Enigin

Energy Efficiency Ignored by Bosses

2012-01-31T01:53:59+00:00

ONE in three UK energy managers say that energy efficiency issues are not taken seriously by their bosses or organisations, according to a new report published today by Siemens.

According to the research 31 percent of those responsible for energy management and energy efficiency within UK businesses believe the issues are not being taken seriously. These results highlights a discrepancy as 83 percent of directors in the boardroom feel their organisations take the matter seriously.

The findings come from Siemens Green League report, which reflects the views of 600 businesses.

As a significant area of cost for UK businesses, it was surprising to find that more than a quarter (27 percent) of board directors did not know what their energy bill was, while one fifth (18 percent) admitted they did not know what their investment in energy management would be over the next three years.

30 percent, almost a third, of board members blamed a lack of perceived return on investment for hindering energy efficiency commitments, with almost one in ten (9 percent) stating they cannot afford to invest in energy management projects.

This lack of focus on energy management at board level was highlighted further by an absence of dedicated resources, both in terms of people and investment. Nearly half (43 percent) of energy managers revealed spending only up to 10 percent of their time on energy management, with duties such as health and safety and facilities management taking up most of their time.

Despite these views, 70 percent of businesses are planning investment in energy efficiency projects in the next three years.

Siemens Industry Sector managing director, Juergen Maier, said: "These results do give cause for concern.

"Not only is the UK subject to strict legislative carbon reduction targets, but many businesses are neglecting the impact that effective energy management can have on the bottom line.

"With significant costs attached to energy and indicators suggesting that high energy costs are here to stay, it really is in the interest of all businesses to take energy management seriously and look at the potential savings that can be achieved."

“It is, however, great to see manufacturers coming out so positively in this research. As an energy-intensive sector that has been governed by legislation for some time, there will be numerous examples of best practice across our industrial base that other sectors can adapt for their own organisations and reap the benefits.

“It is important to note that the research does highlight evidence of good work being done by companies of all sizes across all sectors, but the overriding message is the need to do so much more. Now is the time for action or businesses risk falling behind in an increasingly competitive global marketplace.”

UK Businesses and Organisations get Energy Efficiency Financing

2011-12-15T11:13:23+00:00

RESEARCH shows that UK businesses and organisations want to improve their energy efficiency but are often deterred by the current lack of financil support from banks and the economic climate.

Energy efficiency financing in every territory and country is important and is likely to become ever more available as nations try to reduce emissions in line with targets nodded to at COP17 in Durban.

Financing schemes like this UK scheme are ideal for Enigin Distributors as they look to grow their businesses, and they need to know about and understand about such grant and financing schemes in their own countries.

The estimated market for energy efficiency equipment finance in the UK is enormous, with research estimating that the market over the next three years in England alone, is around £8.8bn ($13.6bn). This analysis, based on official business emissions data from the Department of Energy and Climate Change, reveals the scale of the opportunity for energy cost savings.

The Energy Efficiency Financing (EEF) scheme, launched by the UK’s Carbon Trust and Siemens, aims to overcome the economic uncertainity for energy efficiency upgrades across the UK commerce, industry and the public sector, with the scheme making £550 million available to finance investments in green equipment over the next three years.

Under the scheme, the monthly payments are matched to real monthly energy cost savings, which means the upgrades do not require paying extra for energy efficiency investment and in fact can often be cash positive from the start of the payment term.

This provides an alternative source of credit that is additional to, and independent from, lines of credit from a bank which are often subject to market and economic volatility.

Through the scheme businesses and organisations in have an easy and affordable means of acquiring a wide spectrum of energy efficiency equipment for values as little as £1,000 through to many hundreds of thousands of pounds, over a period which suits their cash flow.

Energy Efficiency Financing is available to all kinds of businesses and organisations, from sole traders and partnerships through to large corporates, local authorities and other public sector organisations.

Enigin Distributors across the UK welcome this scheme as it could help their clients to finance the installation of energy efficiency equipment from Enigin, leading to savings in energy and costs, along with providing control of their energy use.

IPCC Report Highlights Urgent Need to Reduce Emissions

2011-12-05T12:59:15+00:00

SOME of the recent extreme weather experienced globally is the result of human induced climate change which will get worse over forthcoming decades, according to a new report from the IPCC.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report that greenhouse gas emissions related to mans activities are responsible for more recent record high and less record low temperatures, along with the resultant increase in coastal flooding and likely to the increased extremes of rainfall and snow.

The report does provide a stark summary of the increasingly dramatic affects of climate change around the world, and follows on the heels of similar warnings from the IEA, reported on these pages last week.

With the United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change COP17 meeting, in Durban, due to start next Monday the new report summary is timely and prompted this response from Executive Secretary, Christiana Figueres of the UNFCCC:

"The new IPCC report is a stark reminder of the extent to which rising greenhouse gas concentrations and the ensuing rise in global average temperatures are already leading to increased incidences of floods and heat waves, and that such incidences will become more frequent and severe if the global rise in greenhouse gas emissions is left unchecked.

“The ability of the world to become more climate-resilient will largely depend on the speed with which emissions can be decreased.....Governments meeting in Durban for the UN Climate Change Conference must therefore finalise the institutional framework agreed last year in Mexico that can help developing countries adapt to the dire effects of climate change and to curb their emissions. And to curb global emissions, all countries must both answer the question of the future of the Kyoto Protocol and map out a pathway towards a broader, more ambitious, binding global climate change agreement.”

IPCC officials released various statements regarding their findings, which should drive more people to take sustainable action, such as increased energy efficiency.

Regarding the summary of the full report, due to be published later, Qin Dahe, Co-chair of IPCC Working Group I said: “There is high confidence that both maximum and minimum daily temperatures have increased on a global scale due to the increase of greenhouse gases.”

Regarding the future, the assessment concludes that it is virtually certain that on a global scale hot days become even hotter and occur more often.

"For the high emissions scenario, it is likely that the frequency of hot days will increase by a factor of 10 in most regions of the world", said Thomas Stocker the other Co-chair of Working Group I. “Likewise, heavy precipitation will occur more often, and the wind speed of tropical cyclones will increase while their number will likely remain constant or decrease”.

The IPCC report, alongside the IEA’s recent warnings provide plenty of ammunition to the energy efficiency industry to influence commerce, industry and governments to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and wasted energy through improved use and management of energy and energy intensive processes.

Energy Efficiency Market to Increase by 50% say Pike Research

2011-11-30T12:54:00+00:00

THE market for energy efficiency services and equipment is on the rise as national governments look to reduce energy consumption by improving the efficiency of their nations building stock.

With buildings being one of the largest sources of energy consumption, the opportunity to improve energy efficiency is significant, from the utilisation of energy-efficient lighting technologies through to energy monitoring and management.   According to a new report from Pike Research, the total market for energy efficiency in buildings will reach $103.5 billion by 2017, an increase of more than 50 percent from the 2011 market value of $67.9 billion. This really is a good time to be in the energy efficiency business.

This is exciting news for Enigin Distributors globally as they can expect to continue to see their energy saving businesses grow, and with cutting edge products, systems and solutions from Enigin providing them with the ideal tools for the needs of both private and public sectors within their territories.

“The structure of energy efficient building markets varies considerably from one country or region to another,” says research analyst Eric Bloom, “and vendors and service providers aiming to increase their coverage of energy efficiency markets must remain cognizant of the changing dynamics in order to maintain a strong presence.”

Bloom adds that, with regard to the existing building stock, ESCOs (energy service companies) are leading the energy efficiency charge for commercial buildings in many countries, using various financing mechanisms to install energy efficient equipment and kick-start ongoing energy efficiency services.

The market for energy efficient equipment, including efficient HVAC and lighting systems, is also in a period of transformation, as green building trends drive increase interest in efficient systems and as efficient lighting technologies, such as LEDs, continue to decline in cost.

Pike Research’s forecasts indicate that the ESCO market will represent the largest segment of the energy efficient buildings industry in the coming years, with revenues more than doubling from $30.1 billion in 2011 to $66 billion worldwide by 2017, a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14 percent.

Read Pike Research’s report, “Energy Efficient Buildings: Global Outlook”

Is This A Good Time To Start An Energy Saving Business

2011-10-20T22:00:00+01:00

Much of the world seems to be still struggling with financial pressures - with several countries in Europe particularly badly hit, so is this a good time to be starting your own energy saving business?

Many entrepreneurs around the globe are doing just that, despite the world scene, with the help of Enigin Plc.

Watch the video below and listen to what some Enigin Distributors said about starting their own Enigin energy saving businesses:

Big Buildings and Energy Savings

2011-09-21T15:37:00+01:00

Commercial and industrial buildings use up about 40 percent of U.S. electricity output, and similar figures can be found in most advanced countries.

So it's a bit of a surprise that the building efficiency concept took so long to catch on, but it is finally getting the recognition it deserves – and is also an obvious gold mine.

This is far from a comprehensive exploration of all things involving building energy efficiency.

Here is a atse of a few things that have taken place in the last year.

First some things to think about:

·         What's the big deal? According to The Cleantech Group, energy efficiency will overtake solar as a top investment target and commercial and industrial buildings are a major focus. Why? Lower investment costs, financial incentives and faster payback.
·         What's the government doing about it? The Energy Department is spending millions and millions of dollars on programs to improve building design with more efficient building components, systems and models for both existing building retrofits and new construction. DOE also is whipping out its checkbook for cool new energy efficiency technologies and worker training.
·         Who's in the building efficiency game these days? Companies big and small, old and brand new. Some are going it on their own and many are partnering and acquiring: big companies with huge global footprints but little direct experience snatch up the young technology innovators.

Building efficiency projects and what they're about

Chicago office buildings = virtual generator: Chicago's Building Owners and Managers Association and an unlikely collection of partners are working on using about 260 downtown office buildings as virtual generators to better manage energy use and cut energy costs. The pilot program is said to be the country's first.

Downtown Charlotte gets green with Duke Energy and Cisco: Charlotte Center City Partners, a local economic and cultural development group, Duke Energy and Cisco are collaborating on a program to cut energy use in downtown core buildings by up to 20% by 2016. The project will involve about 60 buildings and the energy efficiency tools will be building automation technologies (like ACES, LESS and iMEC), unique energy tracking tools, such as Enigin Plc's Eniscope, and help for office workers in reducing their energy use.

USPS locations get energy efficiency makeover: Surprise, the U.S. postal service wants to be green, too. SThey are also turning to advanced monitoring and control systems in up to 2,250 postal service locations throughout the country. The postal service wants to cut its facility energy use by 30% by 2015.

Utilities are doing it too: American Electric Power, one of the country's biggest utilities, won EPA's Energy Star status by cutting energy use almost 16% from its 2007 level at its Columbus, Ohio, headquarters. Updated technologies, more efficient HVAC equipment, a reflective and more contributed to AEP's reduction.

Of course, there are many more such projects on the drawing board and underway, and more to come as building efficiency gets more recognition as a practical way to save energy and money and cut emissions. Let us know using the comment form below if you know about or are involved in an innovative energy efficiency project.

Enigin Distributors Enjoy Mindshare Training

2011-08-15T10:43:28+01:00

Here are the feelings of Enigin Distributors after enjoying Enigin plc's Mindshare Training course recently. Explaining why they have become Enigin Distributors and how they feel about their futures.

Business Rate Energy Risk as Biggest Threat

2011-07-19T14:19:21+01:00

NEW research reveals UK businesses place energy risks at the top, with this years npower Business Energy Index revealing that many businesses do not have a strategy to manage it.

Many businesses believe the government is responsible for helping to bridge energy supply gap by providing funding for energy efficiency, demand management technology and self generation

Energy risk – particularly in terms of security of supply and supply costs - has been identified as the top risk major business energy users are facing, above legislation, security and health & safety.

Added to this, many believe it is the government’s responsibility to help reduce instability through funding for self generation projects and demand management tools to bridge the supply gap and keep the nation’s lights on.

These were some of the key findings of the npower Business Energy Index (nBEI), an annual report tracking business opinion on energy use, energy risk and carbon emissions, published yesterday.

According to the report, when asked what was of most concern in relation to energy within their business, supply costs came top with a risk ranking of 6.6 out of 10, followed by security of supply with a ranking of 6.1.

For major energy users, increased regulation in the energy sector, the subsequent impact on reputation, and ambitious carbon reduction targets were identified as other high risk areas that are adding to the challenging picture businesses are facing.

However, despite risks associated with energy being identified as a top concern, one in six major business energy users still do not have a policy in place to manage it – although 91 percent do have one in place for health & safety, a more ‘traditional’ business risk.

David Cockshott, director of industrial and commercial markets at npower comments: “It is worrying that while businesses have identified that risks associated with energy - from security of supply to cost - pose a real threat to their immediate and future operations, many have admitted to not having a strategy in place to manage it.

“While many businesses have embraced the benefits of energy management and energy efficiency, when it comes to solutions to manage risk, there is less of a focus from organisations.

“This could be because they don’t believe the two main areas of concern – cost and supply - are something within their control. However, there are ways businesses can mitigate their risk, including investing in self generation or demand management technology.”

However businesses’ attitudes to investing in self generation as a means of shoring up security of supply, paints a picture of disengagement. Despite their concerns over energy risk, nearly two thirds (62 percent) say that investing in self generation and demand management technology is not a business priority. While 51% cite lack of finance as a barrier, and 38 percent say they simply do not have the resource to manage the project.

When asked who should finance investment in self generation, 61percent of businesses of all sizes felt that the government should be responsible – only 18 percent believe it should be self funded. While the government’s proposed ‘Green Deal’ should go some way to assisting SMEs, it would not provide the same help for larger energy consumers.

David Cockshott continues: “While this year’s nBEI shows that more easy-to-implement energy efficiency measures and improvements are happening across businesses of all sizes. When it comes to large scale self generation projects or demand management initiatives, there is still some resistance.

“This is despite many businesses highlighting energy risk as their top concern for the foreseeable future. As demand on the grid starts to become a major issue, large energy users in particular will need to look at new ways to manage their energy more intelligently; whether through self generation or through demand management tools such as load management.”

David Cockshott concludes: “What is clear, however, is that businesses believe that investment in these areas should come from government. While the government is keen to support smaller companies through initiatives such as the Green Deal, the report shows that larger businesses believe the government should also look at ways to help them. For instance, to mitigate risk and reduce instability through incentivising self generation and demand management tools.”

Don't Say Energy Efficiency "Retrofit" Say "Upgrade"

2011-06-28T15:35:00+01:00

These are some of the common-sense recommendations featured in a new report that highlights just how unprepared many energy program designers are when it comes to selling efficiency to the public.

In a study of programmes aimed at improving energy efficiency, researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory found much to learn from. The results, they say, should serve as a guide to the more than 2,000 towns, cities, states and regions with stimulus funding to spend on clean energy programs and with minimal experience to draw from.

For starters, the researchers said, don't offer "audits" or "retrofits" -- customers can shy away from the negative connotations. Instead try offering "energy assessments" and "upgrades," but focus messaging on health benefits, improved comfort, community pride or other benefits that consumers tend to care more about.

Other suggestions included working with trusted local partners, minimizing the paperwork and hassles that customers face, and following the marketing rule of thumb that it takes three "touches" to convince most people that something is worth buying into.

A key partner for such programs should be the contractor workforce, the authors said, because contractors know the marketplace for residential construction work and will be the "face" that customers see when they interact with the program. Ensuring that contractors are well-trained, they added, can help to avoid problems and consumer backlash.

Energy Secretary Steven Chu is fond of saying that his goal is to make people save money through energy efficiency. But the new report underscores the psychological components to energy consumption patterns that have historically proven difficult to change.

"Convincing millions of Americans to divert their time and resources into upgrading their homes to eliminate energy waste, avoid high utility bills and help stimulate the economy is one of the great challenges facing energy efficiency programs around the country," said Merrian Fuller, an author of the study and energy analyst in the Berkeley Lab's Electricity Markets and Policy group.

"Usually, when policymakers address the issue of energy efficiency benefits, they ... neglect the issue of how to motivate consumers to take advantage of home energy upgrade programs," she said. "This is often a missing element in policy discussions and a primary impetus for us in writing this report."

The study examined 14 home efficiency programs that the authors felt were successful, including one by the Bonneville Power Administration in the Pacific Northwest and efforts in Houston, Minneapolis, Kansas, Boston, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont and the District of Columbia.

At Enigin we will take note of this report although there is a counter argument that business leaders and decision makers feel reasonably comfortable with the thought of audits but it is interesting to consider the use of "upgrade" instead of "retrofit".

Enigin Business Opportunity - Now’s The Best Time

2011-04-14T10:13:00+01:00

Ernst & Young released survey results revealing that business executives plan to increase expenditures on energy efficiency, renewable energy and clean technologies next year, thus shrugging off global recession concerns.

Where many companies are currently struggling, smart entrepreneurs and individuals see the business opportunity in the energy saving industry as a tremendous opportunity.

The time is perfect to launch a business in the energy saving sector, with demand rising, investments are readily made due to the savings produced by the reduction of energy use and waste often using energy saving technology.

Enigin PLC offer entrepreneurs and established business owners an unparalleled business opportunity, providing them with all the required tools for success and a share of the huge profit potential in the energy saving industry.

Enigin understands that high and increasing energy costs affect all companies in an increasingly competitive global market, meaning businesses are working harder than ever to remain profitable. Companies are now faced with the added pressure from governments, investors and consumers to reduce their energy outlay and be seen as environmentally friendly.

Ernst & Young reported that "multi-billion dollar companies have few qualms about buying clean-tech products from or otherwise partnering with nascent companies".

The report also states that corporate spending on energy efficient technologies, alternative sources of energy and associated innovative technologies has risen by about 5% of annual revenues.

The study quizzed executives on how much money their firms will be likely to inject into energy saving projects with most claiming investment would reach at least 10 million dollars.

Better yet, 75% stated that spending levels are expected to increase during 2010 and during the following 5 years,

There has never been a better time to become an Enigin distributor!