Feature
Green Business
Become a
led to a much greener and cheaper electricity system in Britain for the weeks and months that followed. As businesses, offices, factories and ‘non-
D
essential’ organisations shut up shop, alongside many of millions furloughed or those working from home during the second quarter of the year, electricity demand plummeted and renewable electricity took up its highest ever share of the energy mix, leading to record low CO2 emissions from the grid. This situation reduced the need for fossil fuel power, such as coal and gas, and also led to curbed demand for nuclear power, as cheaper forms of renewable generation such as wind and solar took the key share of Britain’s electricity requirements. At one point, renewable electricity sources provided almost 70 per cent of Britain’s electricity. The decisions taken by businesses, investors
and the Government in the UK over the next 12 months will either lock us into unsustainable systems or provide us with a platform to create a resilient, adaptive and responsive renewable future – or most importantly, the opportunity to build back better.
Why your business should go green in 2021 There are many reasons why your business should go green in 2021 but, let’s cover the most obvious. Firstly, there is the opportunity to decarbonise
your business by procuring energy from renewable sources… but this isn’t an easy task. Almost all businesses know how difficult it can be to procure energy contracts competitively and ensure all costs are accounted for, especially when comparing offers from a number of suppliers. Ensuring commodity and non- commodity costs are accounted for and compared like-for-like is an absolutely necessity which can easily be done by help of a third-party
68 CHAMBERLINK February 2021
uring March 2020 the UK entered a national lockdown to combat the spread of the global Covid-19 pandemic and this
green business in 2021
By Tom Bailey, (pictured) founder, Birmingham Energy Initiative
intermediary or energy consultant. It is also important to remember that ‘green’ or renewable energy doesn’t have to come at a premium; it’s not any more expensive than ‘brown’ energy and is accessible to most, if not all, businesses looking to become carbon neutral by way of procuring renewable energy for their supply contracts. The most pressing issues throughout the energy community appears to be businesses having to juggle a number of factors, such as procuring energy competitively and comparing offers accurately, while mitigating an increase in operational energy spend budgets, which is fuelled largely by an increase in costs supporting low carbon generation and upgraded network infrastructure. Secondly, let’s look at self-generating
renewable energy from on-site assets. Energy solutions as a service in my opinion are absolutely critical to becoming truly carbon neutral. Having the ability to create your own energy eco-system on site by utilising technologies which generates renewable energy will allow your business to lower utility costs and use less consumption.
‘There are many reasons why your business should go green in 2021’
Solar Photovoltaic (PV) is a prime example of
powering your business by renewable generation. It is also the world’s fastest growing renewable technology and can truly bring your business energy independence. Solar PV panels can benefit your business by
reduced consumption from your energy supplier, as well as take advantage of a boost in sustainability and carbon credentials. With the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) your business can also earn money back for exporting excess solar energy generated by your solar system into the grid.
An approach to being a green business in
2021 is not an easy task, but it is largely doable and easily accessible. With rising utility costs, businesses may prioritise perfecting their ‘green’ procurement strategy over energy management but, the truth is an integrated approach of both green energy procurement and energy solutions creates the opportunity control budget, reduce energy waste and self-generate renewable energy.
Start your Net-Zero journey Almost all companies have found that they are operating more efficiently after implementing more sustainable business practices. Better conservation and use of resources have often resulted in a more streamlined operation and decreased costs. This isn’t about making an ethical choice anymore, investing in being ‘green’ is a profitable one. Don’t be green with envy, just be green and start your Net-Zero journey today.
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