13 SB1009 Mcmanners.qxp 18/9/09 11:51 am Page 13
INFORM Opinion
Peter McManners
‘
My next holiday apartment
S
’
must have solar water heating
ummer holidays are a time such short-sighted ignorance will
for reflection on family, life not last long.
and the world in general. A I believe that we are on the
few years ago, for our summer leading edge of the sustainable
holiday we rented a cottage on an revolution. The recession has
island in the middle of a lake in slowed progress, but development
central Finland. Our cottage was of the technologies and processes
the only building on the island, we require is proceeding. Venture
which was so small that I could capitalists with deep pockets have
swim around it before breakfast. staked out the opportunities in
To get to the island we had to park the companies trying to develop
the car at the end of a remote the technology required, such as
forest track and make the crossing affordable PV panels. The win-
by rowing boat. ner(s) will be hugely profitable.
Throughout each day the sun Every roof across Europe, and the
made its way around the island. world, is an opportunity.
Being so far north, close to the The recession is holding back
Arctic Circle, the days were long. expenditure and making organisa-
The sun dipped below the tions and individuals wary of new
horizon in the north a little after investment. It is also making com-
11pm and rose again before 1am. panies look at their costs and look
The two weeks we spent on the While Finland offered time for reflection, Italy gave cause for concern for savings. During this period of
island was an idyllic escape. Being reflection, the priority is on cash
so close to nature I was reminded in Tuscany in a small holiday primarily as summer holiday flow and survival. Now is also the
of the beauty of the natural world apartment in a complex tucked accommodation. time to plan for the recovery – for
and the importance of retaining it. away in the countryside with The apartments had been built when it eventually comes.
I spent the days writing, work- farmers’ fields on all sides. The and sold as holiday homes. With business slow, we can find
ing on the ideas in my book Adapt weather was hot and dry, the sun Presumably the profit margins the time to spot unsustainable
and Thrive: The Sustainable so intense that we spent the mid- had been better by saving some methods and processes, and plan
Revolution. The setting, in a dle of each day in the shade. Huge construction costs through not investment to replace them.
cradle of natural wilderness, gave fields had been ploughed follow- installing solar water heating. If Companies that can use the
added impetus to my vision of a ing the harvest and were baked purchasers are not prepared to recession to plan ahead will lead
sustainable world and how to bone dry, devoid of any signs of pay a premium on the purchase the recovery. It costs little to make
achieve it. I became hugely green shoots. price to have solar water heating, plans and gather estimates. As
optimistic that we could solve the With the heat of the sun on my builders will not fit it. This is soon as the green shoots of
challenges of moving from a soci- back, I walked around the despite solid returns in savings on recovery are showing, make the
ety running on fossil fuel to one apartment complex. It was just heating bills over a much shorter deal and sign the contracts. Acting
running on renewable power. two years old and still had a period than the life of the system. early would be like a farmer
The situation is complex, and nearly-new feel about it. I looked I felt guilty to be running hot planting winter wheat in expecta-
can be hard to fathom, but the for green features such as solar water, and hear the gas burner tion of an early crop. Businesses
solutions exist. All we have to do power. I was not surprised that lighting, when the sun shining on that wait too long to invest in the
is explain the decisions that there were no photovoltaic (PV) the patio outside made it too hot future will be left behind and not
companies and individuals must panels. It is still hard to make a to walk on in bare feet. reap the full benefits.
make. As the world comes out of sound business case for PV until When I next hire a holiday
recession, demand for energy will costs drop or energy prices rise apartment I will specify that it Peter McManners is a visiting
return to, and then surpass, significantly. must have solar water heating. executive fellow of Henley
previous levels and energy costs But I was surprised that all the This is what we should all do. Business School of Reading
climb ever higher. The business hot water was heated by gas. The Maybe then holiday companies University. His book, Adapt
case for renewable energy will be business case for solar water heat- will get the message. It is and Thrive: The Sustainable
easier to sell. ing adds up, even in the cloudy disappointing to find a new Revolution is published by
This year, my optimism was UK. In Italy the case is rock solid development in sunny Italy Susta Press
dented. For our holiday we were – particularly for apartments used without solar water heating, but w
www.petermcmanners.com
Sustainable Business 13❘ October 2009
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