very simple four-step process:
1.Measure;
2.Fix the Basics;
3.Automate; and
4.Monitor and improve. This provides a validated methodology that’s easy to
understand by business and consumers alike. Often, quick wins are available, with ROI of less than two years, and savings of up to 30 per cent. Simple solutions are a way of engaging business
without having to commit to huge investments and, with associated scalability, this allows for a continued pattern of investment with returns for the business and supply chain.
Schneider Electric’s office building in Telford, Shropshire
ECA T ECA T
oday: Do you think the UK carbon emission reduction targets are achievable? Stewart Gregory: They are certainly tough, but that’s really a question for our government. The environmental targets continue to change, based upon economic conditions, either supporting or hindering investment. Legislation can offer a driver, but enforcement is another subject. Major challenges in building performance certification remain. Investment in new technologies will offer new business
opportunities. However, this is only part of the solution. Once again, I turn to improving energy efficiency, changing behaviour, improving the infrastructure – these will all offer business opportunities on the road to tackle the targets.
ECA T oday: Does the debate over the reduction in
the FITs subsidy detract from the other messages the electrical sector should be promoting? Stewart Gregory: While the Feed-in Tariff scheme certainly helped promote the business case for renewable technology, the environmental benefits remain, and the opportunity will continue with the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) and the Green Deal, with longer-term investment in infrastructure. The FITs reduction may have created a major impact on the present level of investment in the renewables area but, nevertheless, the return still remains attractive.
Other techniques and technologies must be considered,
We focus on bringing solutions to the market that meet customers’ requirements in the sector in which they operate
38 ECA Today January 2012
and under the Green Deal there is an opportunity to take a more holistic view of the system – for example, energy efficient solutions to reduce energy consumption – and there will also be increasing opportunities in implementing the electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
ECA T oday: What do you believe are the key drivers of
energy efficiency for business – and what should the electrical sector be saying to businesses to get them to embrace the concept? Stewart Gregory: The key driver, as with any investment, is the return on investment (ROI) level and, of course, the speed of return. That is no different in the electrical efficiency agenda. The investment will inevitably lead to carbon emission reduction, but it’s not the primary driver for business decision-making. Within Schneider we have a
oday: Do you think the electrical contracting
sector is geared up at the moment to deliver on these opportunities? Stewart Gregory: The challenge for the electrical contracting industry is not to let the opportunity pass by and be picked up by new entrants to the market. More and more supply chain activists are looking for differentiation, competitive advantage and alternative revenue streams.
There remains a lack of skill sets in the industry to address some of the new opportunities, and it may require a different way of thinking and approaching the market. There is, however, a strong willingness to learn. Schneider Electric is supporting this, and has developed
Schneider Electric Energy University, a free e-learning based resource. It offers knowledge-based modules that provide insight and learning within the energy efficiency agenda; it also provides an insight into the business opportunities that come with it. It is always uncomfortable for a business to move from
its core competency. However, with relatively little risk or effort, an experienced electrical contractor can offer so much more added value for their customer as an energy solutions provider – for example, by considering not only the capital costs but also the running costs, and the initial investment needed to provide the customer with the ongoing benefit.
ECA T
oday: What more can electrical contractors do to differentiate their business? Stewart Gregory: The tangible side is there for all to see – but how about the intangible element, such as the soft skills, the ability to engineer, and to offer advice on the energy efficiency side of installations? Also, they have a role to play in communicating the benefits of the Green Deal and other initiatives to customers, and to demonstrate the opportunities that this may bring to their customers’ businesses. Electrical contractors should also consider some of the
other opportunities that present themselves away from their core business of contracting. For example, looking at developing capabilities in renewable technologies, EV charging infrastructure, and so on. But they should also be aware of how legislation and changes in standards can offer business opportunities in new areas that demand exactly the skills electrical contractors have in abundance.
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