ENERGY MANAGEMENT & SUSTAINABIL ITY
wasted in underused areas. In the short term, however, reducing energy consumption will not be straightforward. Consumption will be increased by the need to maintain greater airflow and fresh air intake rates in buildings, to minimise air recirculation and reduce the risk of airborne virus transmission. Also, fewer people will be allowed to occupy lifts, so these will be used more frequently than usual. So lower occupancy levels will not necessarily equate to reductions in energy consumption.
“Organisations recovering from the pandemic need sustainable carbon-reduction options that work for them, while enabling costs to be managed effectively.”
In the longer term, many organisations are likely to review their office space requirements and the potential to reduce the amount of space they need. This could lead to new working practices, where smart building technology can make a huge difference. It can help to ensure assets are deployed in the most efficient manner and available workspace is maximised. Behavioural change will play an important role too, requiring people to develop an awareness of the carbon emissions associated with their activities.
New approaches to asset ownership Organisations recovering from the pandemic need sustainable carbon-reduction options that work for them, while enabling costs to be managed effectively. When new energy-efficient equipment is required, and capital funds are in short supply, there are some innovative ways for organisations to manage their energy assets.
For instance, HVAC and lighting systems can be delivered ‘as a service’, whereby a supplier buys, operates and maintains energy-efficient assets on behalf of an organisation – for a monthly fee. This way, the company enjoys energy, cost and carbon reductions without any up- front capital costs.
Greening energy supplies Sourcing energy from renewable sources, installing on-site renewable or low-carbon generation assets and tapping into local decentralised renewable schemes are all ways to reduce carbon from an organisation’s energy supplies. For organisations unable to install their own renewable generation assets, corporate power purchase agreements (PPAs) are a good alternative. These provide a direct supply agreement between a specific renewable generator and an organisation, supporting further development of renewable generation facilities in the UK.
Technology and innovation Technology and innovation have a central role to play in the
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journey to net zero. Smart building systems, smart electricity grids, advances in electric vehicles and battery storage capabilities will all make carbon elimination an increasingly achievable reality for many organisations. Embedding smart technology into the way facilities and assets are managed will ensure changes are sustainable and optimised to accommodate evolving organisational priorities.
Benefits across supply chains In the past, offsetting carbon emissions was a quick way for some organisations to achieve their net zero goals by offsetting all their emissions. In the post-COVID-19 world, just looking at offsetting will no longer make economic sense for most organisations. It will still be an important part of the solution for those emissions that can’t be reduced through carbon reduction measures; we may, however, see an increase in ‘insetting’ which directly benefits the entire supply chain.
Insetting is investing in carbon-reduction schemes among businesses that supply or serve our organisations. By doing this we can not only help smaller firms to survive the crisis, but also help to green our supply chains. This is particularly important for organisations that wish to produce truly net zero products.
“Often, significant improvements
can be made simply by tweaking processes, altering control settings and introducing behavioural changes among employees.”
Such ‘insetting’ represents a continuation of the community spirit that has been so evident during the COVID-19 pandemic, helping everyone to recover together from a crisis that has impacted businesses indiscriminately.
Setting sights on a carbon-free future Organisations worldwide have lost valuable time in their carbon-reduction programmes due to COVID-19. Returning from the lockdown must of course prioritise health and wellbeing of employees but beyond this there are huge challenges in getting the UK’s net zero project back on track.
However, with the technology, innovation and expertise available today, we have a unique opportunity to build on the dramatic falls in carbon emissions seen during the lockdown, and together make sustainable progress towards a net zero future.
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