Energy management: a profitable path to net zero

While the UK may be just barely climbing out of a recession, we remain in the throes of a global pandemic and on the brink of a major political separation. In the broader business environment, it seems uncertainty is the only certainty we have in the coming year. It is, therefore, vital for UK businesses to look inward for opportunities to save and survive. We look at how energy management could provide a clear path to profitability and carbon neutrality, even in hard times.

Waste not, want not

David Attenborough has said one thing everyone can do to help save the planet is “don’t waste anything, don’t waste electricity, don’t waste food, don’t waste power”. Unfortunately, this is more difficult than it sounds. Waste is intrinsically wrapped up in the convenience of our daily lives in small but impactful ways.

Thankfully, it’s becoming common knowledge that a wasteful life isn’t a sustainable one, and a wasteful business plan isn’t a profitable one. Since energy is one of an organisation’s largest costs, efficiency is key in building a resilient foundation for the long term success of a company.

Intelligent energy management is a holistic approach to energy optimisation, involving smart metering, identifying inefficiencies and managing energy-saving solutions. At EIC we don’t just find and fix problems, we seek out opportunities that will support sustainable growth.

Data-driven energy optimisation

The energy grid is evolving, and systems will have to adapt as we move towards a flexible energy landscape. Data-driven energy optimisation could be the key to business profitability as well as deep carbon reductions.

Gathering and understanding data through advanced metering provides insight into how energy is being used and possibly wasted. Identifying these areas of inefficiency is essential for finding solutions that reduce consumption and lower costs. This provides businesses with savings they didn’t know were there, a crucial service in uncertain times such as these.

At EIC we offer a range of services that can revolutionise your utilities. From installing sub metering and innovative lighting solutions to our next generation smart building controls. These systems integrate our clients’ critical energy systems in a single, remotely-managed platform. This means businesses can manage their buildings in real-time, saving valuable time, money, and hassle.

How can we achieve net zero through energy optimisation?

As carbon and climate change risk reporting is made mandatory for companies across the UK, reducing carbon emissions will become a top priority. Whilst carbon capture has been a large part of this conversation, energy efficiency cannot be overlooked as a powerful and cost-efficient decarbonisation tool.

“Energy efficiency is not just about saving energy, it’s about tackling economic, environmental and social issues at the same time.” – Harry Verhaar, Philips lighting

If mitigation methods such as energy efficiency were more widely adopted, they could provide stable carbon reductions across the UK. Over time, this would reduce our reliance on fossil fuels as well as future carbon capture and storage efforts. Not to mention carbon offsets and credits which have their varying degrees of ‘greenness’.

This isn’t to say that capturing carbon won’t have a pivotal part to play in decarbonisation. But these methods can’t be solely relied upon as a silver bullet. Especially not when there are mitigation methods that offer businesses sustainable savings and future economic stability.

The whole package

At EIC we offer comprehensive sustainable energy management. Our goal is to completely optimise our clients’ energy usage, going beyond monitoring and finding sustainable, cost-efficient solutions. These services include green energy procurement and exploring decentralised energy options such as onsite solar generation and battery storage.

Generating your own renewable energy supplies in tandem with battery storage can significantly cut your emissions. As well as generate additional revenue through Demand Side Response (DSR) schemes.

We can also help maximise your CO₂ savings and simplify the compliance process so that you don’t get tied up in tricky legislation.

“In this next phase of the energy and carbon markets’ evolution, it will be imperative for UK businesses to get ahead of the legislative curve to maintain and drive profitability. This will mean adopting energy management solutions that pair upstream procurement strategies with downstream optimisation and sustainability strategies.”

Transforming your wider energy strategy to encompass not only efficiency but self-sufficiency will become vital in a recovering economy. And reducing waste of any kind will also be vital in protecting a healing planet. Contact us to learn more about how we can help you build a sustainable future for your organisation.