Generate your Own Energy

With UK energy bills still high, generating your own energy is becoming an increasingly realistic option for businesses concerned about rising fuel costs and long-term sustainability.

Saving Money and the Environment

Once a niche alternative for environmental enthusiasts, renewable energy has now become a serious option for businesses facing mounting energy bills and a growing awareness of their environmental responsibilities.

Several options are now available to organisations looking to adopt renewable energy sources.

The first is to ask your provider to supply electricity from renewable sources. However, many businesses have found that some so-called ‘green tariffs’ do not directly increase the amount of renewable energy generated and so have moved on to the second option – installing and operating their own sustainable power and heat generation systems such as solar panels, wind turbines, or biomass boilers.

Renewable Energy

Generating your own renewable power can help your organisation meet its energy needs while reducing carbon emissions. Although small-scale or “microgeneration” projects currently provide around 10% of the UK’s electricity, wider adoption could significantly increase this share in future.

Generating your own energy requires planning, substantial capital investment and the right technology. Therefore, the first step for any business considering the switch should be to gather information about its energy requirements and identify the most suitable and cost-effective options available.

The best way to do this is to have an audit carried out by a specialist consultant. For advice and assessments, it is worth contacting organisations such as the Energy Saving Trust or the Renewable Energy Association. It is also helpful to speak with other similar-sized businesses that have made the switch to on-site energy generation and with suppliers in the renewables industry.

The options now available to businesses include wind power, solar power, geothermal systems and biomass.

Considering Wind Power

Wind power generation requires specialist advice on the construction and siting of the turbine. Considerations would, for example, include:

• What is the best site for the turbine?
• What is the most cost-effective turbine for your requirements?
• Are there any legal or planning factors that need to be addressed?
• Is the local area windy enough for a turbine to generate sufficient power?

Solar Power

If wind power is not appropriate to the needs of your business then another option is solar energy. Organisations can use solar energy in two main ways – to heat water for central heating systems, or to convert sunlight directly into electricity by using photovoltaic panels.

Such panels are positioned to capture as many rays of sunlight as possible, typically on a pitched rooftop.

Converting to solar power or supplementing your existing energy supply depends on several factors:

• Sufficient space to install the solar panels.
• Permission to install solar panels – you may need planning permission from your local authority, and if you rent your property you will have to consult your landlord.
• Is there sufficient daylight? The UK is not blessed with abundant sunshine, so solar power will likely reduce rather than completely replace traditional energy use.
• What type of organisation you run and what its heating and electricity demands are.

Businesses that generate excess electricity from their solar systems may also be able to sell it back to the grid through the Smart Export Guarantee scheme. This allows companies to earn payments for renewable energy they export, improving the return on investment for solar installations.

Biomass Energy

By burning organic ‘biomass’ materials such as wood and certain agricultural or industrial waste, businesses can generate energy. This can be used directly for heat or indirectly to heat water for use in central heating or electricity generation.

Burning biomass is significantly cleaner than oil or coal because it produces less sulphur and roughly 20% of the carbon dioxide of oil. Its green credentials are further improved because it reduces the volume of waste sent to landfill.

The Biomass Suppliers List (BSL) and Renewable Energy Hub UK websites provide advice about using biomass energy and details of local fuel suppliers.

Geothermal Energy

In the British Isles, the ground a few metres below the surface maintains a temperature of about 11–12°C throughout the year. This thermal mass stores heat absorbed from the sun. Ground Source Heat Pumps (GSHPs) tap into this reserve and transfer the heat into buildings for space heating or pre-heating water.

This method of sourcing energy is very environmentally clean, but the installation costs and space requirements make it less common. It is not entirely renewable because conventionally generated electricity is still required to power the pump.

Businesses can obtain further information about the potential of geothermal energy from the Ground Source Heat Pump Association (GSHPA) and the Heat Pump Association (HPA).