29 July 2010

Business gas – possibility of renewable generation?

Up to 16 per cent of the UK’s gas needs could be met by renewable energy, according to National Grid.

By producing biomethane from waste through anaerobic digestion or thermal gasification the UK could help secure gas supply and keep prices as low as possible.

We hear a great deal about renewable technologies when it comes to generating electricity. But business gas customers will also know that the same concerns about price and supply exist for both utilities.

There has been less investment in renewable gas technologies and currently anaerobic digestion and thermal gasification are not commercially viable.

However, National Grid, which supplies gas and electricity in both North East USA and the UK, has been researching how to make these technologies more affordable.

In another story from Energy Efficiency news, it emerges a UK brewery, Adnams, has created its own anaerobic digestion system, feeding renewable gas directly into the national grid, in partnership with British Gas and National Grid.

The plant will generate 4.8million kwh per year, and in future enough to power both the brewery and its fleet of lorries, with 60 per cent left over to put into the grid.

For business gas price comparison and advice, contact Energy Advice Line.

Read about the possibility of renewable gas generation in Energy Efficiency News.

And read the Adnams story here.

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28 July 2010

British Gas see 98% rise in profits, don’t cut prices

British Gas profits have risen by 98 per cent, but the energy giant will not pass this on to customers in the form of price cuts.

One of the ‘big six’ business energy suppliers, British Gas’s profits have almost doubled in the first half of this year.

Centrica, its parent company, has posted the massive leap in profits thanks to the coldest winter in 30 years. Wholesale energy prices have also been low, but none of this will be passed on to customers. British Gas argues that wholesale gas prices are set to rise once more.

While business gas customers on fixed contracts will be protected from any price increases for the duration of their contract, they could face sharp increases at contract renewal time.

That’s why shopping around for your business utilities is important. For advice on getting the best deal for business gas and electricity, contact Energy Advice Line.

Read the full story at the BBC.

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27 July 2010

Offshore wind turbines – will they deliver enough electricity for business and domestic use?

The UK will need a “quantum leap” in investment to offshore wind projects if it is to stand any chance of meeting 2020 renewable energy targets. That’s what research by Pricewaterhouse Coopers, published this week, says.

New Energy Focus reports that the offshore wind sector has a ‘make or break’ role to play in ensuring renewable energy targets are met by 2020 – but to do this £10billion must be invested in the next five years.

Using data from the UK’s Renewable Energy Strategy, which shows that offshore wind is supposed to generate about half of the additional 27GW of generation capacity needed to meet the 30% renewable electricity target set for 2020, Pricewaterhouse Coopers claims that less than half the average roll-out rate of 1.1GW necessary to achieve this target was actually achieved.

A lack of finance for the construction of new offshore wind turbines was cited as a major reason for the low roll-out race. Continued tough financial conditions and the need to limit risk and/or improve short-term returns have contributed to this, according to Pricewaterhouse Coopers’ Michael Hurley.

Meanwhile, Utility Week reports that a total of 118 offshore wind turbines have been connected to grids across Europe so far in2010.

They have a combined capacity of 333MW, showing that there is still strong growth in this market.

Offshore wind farms are seen as a large part of the solution to security of domestic and business electricity supply in years to come. You can read the full stories here:

118 Offshore Wind Turbines

Quantum Leap Needed

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27 July 2010

French generation cap could force up UK prices

If France fails to meet peak demand for electricity by 2013, this could result in a rise in prices for domestic and business electricity customers in the UK.

Utility Week reports that in just three years time France could struggle to meet demand, according to McKinnon & Clarke energy consultants.

This news comes after a report was published last week by RTE, operators of the French national grid, which stated that by 2015 France’s total generating capacity could face a shortfall of more than 3GW. This would stem from the same environmental regulations that are speeding up the closure of fossil fuel electricity plants in this country.

M&C Energy Analyst David Hunter said: “At a time when the UK is facing its own looming energy gap [this news] is likely to both drive up peak prices and tighten our own supply margins further. The UK market is linked to the continent’s via interconnectors, and so that extra power will most likely go to the highest bidder.”

You can read the full story at Utility Week.

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22 July 2010

BT proposes long wave radio for smart meter network

BT aim to create a secure, dedicated communications network for the millions of smart meters set to be installed for home and business electricity and gas customers across the UK.

The telecommunications giant has joined forces with Arqiva, specialists in broadcast infrastructure, and business consultants Detica to take advantage of the proposed smart metering initiative.

Under the scheme, by 2020 28 million homes and businesses will have smart meters installed. These will enable users to monitor how much energy is being consumed – vital to businesses aiming to keep overheads of business gas and electricity as low as possible as it then means steps can be taken to use energy more efficiently.

Smart meters will also help utility companies make their networks more efficient, and may lead to the introduction of specially tailored energy package based on customer usage data.

BT is proposing a long range radio scheme, which a BT spokesperson told Telecoms.com “can provide truly nationwide coverage and dependable reception indoors.” This makes it more reliable than mobile telephone communications.

Smart meters were first introduced as standard in the UK in 2008.

Read the full article in Telecoms.Com.

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21 July 2010

New firm helps business electricity customers sell electricity back to the grid

A new Shropshire company has been set up to help business electricity customers who want to sell electricity back to the National Grid.

MiPower has launched to help companies with the Feed in Tariff scheme launched by the government in April this year. It focuses on installing solar panels or photovoltaic systems and will help electricity customers maximise their returns from being self-sufficient.

Under the scheme, businesses and homes will be paid for any extra electricity that they generate. Although business electricity generators will have to pay tax on any profits they make, this could still provide significant help to keeping business electricity costs low.

Mark Jones from MiPower told the Birmingham Post: “The technology will work with pretty much any building, whether it’s domestic, commercial or industrial, the principle is much the same.”

Read more about MiPower in the Birmingham Post.

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21 July 2010

Funding cut for green energy technology

Investment is urgently needed in green energy and low carbon programmes, despite the UK government’s recent decision to cut them by £34million.

Energy Efficiency News reports that the UK’s Committee on Climate Change (CCC) has urged the government to protect funding for low-carbon technology, research, development and rolling out.

The independent committee has warned that new low-carbon technologies need support from the government if the target of cutting emissions by  80 per cent by 2050 is to be met.

This recommendation comes just days after the Department of Energy and Climate Change announced £34million of cuts to low-carbon projects as part of the government’s wider £6.2billion of spending cuts.

Among the projects losing out are The Carbon Trust, which will see its grant for low carbon technology and business support cut by £12.6 million, the Low Carbon Buildings Fund, which will close early to save £3million, and the Central Government Low Carbon Technology Programme, which will have its funding reduced to save £2.9million.

DECC is keen to emphasise that it is still investing more than £150million in low technologies this year alone.

The CCC’s report also supports the continued deployment of nuclear power alongside green technologies, with the goal of securing supply and keeping prices manageable for domestic and business electricity customers.

Read about the funding cuts here.

And the CCC’s report here.

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20 July 2010

Stark warnings of electricity blackouts…

Renewable energy is a hot potato in the business and political spectrums right now. Business electricity customers will be concerned about the latest stark warning from a former control engineer of the National Grid that Britain could be facing an energy crisis to rival the banking crisis.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, Derek Birkett warned that blackouts and high electricity bills could be on the way for domestic and business electricity customers. He also branded government targets for renewable energy as “dangerous illusions” that could lead to rising prices.

Mr Birkett has written a book, When Will The Lights Go Out, favours mixed sources – a combination of renewable energy and nuclear power – to avoid blackouts in the not too distant future.

You can read the full story in The Daily Mail.

He even suggests that coal could still be a viable option for electricity generation, and warns about the costs of green energy projects being passed on to consumers.

For all your business electricity queries, contact Energy Advice Line.

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14 July 2010

Failure of business electricity supply biggest business emergency

Damage caused by burst pipes and business electricity disruption caused businesses major problems last year.

Damage caused by burst pipes and business electricity disruption caused businesses major problems last year.

Failure of business electricity supply was the biggest business emergency last year, according to a report in Management Today.

Some 38 per cent of small and medium sized businesses were hit by a ‘business breakdown’ in 2009, with power failure, blocked drains, lighting failure, burst pipes and broken heating all making a significant impact.

Losing business electricity, or experiencing any of the above problems, has an impact on earnings. Of those firms affected, 16 per cent were forced to undertake temporary closure of premises, 24 per cent lost earnings, 9 per cent lost customers, and 3 per cent believe that their reputation has been damaged by enforced outages.

When there is a shortage in electricity supply, it is often business electricity customers who are first to lose out because they are on interruptable contracts. These mean prices are lower but do leave you at risk of being forced to shut off your power.

To find the best type of business energy contract for your company, it’s a good idea to contact an independent energy broker such as Energy Advice Line, who can advise you on all types of contract available and what would best suit your business needs.

Read the full story at Management Today.

Image credit – CCA: There’s a hole in my ceiling by Elsie esq

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13 July 2010

Consultation launched on microgeneration of electricity

The UK government has launched the first stage of plans for domestic and business electricity customers to generate their own power, reports Energy Efficiency News.

Climate Change Minister Greg Barker hopes that this self-sufficiency drive will create not just power but jobs too and be more successful than the previous administration’s Feed-in-Tariff scheme, which only saw 100,000 home and business users installing microgeneration technology.

Mr Barker also stated he wants to work with industry experts to overcome challenges to microgeneration.

The initial process is three step. First, the government wants to discover how consumer confidence in these new technologies can be supported. Secondly, they want to ensure the microgeneration supply chain has the correct skills to meet demand, creating jobs in the process. Finally, the government wants to discover how microgeneration products can be improved by running a series of trials.

Contributions can be made to the consultation between now and December 22. For more information, click here.

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