According to Justin, many companies are developing energy strategies, often as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), but don’t know where to start when it comes to analysing energy usage and introducing behavioural changes.
Energy Minister Ed Davey unveiled the government’s Energy Bill last month, setting out the roadmap for the UK’s switch to ‘a low-carbon economy’. Justin Vroone, Commercial Director at IMServ Europe, the UK’s largest independent energy management provider, believes UK businesses are paying lip service to green issues, and are failing to implement the necessary behavioural changes needed to make a real difference to energy reduction.
According to Justin, many companies are developing energy strategies, often as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), but don’t know where to start when it comes to analysing energy usage and introducing behavioural changes.
He explains, “IMServ works closely with many FTSE 250 organisations advising on effective energy management solutions. Generally, there is board-level enthusiasm for energy saving strategies and often a clear business benefit for embracing energy efficiencies, but organisations are struggling to put into practice a measurable energy saving programme. Often the biggest challenge is implementing a shift in employee attitude and behaviour. Staff might be happy to turn off lights at home, but in the work place it’s often a different story. Many organisations address these obstacles by introducing a combination of persuasive and incentivised measures to get everyone on board.
“The first priority for any organisation is to monitor current energy consumption by obtaining accurate data for electricity, gas, water, and heat usage, as well as information on carbon emissions and temperature. Once this information has been gleaned, it’s then essential to be able to analyse it to get at the valuable energy intelligence. This intelligence can then be used to communicate to and persuade the company and employees to make the necessary behavioural changes.
“Using an online energy management solution such as IMServ’s Energy Data Vision (EDV) will transform raw data into intelligent information. This will then enable a company to look at cost control and reduction – relevant for financial reports, behavioural change initiatives such as league tables, tenant billing, bill validation, and to help make really informed decisions about future energy planning.”
Justin continued, “Once the energy usage data has been assessed, organisations need to implement a reduction strategy and this is where many businesses are slipping up.”
Impact of visualisation
One company that has successfully visualised its energy usage is The Go Ahead Group, one of the UK’s leading providers of passenger transport, delivering bus and rail services to predominantly urban markets. The company has 450 sites and had originally registered 40 of these in the half hourly market whereby energy usage is recorded automatically every half hour. The only form of visibility on this energy usage that The Go Ahead Group received was pages and pages of raw data on spreadsheets.
Now with the help of IMServ, The Go Ahead Group receives accurate energy information with added intelligence through EDV, an easy to use and secure web based tool. Energy consumption from all the registered half hourly sites can now be viewed through one window, eliminating the need to plough through the pages of data.
Regulatory compliance
Legislative drivers are dominating energy strategies making regulatory compliance unavoidable for carbon and energy compliance reporting, for demonstrating CSR credentials and, in some cases, engaging stakeholders.
The government is predicting that demand for power is expected to rise by 30 to 100 percent by 2050, by which time the UK, in accordance with undertakings already given, will need to have reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent.
It also believes a 10% reduction in electricity demand could save £4bn by 2030. The government proposals to reduce electricity demand include financial incentives for consumers and businesses alike. For example, organisations could be paid for each kilowatt-hour they save as a result of taking energy-reduction measures, such as low-energy lighting. Businesses and householders could be given discounts and incentives to replace old equipment with more energy-efficient versions.
Justin concluded, “Companies are increasingly making significant investment in energy but are failing to ask the most critical and fundamental question; are you getting the Energy Intelligence that you need or require to make the right and best investment decisions?”
Editor’s Notes
About Justin Vroone
Justin Vroone is the Commercial Director at IMServ. He has worked in the energy sector for over 17 years in areas such as gas, oil and energy saving solutions and is considered to be an expert in the energy sector.
During his time at IMServ he has been responsible for the business development and the winning of a number of high profile key accounts. Justin has also been instrumental in developing IMServ’s Energy Data Vision (EDV), a portal that gives management visibility on energy consumption and spend.
About IMServ (www.imserv.com)
IMServ Europe Ltd is the UK’s largest independent energy data management provider. The company offers carbon and energy management solutions, helping organisations across all sectors to save energy, reduce costs and control carbon emissions.
IMServ offers an all-inclusive portfolio that covers data collection, analysis, reporting and carbon management. To date over 160,000 sites in England, Scotland and Wales are benefitting from its solutions.
For further information, please contact:
Justine Smith, PR Director
KISS Public Relations
T: 01223 911123
justine@kisscom.co.uk
