COAL Services and Sustainable Energy

08 June 2011

SPONSORED ARTICLE: COAL IT has been delivering high end IT Technical Solutions from Architecture, Design, Implementation, Delivery and Managed Support Services for many Tier 1, Tier 2 and SME’s for over a decade.

Our reputation is for delivering versatile vendor agnostic solutions bringing best of breed to the client and thus ensuring the solution best fits the client’s requirements to future proof the business. Our ability to provide this end-to-end solution assists the client in making the right choices by relying on our constant measure of products in the market place and how these integrate with each other and thereby avoiding conflicts.
With the introduction of CRC compliancy, COAL have been asked by many customers to assist in the technical evaluation of products and solutions in the market that can assist them in meeting these goals. In researching the options available to clients, COAL has identified the need for a technical solution approach to defined programmes, providing the same agility it has in the IT world within the energy management requirements of today’s businesses.
COAL’s answer has been to widen the bandwidth of services into building services with an emphasis on CRC and ‘green energy’. COAL Service’s focus is on the ‘business side of green’ and in providing bespoke solutions to CRC compliance requirements from design through to implementation and management.
CRC compliance is a staged approach to a reduction in hydrocarbon usage and therefore a planned approach to fulfilment is vital. Mere products alone can assist but as with IT, a developed solution provides a holistic return.
The Steps
Each and every building is different and therefore a one fix product is not the answer. COAL provide a walk through solution with a definitive start point, followed by provisioning steps that are also designed to deliver the best ROI (return on investment) and most effective cost of ownership. In developing the solution COAL will provide Thermal Dynamic Modelling of your building that demonstrates the current usage and the benefits as each step is taken. A phased and planned approach will enhance the project and will typically commence with meter metering. This will deduce whether you are getting what you are paying for and also whether you are paying for more energy than you actually require.
Significant efficiencies can be achieved by optimising the voltage within the building and harmonising the phases. Once this has been completed the solution will vary significantly from site to site, the many divisions of energy consumption would be investigated; lighting, IT, heating etc. With a phased approach to CRC compliance the introduction of new technology can be planned to give best ROI whilst achieving CRC.
COAL’s agility and flexibility through the use of continual assessment of products in the market place and their performance, along with the allied technologies employed, ensure that you gain the maximum advantage through our investigations. The technologies will be proven, robust and reliable.
The Technologies
There are many technologies perceived to be typically green available today. These can assist in meeting CRC compliance and vary from; solar, wind, ground source and air source pumps, water, bore holes, rain water harvesting, solid fuel, biomass, wood chip, pellet boilers. These technologies all have their place but as we have found through our evaluation, not all are necessary or efficient for your building.
Integrated ‘Building Management Systems’ (BMS) are becoming more popular, with their ever increasing development comes visibility of the buildings energy balances and consumptions offer better clarity and reporting ability.
A typical BMS will provide control to heating and lighting systems but cannot be accurately programmed to forecast weather conditions.Therefore much energy is wasted by open windows on unpredictably warm days and heating being overridden on cold days. Until now… COAL are extremely pleased to announce that there is an integrated solution now available.
The innovative O2NE energy service platform stretches the boundaries of existing BAS (building automated systems) to offer clients energy savings potential with minimal capex required. We refer to this as Energy PortfolioControl.
This unique software provides remote monitoring and control through comprehensive and integrated inputs which are fed automatically into programmable equipment objects using real time data, including:
? forecasted demand-side generation, distribution or transmission “shortfalls”
? changes in weather
? daily electricity pricing
Trigger points are set in our software, unique to each client, to alert us to, for example.
? Fluctuating real-time utility pricing: we will take advantage of real-time pricing market fluctuations to deploy energy equipment and store thermal energy at optimal times, thereby reducing energy expenditure.
ROI
CRC compliance is now a large part of business expense and with carbon presently at £12 per tonne in the UK raising to £16 per tonne in 2013- 14 it is only going one way. Green lobbyists have also made sure that CRC is a matter of Corporate and Social Responsibility. The incorporation of CRC has ensured that this topic is a major part of Corporate Strategy and must support clear Financial Objectives.
COAL believes that providing an integrated and viable solution to its clients will benefit from covering both the CRC and CSR elements of business strategy. As time progresses, both these elements will be further scrutinised by all stakeholders and remain an increasing burden of company OPEX.
Increased potential ROI’s are available by adopting green energy production assets. Feed in Tariffs (FiTS) provide an excellent support structure for these technologies but the time gap is small to get the best benefits. COAL are able to provide a financing mechanism that provides solutions as a service or off balance sheet funding plans, again designed to match your business needs.
End of Life
A further element of great importance whilst planning CRC solutions is life cycle management. Whether it’s the disposal of products replaced now or future planning the end of life scenario of new technologies, COAL are able to offer fully c ompliant services and advice.
Carbon Paradox vs Peak Oil
There are varying theories on how hydrocarbon energy costs and availability will emerge. The Carbon Paradox states that for the producer it is now the best time to accelerate usage, whilst the ratio of supply cost to revenue is low. With a slowdown in usage, the potential ‘well’ asset value will diminish with demand. Peak Oil suggests that the cost supply of oil will out way the acceptable charge and that new technologies will inevitably emerge. What is certainly true is that ‘Game Theory’ is required - the concept of equilibrium.
Oil usage last year did drop by 2.3 % but that is during an economic slowdown, predictions are that this equates in real terms to a 3 % rise when normailsed.
Predictably then, efficient use of what we have will save money on OPEX and draw out the end date on any apocalyptic prediction. It is important to manage the financial impact of the business now. The availability of FiTS from non-hydrocarbon based fuel products, i.e. solar, wind etc provides a very relevant stepping stone for adopting these technologies now.
The Solution
COAL Services are able to offer the most rounded strategy and solution for your business, our knowledge of the technological market, CSR concerns and the ability to provide the best ROI place you at a significant advantage. The COAL solution is not product biased, it delivers real ROI whilst ensuring all CRC and CSR compliance issues are met and managed through to reporting mechanisms that fulfill both the former and the latter. FitS is a closing window of opportunity and requires action now to benefit.
? Benefit now by contacting us.
Jason Maclaine General Manager Email: jason.maclaine@coalit.com www.coalservices.co.uk
Tel: 01708 559799