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With Net Zero emissions targets drawing evercloser, there is increased pressure on building service professionals to shift their operations to using greener equipment. However, the effects of the pandemic have left capital expenditure budgets tight for many organisations, while the cost of energy only continues to rise. With this in mind, Keith Stocker, sector development manager at Aggreko Northern Europe, discusses the potential for hired Combined Heat and Power (CHP) systems to bridge the gap to green technology.
2019, when the UK government announced a commitment to achieving Net Zero by 2050, by reducing greenhouse gas emissions 100% compared to 1990 levels. More recently, the Prime Minister doubled down on this commitment by setting a world-leading target to cut emissions by 78% by 2035. With these targets in mind, it would be fair to say that the UK building services industry has a significant role to play going forwards. According to 2019 statistics from UK Green Building Council, the impact of the built environment accounts for as much as 45% of the nation’s total emissions, so there is clear scope for a move towards more sustainable practice.
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Fortunately, this is a challenge that has been recognised by building service professionals, with many looking to introduce methods of greener practice to their sites. When queried on what technology had the most potential for their business, 55% of respondents to Aggreko’s 2019 report on decentralised energy cited solar power. While this is a heartening sign for the nation’s climate commitments, an industry-wide switch to entirely renewable means remains a distant goal, and change will not happen overnight. However, with climate commitments looming, it is critical that operators begin to introduce decarbonisation efforts sooner rather than later.
Combined heat and power systems
For this reason, building service professionals should consider adopting CHP systems as an interim solution, allowing operators to achieve an immediate reduction in a given site’s carbon footprint. Also known as a cogeneration system, this technology recycles the residual heat produced during electricity generation, providing both heat and power through a singular system as opposed to individually. Notably, CHP systems are able to achieve around 75% efficiency, a sizable increase over the national average of 50% when the two are provided separately. Moreover, CHP remains a primary method of reducing energy bills, with users saving 20% on average – a crucial consideration given that the price of energy only continues to rise. UK manufacturing, for instance, has seen energy bills rise by an average of 37% between 2014 and 2019, while a staggering 88% of respondents to an earlier survey conducted by Aggreko expected energy bills to increase in the next five years. Despite the clear benefits of CHP systems, many simply have not considered its potential to bridge the gap to green technology, with just 14% of Aggreko’s survey respondents claiming it had the
oncerns surrounding the environmental impact of industry have long been growing in the global conscience. These concerns reached a flashpoint in June
COMBINED HEAT & POWER
Exploring the potential of combined heat and power
most potential for their business. However, for building service professionals looking to reduce operational costs and achieve an instant reduction in their on-site carbon emissions, it remains one of the most viable technologies on the market.
Barriers to adopting green technology
While CHP systems can certainly boast a number of advantages, they are not immune to the number of barriers surrounding the adoption of new technology at present. Primarily, the effects of the pandemic have left capex budgets strained for many businesses, with the rising cost of energy only serving to compound this problem. Furthermore, hiring new staff or upskilling their current workforce is essential to the integration, operation and maintenance of any new technology – without which, it may fall into disrepair. Once again, the effects of the pandemic have further exacerbated this ongoing challenge, rendering the walls to entry higher still. Indeed, June 2021 statistics from the Construction Industry Training Board chime with this, indicating that 216,800 new workers will be needed by 2025 just to meet current demand, let alone support the integration of new technology. For this reason, many businesses have been left between a metaphorical rock and a hard place. Looming Net Zero targets necessitate an immediate move towards greener practice, otherwise operators may face hefty fines and reputational damage. However, with capital expenditure budgets at an all-time low, many simply cannot afford to invest in new technology.
Bridging the gap with hired solutions
As such, it is clear that the outright purchase of CHP technology is simply not an option for many companies at this moment in time. However, this is not to say that cogeneration systems remain entirely out of reach. Hire services, such as those offered by Aggreko, could form an effective solution to this industry-wide challenge, allowing operators to take advantage of the numerous benefits a CHP system has to offer despite the premium price tag.
While an outright purchase would incur the additional challenge of ensuring return on investment, this approach circumvents the limitations of the capex crunch, allowing building service professionals to employ this technology without inviting any additional complications. Crucially, by opting for a comprehensive hire contract, building companies can also ensure that they are provided with the support necessary to install and maintain a CHP system without the need for in-house recruitment.
When the UK Government’s looming climate commitments are considered, it is clear that the nation’s building services industry must redouble its efforts to go green if targets are to be met. However, with the jump to entirely green technology looking extremely daunting to some organisations at present, it is clear that this will not be without its own challenges. With this in mind, hired CHP solutions, such as those offered by Aggreko, will be an invaluable ally in the years to come, allowing operators to achieve an immediate reduction in their carbon footprint without inviting substantial costs.
12 BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER OCTOBER 2021
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