When energy saving is not a priority for commercial companies

I read an article in the trade press last week about North London football club Tottenham Hotspur cutting its carbon emissions by 400 tonnes in a single year and at the same time implementing energy saving methods that resulted in the club being around 25% cheaper to run. It got me thinking: much as businesses (and business owners in particular) like to be ethical, it’s that last bit – the 25% cost saving – that spurs (pardon the pun) them on to take energy saving seriously.

But is it possible, as commercial organisation, to maintain high standards of quality and customer service while saving energy? This is a special dilemma for power protection customers whose primary need is to provide a continuous source of critical power and ensure business continuity in the face of potential power cuts and power problems. Can energy saving really become a priority for them?

The Premiere League club has been working in conjunction with the 10:10 scheme, an organisation set up by film director Franny Armstrong in 2009 after making the iconic climate change film, starring the late, great Pete Postlethwaite as a man living in the devastated future of 2055, looking back at old footage from our time and asking: why didn’t we stop climate change when we had the chance?

10:10’s premise, rather than aiming at staggering targets favoured by ambitious policy-makers of 80% carbon cuts by 2050, is to try and get everyone to aim for 10% carbon reductions per year?

Tottenham employs high-powered sun lamps to keep the turf at its White Heart Lane ground in premier league condition all year round. Giant banks of flood lamps are also used to illuminate the on-pitch action on gloomy winter days or evenings. The club reduced its hefty electric bill by firstly replacing 136 high-powered lights with energy efficient models and although it worked out as a six-figure investment, it is this that has enabled the 25% reduction in running costs.

New lighting controls, including time switches and motion sensors have also helped save on energy. Heating controls on training ground washing machines were deployed, alongside push taps to help save energy and water. The club also analysed and revised its transportation needs to lessen its carbon footprint and now directors take public transport to away games instead of private jets. Fans are playing their part to: after a big publicity push, the majority arrive at matches by public transport rather than private car.

Working alongside The Carbon Trust, 10:10 has developed an Energy Saving checklist offering simple tips to business such as:

• Make someone within your organization responsible for energy saving initiatives and ask them to draw up an action plan.

• Measure, log and analyse how much energy you are using and where it is being guzzled. Energy bills may not give you enough information and you may want to look into some form of energy management.

• Conduct an energy walk round, which will not only confirm the second point but give you a visual picture of where energy is being used in your business.

• Upgrade business critical equipment – old equipment is much less energy efficient and will guzzle far more power than new or modern appliances.

• Switch off lights once there is enough daylight to work by, or in rooms or areas that are not being used. This may seem obvious but you’d be surprised at how many lights stay on in empty toilet cubicles all day!

There are ten tips in all and I won’t include them all but this one is a particular favourite:

• do not locate photocopiers in air-conditioned areas as the heat it will produce will make the air-conditioning work harder and user more electricity.

So, the answer to my earlier question (it would seem) is a resounding “Yes”. If you would like information about energy saving eco UPS, visit our website.

Scottish Wind Farms Receive Record Constraints Payments

Wind power has received mixed coverage of late. First of all, Scottish online newspaper Scotsman.com ran an article last week reporting that wind farm operators in Scotland received more than £14 million in the past two years in return for switching off their turbines at times of high power generation.

To balance things out, however, the story was brought to light by the Renewable Energy Foundation (REF), a charity that has publicly spoken out in the past against wind farms.

REF released information that said that since 2010, a system of ‘constraint payments’ has been operated by The National Grid to compensate wind farms if they are taken off the grid when it cannot cope with high supply.

A spokesperson from Scottish Renewables stated that constraints payments are paid to all electricity generators, including coal and gas power stations and not just wind farms. Such payments are a standard practice in that suppliers are paid not to generate at times of lower than expected demand or when there is congestion on the grid.

At Riello UPS, we see renewables, of all types, as a key part of of the future energy generation landscape and are continuing to develop products and solutions that enable customers to take full advantage of those technologies alongside ensuring power protection for critical applications.

The Confederation of British Industry worries the proposed Carbon Price Floor will drive big business out of the UK

On 12^th July, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Chris Huhne delivered his much-anticipated white paper on Electricity Market Reform (EMR). Setting out coalition measures to keep the lights on, consumer bills down and shift the economy away from a high-risk, high-carbon future.

Here at Riello, we feel it’s our duty to comment on energy market issues.

Key elements of the reform package, as we understand it, include:

• The introduction of a Carbon Price Floor (essentially a regulatory/taxation policy demanding polluters pay a minimum amount of money to pollute). The aim is to reduce investor uncertainty, put a fair price on carbon and provide a stronger incentive to invest in low-carbon generation.

• The introduction of new long-term contracts to provide stable, financial incentives to invest in all forms of low-carbon electricity generation.

• Introduction of an emissions performance standard (EPS) set at 450g CO2/kWh to reinforce the requirement that no new coal-fired power stations are built and to ensure the necessary investment in gas.

• Development of a capacity mechanism, which will safeguard future security of energy supply.

The Government intends to legislate for the key elements of the EMR in 2012 and for it to reach the statue book by spring 2013.

Since the reforms were announced, there has been a backlash of criticism (unsurprisingly) from the Labour party but also from the UK business sector. Research by the Federation of Small Businesses highlights that 81% of small firms are worried about the rising cost of energy and are concerned that electricity generators will pass on to them the extra costs associated with EMR.

Small businesses consume similar amounts of energy as do domestic energy users but they do not receive the same regulatory safeguards and are unable to negotiate contracts the way larger companies can.

Any investment in new technology in electricity generation and distribution infrastructure is bound to result in price increases, especially as electricity is such a necessary commodity. Some of this is unfair i.e: generators hiking up prices to capitalise on market demand, but some is necessary: we desperately need new investment in what is essentially an outdated national grid. So, in my view, businesses large and small need to put their focus on using less energy rather than hoping for prices to fall in the fulness of time.

Meanwhile, the Confederation of British Industry, which represents 240,000 businesses, is worried that the Carbon Floor Price (which puts £16 per tonne of carbon dioxide emitted on to large businesses) will drive manufacturing, engineering and industry out of the UK.

There is still a lot to be decided before the new reforms start to bite but one thing is clear; energy costs will continue to rise, which is why many companies are now taking measures to reduce energy consumption and install new energy efficient technologies. Today’s UPS are highly efficient. Check out our energy efficiency figures.

Jellyfish are currently proving to be the greatest threat to continuity of supply for nuclear power stations the world over. They have so far been responsible for at least three reactor shutdowns in recent weeks and scientists are expecting more.

Two weeks ago, EDF was forced to shut down its nuclear power plant in East Lothian Scotland due to a jellyfish invasion entering its cooling systems. Both units at Torness Power Station were manually shutdown on 28^th June 2011 as a precautionary measure. EDF reported that there was no impact on the environment or the public. However, the clean up operation took over a week to complete and for the plant to be operational again.

Torness has two Advanced Gas Cooled Reactors but it also relies on sea water to ensure it operates safely. Filters prevent seaweed and marine animals from entering the cooling system but they became clogged by the jellyfish, which meant the reactors had to be shut down to comply with safety procedures.

Since the closure of Torness, other reactors in Japan and Israel have also had to be shut down because of jellyfish.

The city of Hadera, Israel, was plunged into darkness when the Orot Rabin nuclear power plant’s cooling system was invaded by Jellyfish. The same happened at the Shimane reactor in Japan. It comes only months after an earthquake and subsequent tsunami caused lethal explosions and ultimately closure at the Fukushima nuclear complex.

In some articles I’ve read, Scientists are saying that massive blooms of jellyfish in summer months are normal and that these incidents are purely coincidental. Environmentalists, however, seem to be making a link with global warming and even going so far as to claim that the Jellyfish are natures army sent to fight the nuclear cause.

The positive side to this is that leatherback turtles (a protected species) are thriving, enjoying the rich food source Jellyfish provide.

However, what’s clear to me is that this is yet another endorsement of the fact that there are always lurking threats to power supply and that nuclear reactor shut downs can happen at anytime and for any reason – many which we cannot even begin to imagine. Businesses need to be ready with their own power protection, back-up systems and onsite generation if they are the ensure continuity through disaster – be it a Jellyfish invasion or anything!

I read with interest on BBC news today comments made by director of GCHQ (Government Communication Head Quarters) Iain Lobban saying that the UK’s critical infrastructure – such as power grids and emergency services – face a “very real and credible threat from cyber attack”.

Speaking to delegates at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, he stressed that the country’s future economic prosperity rests on ensuring a defence against such assaults. Apparently, around 1,000 malicious emails a month are deliberately targeted at government computer networks.

He also said that the threat offers an opportunity if the UK can get its defences right and maintain integrity of financial and commercial services, which will lead to competitive advantage.

What struck me were the words “real and credible threat”. Coming from a man at the centre of the intelligence industry, I’m inclined to take him seriously.

If power grids are attacked, the problem could be far wider reaching and affect far more businesses and organisations than a cyber attack on a specific computer system.

For years we’ve been working in partnership with our customers to protect against power interruptions caused by unforeseen or unfortunate circumstances, like natural disaster, human error, freak weather – all the kinds of events that when they occur can be devastating but that are not deliberate and therefore can be imagined and planned for. Here we are dealing with – and having to protect against – something equally devastating, the threat of which is growing like an alien force but the like of which it seems impossible to imagine.

On a positive note, however, there is much that can be done by businesses to ensure power continuity – independent of the national infrastructure – even if the National Grid were to suffer such an attack. And with such threats looming, it really is a case of “not if, but when” those power continuity systems will be required to come into their own.

Riello UPS has just launched the Premium Pro series from 700VA to 3kVA. The range includes new energy saving features and provides on-line power protection for critical IT servers, telecommunications, EPoS and data applications.

The Premium Pro from Riello UPS has a digitally controlled inverter to provide true on-line power protection. Coupled with a new rectifier-charger, the Premium Pro operates at 0.99 power factor; saving 10% more energy than its predecessor range and achieving an operating efficiency of 98% in full on-line mode. The UPS avoids unnecessary power consumption by sensing circuits and battery chargers. The unit can also be configured to automatically power-off when no load is present therefore reducing further energy use. For more information about the Premium Pro series click here. To read the Press Release click here.

According to this week’s news, it’s doom and gloom for the future of food. We’re running out of wheat, rice, soya – and  curry Chefs!

That last one’s a real problem for me (he says jokingly)! Apparently, changes in the imigration laws in the UK (in particular), are making it difficult for Indian restaurants and Balti houses to source genuine, authentic and experienced cooks! Yikes! 

As far as grains and pulses go, climate change and global warming are being blamed for poor harvests around the world but an even darker threat is lurking just around the corner. Yes, you guessed it – Biofuels!

The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which became law in December, mandates the use of 36 billion gallons of biofuels by 2022 and almost half of that will come from grain-based (corn and wheat) ethanol. In North American this is great news for the corn-growing states that will now, I fear, intensify production but not for food for fuel, easier to produce, less regulated and (I imagine) more profitable. My worry, which I have touched on before in this blog, is that food production will suffer at the hands of politics and capital gain from Biofuel production where it is being produced to replace fossil-fuel derived products (Petrol and Diesel) for vehicles.

What has this got to do with power protection? Well, firstly, did you know that the processes currently used to produce ethanol are energy intensive and thus add to, not negate, the issue of increasing demand for energy? Secondly, biofuels are being used in fuel cells, which can replace UPS batteries as an alternative back-up source. The technology is available now and whilst the origins of the fuel may be questionable, they offer a number of key advantages: harmless emissions, longer design life, less maintenance, reduced heat output and in many cases cheaper lifetime running costs.

The Power Protection Guide talks about fuel cells and their use in UPS installation.

I feel short-changed, having read the specifications and code of practice of the new business continuity standard BS 25999 from BSI. As I mentioned here the other day, problems with mains power supply are far more common than most potential disasters. Incidents of interruption in electricity supply stood at 21 million in 2006 (according to a DTI report), other disasters (such as fire, flood, terrorism, public disorder and so forth) combined could not reach that total. Securing electricity supply is not merely about installing UPS, as with BCM it requires a well thought through and planned out strategy and this is not mentioned once in either the code or specification.

I do not wish to appear to knock the standard. It is, in my view, long overdue and much needed. But I feel that by not specifying a power continuity strategy, it is left wanting. Without electrical energy there would be no business continuity for most businesses and operations. That is a fact. It should, therefor, in my view be a central theme for any BCM strategy and therefore mentioned in BS 25999.

If you want to know more about what constitutes a power continuity strategy read The Power Protection Guide.

With this year’s DataCentreWorld conference and expo approaching, I’m reminded of the difference an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) footprint can make in a data centre where every square metre must earn its keep. Had you noticed how much data centre development is happening in The Channel Islands – well, as much as pressure on building land and the constraints of a few hundred square kilometres of beautiful sea-worn rock allow! As well as the usual resilience and power imperatives, one particular comms multinational was set on the smallest possible UPS footprint. And not just because space was tight either; this particular ‘big ask’ was driven by their awareness of the commercial benefits from a 35% space saving realised by their chosen power protection installation. It’s easy to focus on savings – in this case space. But how much more positive to take a bullish gains perspective instead – and imagine the customer’s delight on realising how many more revenue-earning client racks they could get into space that might otherwise be filled with essential, but bulkier, UPS kit. It’s a salutary tale and one I’m sure I’ll re-tell more than once as I leave my footprint in Barbican Hall 1 next week.