FEATURE ECO POWER Collaboration is key
Businesses, governments and trade associations have all identified the need for an increase in ‘crossover’ to truly achieve a low carbon economy. Nicola Meadows, RWMevent director at Ascential, explores what this means in practical terms to create a practicable low-carbon future
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t has long been argued that renewable energy systems must offer concrete returns on investment in order to become mainstream energy sources, but innovative new partnerships are also demonstrating that collaboration and crossover are the key to achieving cost- effective low-carbon economies. Take Belfast International Airport, for
instance – it reported savings of over £100,000 in its first 10 months of operation after installing its own dedicated solar plant. Located close to the airport terminal, the Lightsource Renewable Energy solar plant at Crookedstone generates over 25% of the airport’s annual electricity needs, with the airport reporting running on solar electricity alone for long periods of time.
VIABLE BATTERIES Few topics generate more debate than that of energy storage. It’s clear that this sector will develop rapidly in the coming years, with increasingly reliable and economically viable options being trialled around the world. In Southern California, US, a huge rechargeable battery network is being trialled with the idea of storing electricity during daylight hours, when the state’s numerous solar panels are keeping capacity high on the grid, and releasing at night and at times of peak demand. One such storage farm can reportedly offer up to 30MWh of capacity for four-hour stretches. Whichever way you look at it, the mix
of energy sources in power grids is advancing, and low-carbon technology is becoming an increasingly important ingredient. Indeed, the UK government aims to deliver 15% of the UK’s power from renewable sources by 2020. New initiatives such as the virtual power plant model are adding to the flexibility of power networks. These intelligently forecast demand and optimise supply in real-time using energy from a range of renewable sources such as wind farms, biogas and hydropower. In fact, a facility that has solar panels installed can not only reduce its own demand, but also feed power back into the grid or energy storage when there is a surplus, and support the virtual power plant network. Increasing recycling rates and
20 SUMMER 2017 | ENERGY MANAGEMENT
create a comprehensive network of charging stations for electric vehicles, with more than 1,300 charge points from Vienna to Bregenz.
generating energy from the over 1.3 billion tonnes of waste that is currently generated by the world’s cities (and expected to rise to 2.2 billion tonnes by 2025) are also crucial if we are to truly close the materials loop and transition to a low-carbon future. When it comes to generating energy from waste, crossover is also key, with waste management firms, logistics teams, and power stations working together to create new opportunities. But this sector is not standing still – a
first-of-a-kind waste-to-fuel plant has opened in West Bromwich, UK, designed to covert tonnes of used nappies and other sanitary products into fuel for power stations. This is tricky material that has previously been sent to landfill, but the multi-million-pound LifeCycle plant from PHS Group aims to process 45,000 tonnes of a year into useable fuel pellets – a fantastic development. As well as moving away from our dependence on fossil fuel-fired power stations to feed our national grid, a low- carbon future also involves finding alternatives to diesel and petrol engines. Here too, progress is underway, and increasing crossover between different providers is key. A dozen energy suppliers across Austria have combined forces to
Figure 1:
Collaboration on every level is key to
successfully developing smarter, low-carbon cities in the future
LOW-CARBON BUILDINGS Collaboration on every level is key to successfully developing smarter, low- carbon cities in the future. As well as being smart about the way we generate energy, we must be smart about the way we use it – building control technology is another simple way of reducing a city’s carbon footprint. Low energy lighting, occupancy sensors, intelligent HVAC control, smart circuit breakers and electricity meters can drive down the energy demands of a facility, while providing highly accurate measurements of consumption. Such initiatives should be combined
with low-flow toilets and fixtures to ensure that water wastage is reduced or even eliminated, as well as a comprehensive waste management service that focusses on landfill diversion and recycling. In this way, each individual building can also play an integral role in the transition from the traditional linear model of resource use and disposal, to one that makes more efficient use of resources and retains their value as they circulate in the economy for longer. But practical action is required.
Policymakers must recognise that the transition to a circular economy requires, among other things, the support of comprehensive legislative and funding packages. The UK’s historic decision to withdraw from the EU casts a shadow of uncertainty over the future harmonisation of cross-border legislation when it comes to planning new energy projects, as well as the movement of waste and recycling streams, and the laws surrounding their reprocessing and reuse. But this shift also represents an opportunity for the UK to carefully consider and define its own approach to energy, waste, resources and the circular economy. These key topics and many others will be featured at RWM 2017 (12-14 September, at the NEC in Birmingham, UK.
RWM Exhibition
www.rwmexhibition.com T: 0203 033 2350
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