Google has hit its target to use 100% renewable power. The firm said it now has contracts in place to purchase 3GW of output from renewable sources and plans to fund construction of more power plants. Urs Hölzle, senior vice president for Technical Infrastructure, said Google’s accounting for 2017 showed that it had bought more Read more…
Energy firms eyeing ‘tokenisation’ models, says Energi Mine CEO
Energi Mine, the energy consultancy developing a blockchain-based energy efficiency rewards platform, says it is in discussions with half a dozen energy companies about ‘tokenising’ parts of the energy chain. CEO Omar Rahim said most of those discussions revolve around “energy and carbon trading”, though he believes that ultimately, “everything will be tokenised”. In simple Read more…
Electric vehicle boom no sweat, says National Grid
National Grid has said the power system could cope with an overnight boom in electric vehicles (EVs) and that the extra generation capacity required to handle millions of vehicles is no big deal. Nine million electric vehicles on UK roads might require 8GW of extra power generation capacity if people charge them when they like. Read more…
Scottish Power chief: You’re bonkers if you think we will build offshore wind ‘subsidy-free’
Scottish Power chief executive Keith Anderson has questioned the apparent obsession with achieving ‘subsidy-free’ renewables, warning it will not happen any time soon in the UK for technologies such as offshore wind. Anderson took part in a panel debate around ‘post-subsidy’ renewables at Aurora’s Spring Conference. Asked which markets are most attractive to parent company Read more…
Eon boss: Renewable power is done, now for heat and transport
Eon CEO Michael Lewis believes the UK has largely cracked decarbonisation of power generation and must concentrate on heat and transport, which is where he said the energy company will concentrate its efforts. Speaking at Aurora’s Spring Forum, Lewis, who took the reins from Tony Cocker a year ago, applauded the policy stability of successive Read more…
Vattenfall backs hydrogen to decarbonise heavy industry, eyes supply chain ownership
Vattenfall believes hydrogen created from renewable power could decarbonise heavy industry such as steel and cement production – and the firm wants to own the supply chain from generation to storage. CEO and president Magnus Hall told the Aurora Spring Forum that “fossil-free steel on a full scale will, I think, be deployable between 2030 Read more…
Energy convergence: Why you can’t afford to miss The Energyst Event
The free conference and exhibition, 17-18 April at the National Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham, highlights the impact of the convergence of energy procurement, efficiency and flexibility on your business. The decentralisation of energy is having a profound effect on all aspects of the system. The Energyst Event aims to discuss what this means for businesses – Read more…
Going for brokers: Three platforms bidding to disrupt energy procurement
Brokers still hold huge power in the business-to-business supply market. But some firms think they are too opaque and inefficient. They believe technology can disrupt the status quo. Brendan Coyne reports. Chris Bowden founded Squeaky Clean Energy to give mid-sized firms the power to strike deals direct with renewables generators in the same way large Read more…
£185m available for SME energy efficiency projects
The new call for Horizon 2020 Energy Efficiency project proposals has opened today, with €212m (£185m) available to fund small and medium sized enterprise (SME) energy efficiency schemes in 2018 and 2019. Funding is also available to local authorities. The European Commission invites SMEs to apply for funds in areas including: buildings renovation; integrated home Read more…
Medium Combustion Plant Directive takes back-up generators out of DSR
New emissions regulation will prevent thermal back-up generators from participating in demand-side response (DSR). Defra laid draft Medium Combustion Plant Directive (MCPD) legislation this week. The legislation will go to Parliamentary Committee next week and will be debated in January. Back-up means back-up Guidance issued by the department confirms that back-up generation can run for Read more…
Battery storage report: Risks, rewards and business cases
Businesses surveyed by The Energyst have significant appetite for battery storage, but revenue visibility and regulatory uncertainty are investment barriers. Half of firms surveyed said they were mulling behind the meter storage projects, with around a quarter considering collocation and a quarter standalone batteries. However, these definitions are not clear-cut. Some collocated projects may also Read more…
Shifting the balance of power: Free demand-side response and battery storage report
The Energyst has published a new, free, demand-side response and battery storage report, outlining challenges and opportunities for businesses aiming to cut costs and generate income by providing grid balancing services. The report provides a perspective of the state of play from both end users and service providers. Demand-side response (DSR) primarily involves adjusting electricity Read more…