P24-25 Green Energy:Layout 1 23/06/2021 17:19 Page 25 GreenEnergy
Rise of the ‘Prosumer’ One increasingly fundamental aspect is the energy efficiency of electrical installations. Where traditionally electricians have abided by the IET wiring regulations in order to meet prevailing safety standards, the latest amendment – expected in March 2022 is set to ensure energy efficiency is incorporated into electrical installation designs as a prerequisite. While talk of a ‘prosumer’ world is nothing new – essentially businesses and individuals that both produce and consume energy – recent years have accelerated its role from individual stakeholders to creating a network working towards a more energy efficient future. Indeed, Part 8 of the 2nd amendment of the 18th edition will do just that - set out the electrical industry’s vision for how visionary ‘prosumers’ will help to create and build Britain’s smart infrastructure. The new guidance will refer specifically to Prosumers Electrical Installations (PEI). Within this, ‘prosumer’ installations refers to wind turbines, photovoltaic panels, solar collectors and heat pumps, where not only will businesses and individuals be able to use this energy to power their own homes and premises, but they will also be able to sell the surplus to others and back to the grid. The proliferation of prosumers in this way will be key to the UK’s ambitions to build a smart grid that will be more reactive in controlling the generation, distribution, and storage of electricity within a connected system.
Why businesses should invest This premise alone presents a clear case for why businesses that haven’t done so already should be investing in their own role as a ‘prosumer’. The incentives from energy companies are ten-fold, not to mention achieving true credibility among consumers for playing your part in the sustainability realm. The other significant advantage for businesses is energy resilience.
For example, if the electrical grid goes down prosumers may be able to go off grid and operate using battery storage systems – essentially allowing businesses to continue to produce/trade.
What’s more, ‘prosumers’ will also be at the heart of facilitating the transition to electric vehicles, which will undoubtedly put pressure on the electrical grid. For instance, as it’s likely that the traditional evening peak of electricity demand in residential areas is between 6pm and 8pm, for offices and other premises it may be during working hours, when employees may want to plug in their EV cars to charge. Yet, providing sufficient infrastructure and energy for EVs as cheaply as possible will rely on that demand being spread throughout the day as much as possible using battery storage facilities. Recently, the Government’s EV Energy Taskforce recommended that all
future car chargers should be ‘smart by design’. This means that no matter what time you’re at work or come home and plug your car in, it will charge when you need it but will pause during peak times when energy is most expensive and demand on the grid is highest. This smart grid concept will be something businesses are likely to consider when managing their own energy consumption.
Giving energy efficiency the green light While becoming a self-sufficient prosumer is the goal, for those that find this a daunting process, there’s a number of simpler ways of improving energy efficiency through regular inspection and maintenance of electrical installations. These include solar panels, which is not simply about safety but considering whether these are performing as they should and regular maintenance is key to this. As is power quality analysis, whereby an experienced engineer can help define a company’s energy efficiency strategy by checking whether installations have got poor powerfactor, higher voltages or damaging harmonic distortion and thus using more electricity. If this is the case, independent third-party assessors such as Bureau
Veritas can provide an impartial view on energy efficiency and advice if additional equipment will help save businesses, energy, power and money. It’s a similar case for the increasing number of businesses installing
electrical charging points – not only do these need to be regularly assessed for electrical safety but also performance. This is particularly important for fleet operators moving over to electrical vehicles, where it’s of utmost importance to ensure a consistent and broad availability of charging points on any given route.
Brave new world With the pandemic signalling a brave new world for energy efficiency, those businesses that truly take the time and effort to establish themselves as ‘prosumers’ will not only meet their sustainability goals but will also be more resilient and ultimately, help to create a brave new world that’s better for the planet and society.
ewnews.co.uk July 2021 electrical wholesaler | 25
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