Powering organizations and cities in the energy future

The energy transition is happening quickly. Decarbonization of energy supply has taken the lead in recent years with increasing levels of renewable energy. Heating and transport are now next, with a major shift in both electric and decarbonisation, with rapidly increasing numbers of electric vehicles on our roads, heat pumps and increasing amounts of solar energy in homes and commercial buildings. The future of energy is clearly green, distributed and digital.

As fleet operators and organizations work towards a more sustainable mobility future, there is significant opportunity to incorporate a holistic approach to energy solutions, says Richard Siney, managing director of Richard Siney Consulting.

While there are many sources available for expert advice and opinions on fleet decarbonization and all the associated benefits available from low or zero emission vehicles, there is currently little awareness (or activity) around the topic of decarbonization of the energy/electricity supply itself.

To support this transition to carbon-free transport, electricity and heat, a number of technologies and support are available:

• Electrification of the sustainable transport fleet, smart charging of electric vehicles
• Renewable energy solar energy, battery storage, corporate PPA
• Net Zero Net Zero strategies, procurement and partnerships, project delivery
• Renewable heat pumps, solar thermal energy, heat networks

The most obvious initial investment that fleet operators should consider in conjunction with their sustainable transportation strategy is renewable energy in the form of solar energy. (NB As a business energy consumer you may be able to save up to 50% on the cost of installing solar panels through tax breaks, but all operators are advised to seek advice on this for their own specific circumstances.)

Renewable energy and storage solutions and services

Electricity generation has led the way in decarbonizing the economy, with increasingly higher levels of renewable energy. With dramatic improvements in the cost and efficiency of renewable energy and storage technologies, there has also been a clear trend towards locally distributed renewable energy generation in communities and commercial settings in recent years.

Rising energy costs and strong environmental obligations mean that more and more organizations are considering generating at least part of their energy locally, for example with rooftop solar or by using parking lots with solar carports that can also be linked to EV charging points. In addition, the costs and efficiency of solar energy and batteries in particular have improved dramatically in recent years.

Whether you are a commercial entity, local government, hospital, university or something else, our experienced teams together with our technology partners support your entire journey – from initial concept and feasibility, through procurement, implementation and operation, maintenance and monitoring the systems.

To investigate a company’s suitability for solar PV, there are some important considerations such as location, energy consumption (current and future plans), ownership or leasehold and existing grid connections. Once these are known, an initial desktop assessment can usually be made to demonstrate the potential offering and predicted ROI.