Standards needed in green tech gold rush
By Michael Pullan, Powerperfector
There aren’t many companies which can claim to have created a whole new industry, but powerPerfector Ltd is one. The company introduced Voltage Power Optimisation (VPO)® technology to the UK in 2001 and has recently been recognised as the fastest growing ‘green’ company in the UK.
Whether it is the cost of running delivery vehicles, or the high prices paid to heat buildings and run energy intensive machinery, industry is at the mercy of increases in fuel prices.
As energy sources from fossil fuels become increasingly scarce, supply and demand will dictate that prices follow an upward trend. Economic and political factors may introduce volatility which will create an unpredictable upward trend.
In many cases, how businesses adapt to this and meet their commitments to reduce costs and emissions will dictate if they survive or fail.
The good news is that solutions are out there. There are numerous technologies that can reduce carbon, slash energy bills and tick the CSR box on the demand side but only one technology secures a business’ electrical supply and thus protects business continuity. With all the choices out there knowing how to differentiate good technology from bad is a challenge.
Feed-in Tariffs created a rush for micro-generation. With onsite generation attracting a feed-in tariff of over 40p/
kWh in some cases, the finances stacked up. However, the government’s decision to axe the subsidy is likely to mean that solar arrays or wind turbines will no longer appeal to the finance team, but may hold sway with management, PR and CSR - all keen to have a visible manifestation of an environmental policy.
Likewise energy efficiency measures such as movement sensitive lighting and water saving initiatives are visible and differentiate a company that is acting on carbon and cost.
But, with average energy savings of around 12 per cent, the single most effective measure businesses can implement is one that does not have the same visibility but is hidden away in a corner of the switch room. Voltage Power Optimisation generates energy and carbon savings by optimising electrical power quality and by supplying voltage at a more efficient level to the whole business. It is a sector of the energy efficiency market that is growing at an astonishing rate, fuelled by the confluence of drivers that in part are defined as ‘business risks’. Various technologies are being reconstituted, copied and re-positioned to offer a part solution to the marketplace. Most of the technology, the people and products will be reliable, good, concerned and professional. Others will not be. The green revolution – like the gold rush and the dot-com boom – will attract substandard products as people seek to exploit an opportunity for quick profits as opposed to assisting in the creation of a respected sector that provides quality solutions.
Supply-side installations hold far more risk than demand-side ones – if low energy lights or motors fail it can be worked around – if the electrical supply goes down tens of thousands of pounds can be lost - let alone the damage to reputation. This is where the choices made can either endanger or protect business continuity.
When describing our own technology we can say that it is trusted by some of the biggest names in energy and
|88| ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
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