RENEWABLES Why now is the time to train in renewables
To meet the momentous challenge of Net Zero, we need creative thinking surrounding renewable energy generation and use, together with highly trained and skilled engineers to make ideas into reality. Griff Thomas, from GTEC, looks at some of the new technologies that optimise renewable energy generation and explains why now is the time for engineers to get trained up
T
he cost of energy has gone through the roof over the past 12 months so the need to make buildings more energy
efficient has become an urgent priority. Commercial and non-domestic buildings require energy constantly for complex HVAC systems, security and reliable operation. The potential for on-site renewable energy solutions to offset immediate and future challenges is therefore growing. Current market conditions combined with the net zero target provide an opportunity for building services engineers to embrace the low-carbon approach and lead the way in energy efficiency, delivering more sustainable buildings that are cheaper to run.
Role of renewables
There is also a wider picture – if every business and commercial operation with the means to generate and store their own power did so, it would significantly reduce demand on the grid, allowing more renewables to enter the mix and bringing down the cost of electricity for everyone. This is a compelling argument when you consider the challenge faced by the grid over the next 20 to 30 years. Electricity consumption is set to more than double by 2050 as hard to abate sectors such as transport and heating decarbonise through electrification. Renewables are not as reliable or controllable as fossil fuels, so we need to rapidly increase resilience to supply issues and reduce demand where possible.
Energy efficiency standards
Under the new Approved Document L volume 2: Conservation of Fuel and Power (Non-Domestic) new buildings will have to achieve a 27% reduction in carbon emissions compared to current standards. This will be achieved through increased thermal efficiency, energy- efficient lighting and building automation and control systems, which are now mandatory for new commercial buildings with HVAC systems over 180kW.
However, the most significant change to Part L relates to new build dwellings. The interim uplift, which marks the first step towards the Future Homes and Buildings Standard, is designed to achieve a 31% reduction in carbon emissions through a range of measures, including:
• Minimum energy efficiency standards for heating systems, including 92% ErP for gas boilers and a SCOP of 3.0 for heat pumps.
• Maximum design temperature for heating systems of 55°C (compared to current standard 80°C).
The government has also confirmed that manufacturers will be mandated to sell a certain proportion of heat pumps compared to fossil fuel boiler sales. This is the first time that something like this has been written into law. These regulatory changes set the bar for energy efficiency in buildings and firmly cement the role of renewables into law.
Scaling up
There also is significant untapped potential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions through behaviour and lifestyle changes. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recently published a report that argued there are plenty of solutions across all sectors and that we must act now to scale up regulation, infrastructure and technology that will stimulate these changes, aiming to achieve at least a 50% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030. The renewables sector has
remained surprisingly resilient in recent years, despite a string of challenges. Solar PV in particular has shown strong and stable growth, independent of the generous subsidies of the past. Last
20 BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER JULY 2022
year, the UK added 369MW of new solar capacity, representing a 36% increase compared to the previous year and bringing total capacity to over 14GW. The aim now is to hit 40GW by 2030, which would set us in good stead to achieve the 75GW – 120GW required to meet net zero.
Costs have also come down, with solar PV and electrical energy storage systems (EESS) 85% cheaper than in 2010, making renewables not just a moral choice, but a financially viable enterprise.
Changing lifestyle and behaviour
However, mass deployment is not the only solution to the decarbonisation challenge. If we can be clever about how we use renewable energy that is generated by homeowners or businesses, we can reduce overall reliance on the grid and mitigate against rising energy costs for everyone – the more we see the benefits of this approach, the greater the impact will be. In response to this, the industry has seen great innovation to develop technologies designed to optimise our use of renewable energy. Emerging technologies, such as vehicle-to-home (V2H) charging, for example, integrate existing technologies in creative new ways. Smart chargers with bi- directional charging abilities allow electric vehicles (EVs) to become home charging systems, storing free or low-cost energy and then using it to power homes overnight. EV batteries have enough storage capacity to more than meet demand from the average home. For example, the Vauxhall Corsa-e has a 50kWh battery – enough to drive 170 miles or provide electricity to the average home for 5 days (based on gas central heating – for homes that
have an air source heat pump or other electric heating the power will be used up more quickly, but they still offer plenty of capacity). New developments enable us to make better choices about how we use generated energy, offering opportunities to make money by selling excess energy back to the grid, leveraging off-peak energy tariffs and connecting on-site renewables.
Time for action
We all know that renewables are the future and with every passing crisis, mass deployment becomes a more urgent priority. If you are a building services engineer waiting for the right moment to upskill, now is the time. Renewables training is straightforward for BSE engineers with existing skills and will open new business opportunities as well as contributing to the low- carbon future. The more quickly we can build a base of skilled renewable installers, the more quickly we can deliver sustainable zero carbon solutions that benefit everyone, not just those who can afford to invest.
Read the latest at:
www.bsee.co.uk
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