businesses face in achieveing these targets. The UN has set out 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to achieve by 2030, addressing challenges Read more…
EU consultancy network launches
German energy consultant ISPEX has launched a European energy consultancy and procurement network that will allow pan-European organisations to access the best local buying and regulatory knowledge, claims CEO Dr Stefan Arnold. The annoucedment of the ISPEX Network is laudable and will be of use to multinational operators. But what are the implications for buying Read more…
Major UK energy storage investment
Camborne Energy Storage has announced a formal collaboration with leading infrastructure fund manager Equitix and leading Building Services Contractor FES Group. The strategic partnership will see Equitix and FES Group support the delivery of Camborne’s large-scale energy storage projects in the UK. Currently in its infancy, the UK market for battery energy storage is expected Read more…
Protection for energy intensives ‘will add 7% to third party costs on business energy bills’
Haven Power, the business energy supply arm of Drax, has warned that firms may not yet realise the costs of government plans to protect energy intensive industries (EIIs) from energy subsidy schemes. Chairman Peter Bennell believes suppliers should be more transparent in communicating price rises to customers – and about the implications for fixed price contracts. Read more…
Power Efficiency Becomes Ecova, Inc
European energy procurement and carbon reduction consultancy, Power Efficiency Limited announced that it has changed its name to Ecova, Inc. Limited and will operate under the management of Ecova, Inc. Ecova, a US-based energy and sustainability management company and fellow subsidiary company of ENGIE (formerly GDF Suez), provides comprehensive energy and sustainability services that, like Read more…
Brexit planning: A guide to navigating potential energy market disruption
As the EU referendum nears, the issues surrounding a potential Brexit are moving up the political agenda. While the outcome is difficult to predict, how might a Brexit affect the UK energy sector and what should energy companies and their customers be considering in their contingency planning asks Mark Bartholomew* While much of what would Read more…
A balanced diet: Eat more chips and keep UK’s lights on
A firm in North Yorkshire is helping to balance the national power system using old cooking oil. Via National Grid’s Short Term Operating Reserve (Stor) mechanism, REG Bio-Power fires up its 18MW generators when needed to help manage spikes in power demand. Using Caterpillar generators, the site is mostly unmanned and is remote controlled by Read more…
SmartestEnergy claims cost difference between buying renewable and brown power ‘less than 1%’
Smartest Energy has launched a new report urging large firms to switch to renewable power – which it supplies. The firm claims it costs companies less than 1% of their total energy bill to buy 100% renewable power, yet many FTSE 100 firms and large industrial and commercial (I&C) outfits remain disinterested, despite what it argues Read more…
A finger on the energy pulse
It was refreshing to see a new entrant – and a modest-sized one at that – take centre stage at the 2015 Energy Awards writes Daniela Latini. In a category that included Npower and Utilitywise, Pulse Business Energy won the Best Buyer Award (in the retail market), surprisingly making it the first time a broker Read more…
Regulation of UK energy consultants, or how to save 3p per kilowatt hour
Ian White, Director of Strategy at alfaenergy writes in this sponsored post about a different trilemma for the energy market to tackle, regulation of consultants. The majority of the TPI community want regulation (alfaenergy included), but there is a feeling that whatever regulation looks like, it will fall short of resolving the bigger issue around transparency. I Read more…
2016 Sustainable City Awards
The City of London Corporation has announced that the 2016 Sustainable City Awards are now open for entries. For 14 years, the awards have celebrated and honoured outstanding contributions to sustainability across sectors as diverse as buildings, health and wellbeing, climate change and food. The awards, run by City of London Corporation (www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/sca) attract the best UK Read more…
Investor confidence project launches investment protocols for building renovation
Backed by €1.92 million of Horizon 2020 funding, the Investor Confidence Project (ICP) Europe released its first draft protocols on 14 September 2015 and is inviting comment prior to the final version in October. The protocols are the first component of the ICP System which standardises how energy efficiency projects are developed and measured. Building owners, Read more…
EnergyQuote buy marks Accenture power play
Accenture is set to acquire EnergyQuote after entering into an agreement with the firm last week. Terms of the deal were undisclosed. The move makes Accenture an even bigger fish in the European energy procurement and management services sector. EnergyQuote’s 279 staff are expected to transfer to Accenture upon deal completion and the company said Read more…
TPI secrets revealed
Ask any business “Do you currently work with an energy consultant?” and nine times out of 10 the answer will be yes. Many businesses reading this sponsored post may well have strong views or extremely negative view of TPI’s based on past or present business transactions. We would like to introduce CUB UK, an energy Read more…
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