The Energy Event is touting a series of fresh initiatives for 2015, with a stronger conference programme, a new hosted meeting programme with energy suppliers, closer collaboration with the industry, and an impressive roster of participating energy providers and organisations focused on showcasing new technologies, best practice advice and driving innovation in the sector. The Read more…
Fitting energy efficiency retrofit kits while occupants remain in the building
To stand any chance of delivering the EU’s energy reduction targets in buildings, the existing building stock must be made significantly more energy efficient. An EC-funded project to create effective and affordable retrofit kits has now begun testing its designs in three model buildings across Europe. The kits, created by the iNSPiRe project, consist of Read more…
Is Triad past its peak?
National Grid’s ‘Triad’ peak charging methodology has helped reduce demand peaks since the early nineties. Will it still be effective as the market changes, asks Brendan Coyne. Triad is how National Grid charges major energy consumers for use of the transmission system, simultaneously flattening winter peak demand. Triad periods are defined as the three half Read more…
Tell us why you struggle to finance energy efficiency projects
Energy efficiency projects often fail for lack of finance, boardroom buy-in and doubts over the projected cost savings. We want your views on why projects fail to get off the ground. Energyst Media, publishers of Water, Energy & Environment is putting together a report on financing energy efficiency in collaboration with Cofely. For the research Read more…
Belimo hits the road to bring HVAC innovations to a hotel near you (and Old Trafford)
Valve and actuator technology firm Belimo is taking its latest energy efficient products and solutions on the road in June via a series of roadshows that also count towards CIBSE-approved CPD credits. The company will outline: The Evolution of Pressure Independent Control Valves Energy Savings with Delta-T Management Fire Dampers in HVAC Systems The sessions Read more…
Energy Institute sets up energy efficiency helpline for businesses
The Energy Institute (EI) has set up a helpline to provide a 20 minute free consultation for businesses, enabling them to ask questions about ESOS, energy auditing and the benefits of seeking professional advice on energy efficiency. The service, says the EI in this sponsored post, is fulfilled by members of the Register of Professional Read more…
Sainsbury’s puts Williams F1 tech into its fridges
Sainsbury’s has put F1 aerofoils co-designed by Williams on its fridges and the retailer says the result is tuned-up energy efficiency. Aerofoil Energy is the firm behind the technology, with Williams Advanced Engineering helping the firm to refine its design. The aerofoils are designed to stop cold air escaping from the fridge cabinet. When air Read more…
Cutting the waste in wastewater treatment
Gardner Denver has launched its new Robuschi Robox Screw compressor and blower package for the wastewater treatment industry; designed to save customers up to 30 per cent on their energy consumption. The new Robuschi Robox Screw package is available in high (up to 2.5 bar) and low pressure (1 bar) configurations. In this sponsored post, Read more…
Utilitywise posts strong profit, spends it on t-Mac acquisition
Utilitywise has acquired utility management software firm t-mac Technologies Ltd (t-Mac). The deal values the software company at around £10 million and comes as Utilitywise posts strong financials for the six months to January. t-mac provides real-time energy and environmental metering and monitoring as well as building controls and equipment performance management. Its software means Read more…
ESOS firing blanks on board-level buy in to energy efficiency project finance
The introduction of ESOS has made little impact on board level attitudes towards financing energy efficiency, according to UK businesses that have to comply with the scheme. Initial findings of a survey by TheEnergyst.com found that almost two thirds of respondents (63%) thought the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme had made no difference to getting energy Read more…
Supermarkets and data centres ‘afraid’ to challenge energy load assumptions
Major energy users such as supermarkets and data centres could achieve serious energy and cost savings and drive down UK peak demand if they were less fearful of failure, according to Marks & Spencer’s former energy management boss. Mervyn Bowden, who now runs his own consultancy Intuitive Energy Solutions, said major energy users could avoid Read more…
UK manufacturers prepare for EMR charges to hit bills
As EMR charges are added to bills this month, UK food and drink manufacturers are concerned about rising energy prices. Many feel government has not done enough to explain the impact of energy policies on their bills. Most think government should give large manufacturers tax breaks to help counter the cost of energy market reform. Read more…
Brussels takes UK to court over wastewater and emissions, launches infringement proceedings over energy efficiency
The European Commission is referring the UK to the European Court of Justice over poor wastewater collection and treatment and over emissions at the Aberthaw coal-fired power station. The UK is also one of 27 Member States against whom Brussels has launched infringement proceedings for failing to transpose the Energy Efficiency Directive into law. The Read more…
The solution to financing energy efficiency projects lands in September
Energy managers are too bogged with compliance and admin at the expense of finding ways to ensure energy efficiency projects get off the ground and financed. Meanwhile, a lack of data and standardisation is preventing otherwise viable projects from being bankable when presented to financiers. The result is a yawning disconnect between thousands of stalled Read more…
Energy policy: What the next government should do
The next parliament must focus on three key elements to avoid making a mess of energy policy: maintain stability; support new technologies; build consumer trust. That was the key message from the Energy and Climate Change Committee as it set out its vision for the future of the UK energy system today. Those cornerstones were Read more…
Put users at the heart of energy policy or watch it fail
To sort out the energy policy mess, the next government has to stop top-down thinking, dismantle the silos, forget about picking technology ‘winners’ and harness the power of British industry. Crucially, it must stop using the wrong set of numbers when it comes to energy efficiency. That’s the view of Tim Rotheray, director of what Read more…
European Commission’s power play means easier funding for energy efficiency
The European Commission has unveiled hugely ambitious plans to create sweeping changes across the European energy market, launching its Energy Union manifesto with integration, interconnection and energy efficiency at its heart. The Commission is to pay special attention to increasing the energy efficiency of buildings and transport and help companies unlock financing to get projects Read more…
ESOS: New Environment Agency tome supersedes Decc guidance
The Environment Agency has published a detailed guide to ESOS compliance, which supersedes previous Decc guidance. The Energy Saving Opportunities Scheme is the UK’s implementation of article 8 of the EU Energy Efficiency Directive. It basically means all large companies (over 250 employees with turnover in excess of Euro50m and an annual balance sheet in Read more…
Supply not demand: Capacity market design risks higher decarbonisation bill
The government’s demand reduction pilot auction has not delivered value for money because the department of energy and climate change (Decc) excluded projects incentivised by other means. That was the view of the Association of Decentralised Energy (ADE), formerly known as the CHP Association. The winners of the inaugural pilot announcement were announced last week, Read more…
Decc to pay firms for implementing energy efficiency projects
The UK government has run its first £10 million pilot auction to see if energy efficiency measures could bid into the capacity market, a major plank of EMR. Companies bidding for funding for their energy efficiency projects will find out next week whether they have been successful in landing a contract. The Department of Energy Read more…