Whilst we’re on the subject of electric vehicles
V2G technology (vehicle to grid) enables you to take the energy stored in your vehicle batteries while you’re not using it and put that energy back into your buildings. Creating not only a backup supply, but the opportunity to make cost savings by using off-peak charged energy during peak times.
Our E.ON Drive Booster charger also offers in-charger battery storage, meaning you’ll be able to charge your vehicles even if you lose power to your building, or have low capacity in your existing supply.
Things are happening at a higher level
Government infrastructure strategy aims to invest more than £425 billion in over 600 major projects across the UK in the coming years. The majority of these projects (56%) are energy & utilities sector infrastructure.
And we’re doing more too
- We’re currently involved in a Resilience as a Service project on the Isle of Sky, which aims to improve service to customers in areas susceptible to power outages, where traditional reinforcement or use of network operator owned standby generation to provide network resilience would represent significant cost. If successful, our solution could be replicated across the country.
- We’ve installed around 1.4 million energy efficiency measures in almost 500,000 homes across Britain since 2008.
- We’ve upgraded around 8,000 street lights to low energy LED bulbs in York and Barnsley.
- We’ve led the development of the first industrial battery in the UK, used to provide resilience support to the National Grid to help ensure its stability. This battery storage system has the capability to respond in less than one second to deliver energy to the grid, allowing us to help protect the future energy market.
What can you do?
There are a number of steps companies can take to secure a reliable supply of electricity, and E.ON are perfectly placed to guide businesses through this strategy, having helped many businesses and cities become more sustainable through a Visualise, Optimise, Decarbonise approach.
- Installing solar photovoltaic panels allows your business to capture the power of the sun to generate sustainable energy, reducing your reliance on the grid.
- If you have an appropriate location, wind turbines are one of the most affordable energy solutions available, and like photovoltaic panels, provide energy security for your business.
- There are also on-site biomass units, which turn cheap, accessible biofuels like waste wood into energy.
- You can also trap unused heat and convert it into clean, renewable electricity using ORC technology (Organic Rankine Cycle).
- Combine LED or Solatube daylighting systems with our automated controls to optimise your electricity consumption. We offer everything from simple presence detection and daylight harvesting, to more complex controls that can be integrated into your Building Management System. Couple this control system with battery storage and you’re significantly reducing the amount of energy you’re drawing from the grid.
Gavin Hine is sales and channel manager, E.ON Drive, E.ON UK