Tuesday 21 July 2015

Guest blog: James Graham – Why invest in onsite generation?

Companies are increasingly looking to take greater control of their energy future by generating their own power.

Why? Because more and more businesses want to cut costs, improve security of supply and reduce their carbon footprint.

That is evident in our new Energy Entrepreneurs 2015 Report which shows a 44% increase in the number of commercial scale onsite renewable projects in Britain. Almost £17 million have been invested in more than 170 new projects since our 2014 report, taking the total investment in recent years up to £252.5 million.

It’s also been highlighted by business lobby group CBI, which sees significant potential for the greater roll-out of onsite generation among companies in the UK.

In its ‘Small Steps, Big Impact’ report, it said companies are no longer content in being “passive actors” within the energy landscape and suggested “smart businesses see change and think opportunity and this is exactly what’s taking place right now”.

Main drivers?

While the business case for investment varies from company to company, at SmartestEnergy we see four main drivers:

> Financial savings – the cost of energy (and of non-energy charges such as those levied for distribution and transmission) has risen significantly over recent years. Meeting some or all of your energy needs through your own generation can have a major impact on operating costs and boosting competitiveness.

> Security of supply – with concerns over availability of generating capacity in the years ahead and a possible risk of supply shortages, being able to generate your own power provides greater confidence in business continuity and resilience.

> Reduction in carbon footprint – energy makes up a significant proportion of the carbon footprint of most businesses and onsite renewables such as solar panels or wind turbines can significantly reduce emissions.

> Reputation – consumers and buyers for major companies and public sector bodies increasingly expect those they spend money with to demonstrate sustainability and onsite renewables are tangible evidence of a proactive approach.

If your business is thinking about onsite generation for any or all of these reasons, you can get in touch with us to discuss your options.

You can also read the Energy Entrepreneurs 2015 Report here and watch our short video for an overview of the report here.

James Graham is Head of Direct Sales at SmartestEnergy.

This is a sponsored article.