Energy security and cost concerns are highlighted as key issues for UK industry, according to a report launched by Aggreko. Entitled ‘Bridging the Energy Gap,’ the new report is the result of 200 key energy decision-makers across industry offering their views on decentralised energy in the UK. It finds that energy security remains a major or significant concern for most respondents (82%), while reducing energy consumption is viewed as a medium or high priority for Read more…
Carbon zero targets high on the agenda at the Energyst Event
The Energyst Event once again explored approaches to an integrated energy strategy, in an energy market where disciplines are rapidly converging. The conference delved into many current niches such as Esos, EVs storage and making energy efficiency a tradable resource. Crucially, it looked at how they fit together as a whole. The event opened on 1-2 May at the National Motorcycle museum, on the day the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) advised government to set Read more…
Rolls-Royce to offer microgrid solutions for mines
Rolls-Royce is expanding its portfolio of energy systems with the addition of microgrid solutions for mines from MTU Onsite Energy. This means that mine operators will now be offered a sustainable energy supply system that can be operated in remote regions independently of public power grids. The solutions combine renewable energy sources with a battery storage system and both diesel and gas generator sets, in addition to a central controller to ensure that the mine’s Read more…
UK energy price cap predicted to fall in autumn
According to the ICIS Power Index (IPI) Analysis there is a real prospect that UK energy bills are likely to fall from 1 October due to the substantial reduction in wholesale energy prices. On 1 April, Ofgem, the body responsible for the regulation of the UK energy market, raised the price cap on default retail gas and power tariffs by 10%, or £117, to £1,254 per year. Similarly, the pre-payment cap rose by £106 to Read more…
Power technology trends for 2019
Power Control’s director, Rob Mather, explores some power technology trends for 2019, aimed at driving energy efficiency and improving resilience… The need to balance resilience, efficiency and cost savings in mission critical sectors is driving some key technology trends around battery storage, UPS systems, and intelligent monitoring. Among these trends is an increasing interest in lithium-ion battery technology. According to market reports, the lithium-ion battery market is forecasted to grow from $36.20 billion in 2018 Read more…
Distributed energy market opens up opportunities for mission critical sites
The falling cost of distributed energy technologies is opening up opportunities for hospitals and industrial sites to make a major impact on emissions reductions. A report by Centrica shows that new energy technology could meet more than half of the 20% carbon reduction target by 2030 for the healthcare, industry and hospitality sectors, as set out by the Clean Growth Strategy. Published following the IPCC’s report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5 °C, the Read more…
Onsite generation ‘will continue to boom’
A boom in onsite generation is in now sight and the UK market has the potential to triple in size, according to Jonathan Maxwell, CEO of Sustainable Development Capital Limited. “There is a very substantial opportunity,” he suggests. “The intensity of focus from large corporates on minimising their carbon footprint is completely different compared to five years ago. The energy regulator is tearing up the current electricity charging arrangements and starting from scratch. Some argue Read more…
‘Too many data centres operate in reactive mode’ warns consulting firm
Nils Gerstle from Collaboretix Enterprise Consulting warns that failures are all too often due to a reactive approach to data centre management. Data centre failure can be described as a critical failure of any of the elements constituting the data centre and impacting the entire facility. These may include many components, from electrical to HVAC. However, the main causes of data centre failures are difficult to substantiate, because data availability is skewed. Few companies fully admit Read more…
Loadbanks deliver resilience for Europe’s greenest mine
Crestchic has provided two of its 1MW resistive only loadbanks to the first ever underground data centre, based in Norway. The Lefdal mine, a 120,000 sq m facility based within an old mine shaft, is set to be one of Europe’s largest and greenest data centres. The facility is powered exclusively by four glacial hydropower stations and two wind farms, providing a capacity of more than 300MW. Crestchic was asked to provide two 1MW, 400V, Read more…
Eaton reports pilot success for UPS-as-a-reserve
Louise Frampton recently caught up with Eaton’s Mike Byrnes and learned how UPS-as-a-reserve has been received by the data centre sector since its initial launch Two years ago, Eaton announced its move into developing technology that would enable participation in demand-side response (DSR) and set its sights on engaging data centres with the concept of UPS-as-a-reserve’ (UPSaaR). The aim was to enable data centres to contribute to renewable energy, by helping to stabilise the grid, Read more…
Transformers: robots to the rescue?
More needs to be done, through early detection and improved inspection regimes, to mitigate the risks posed to critical infrastructure by unexpected transformer failures. Louise Frampton reports Transformers are critical elements of power networks. When they fail unexpectedly, the impact on critical infrastructure – such as hospitals and industry – can be catastrophic. Poorly maintained, ageing global infrastructure is exacerbating the risk of failures, while downtime can result in many millions in lost revenue for Read more…
Government urged to act on blackout warnings
As the UK transitions to a lower carbon economy, the GMB union is warning of the need to ensure a safe and secure energy supply. The energy union has called on the Government to heed ‘nightmarish’ blackout warnings from the Institute of Engineering and Shipbuilding in Scotland A new paper, Engineering for Energy, says coal and gas power stations are needed to make sure the country can get back online quickly after a system crash. The report Read more…
Countering the risks of battery storage
Battery storage has been a hot topic in the energy industry for a couple of years now. As the ‘halcyon days’ of high DFR revenues slip away, it’s important for businesses to counter the risks with a sensible and technologically smart approach. According to the recent 2018 Battery Storage report by The Energyst, 64% of industrial, commercial and public sector businesses surveyed are considering the implementation of behind the meter battery storage as part of their energy management Read more…
GridBeyond CEO: Hybrid behind-the-meter storage wins despite market flux
According to the recent 2018 Battery Storage report by MCP‘s sister title, The Energyst, 64% of industrial, commercial and public sector businesses surveyed are considering the implementation of behind the meter battery storage as part of their energy management strategy. At the same time, 80% of of those organisations point to revenue uncertainty as the main factor in delaying their decision to invest. Regulatory uncertainty does not make the situation any easier, a barrier cited by 50% Read more…
Energy in industry 4.0: harnessing the connected site
Advances in Industry 4.0 can enhance energy strategies and improve the resilience of critical sites. DSR is often seen as a risk to critical sites, such as data centres, healthcare sites and even some manufacturing processes. What many don’t realise is that with the right technology in place, overall risk can actually be reduced by implementing DSR technology. When using the right DSR tech, assets benefit from energy automation, optimisation, analytics, benchmarking and predictive maintenance, as Read more…
Reaching faster power restoration: webinar on fuel cell technology
GenCell, the fuel cell power solution provider and manufacturer, has announced that it is hosting a webinar, “How to Reach Faster Power Restoration”, taking place on November 5th, 2018 at 9am (PST) / 12pm (EST). The webinar will feature insights from Stephen Johnston, Growth Development Manager of San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E), on the benefits of utilising fuel cells to extend DC backup power for a relaxed blackstart process. Johnston will outline how fuel cells Read more…
Powerstar announced as a chosen supplier on the Essentia Energy Storage framework
Powerstar, a provider of smart energy solutions, has been selected as one of only six companies to be a trusted supplier for Essentia’s battery energy storage framework. As part of the agreement, the company will supply Powerstar Virtue battery energy storage solutions to the NHS as well as other public sector clients. Essentia, a subsidiary of Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, is currently the only free-to-access framework allowing organisations to procure battery energy Read more…
Supporting Ireland’s data centre growth
Interxion’s DUB3 data centre has been designed using energy-saving, modular architecture. At the heart of the design was the need to guarantee service delivery and quickly scale up capacity to support customer growth plans Interxion is a leading principal supplier of data centre, colocation and connectivity services to some of the world’s leading businesses. The company serves a wide range of customers, operating 49 data centres in 13 cities throughout Europe, three of which are Read more…
80% of businesses believe a quarter of energy needs will be generated onsite by 2025
Most businesses will take control of their own energy use by generating a quarter of their electricity onsite by 2025, with 77% of businesses in the UK and Ireland predicting this change will take place in just seven years. This is according to a new study of over 1,000 businesses, by Centrica Business Solutions. Around a quarter (26%) of businesses have already invested in on-site generation in the form of solar and/or combined heat and power Read more…
Fears over cyber threat to power grids
The modernisation of utility infrastructures is enabling increased efficiencies and reliability through digitisation, connectivity, and IT-based approaches. Smart cyber assets are transforming both power and water grids, allowing operators to deploy and leverage a new generation of functionality and customer services. However, smart utilities are also highly vulnerable to cyberthreats, and security is, therefore, a primary concern, stated ABI Research, a market-foresight advisory firm providing strategic guidance on the most compelling transformative technologies. Unfortunately, digital Read more…