Energy Consulting Services

There is increasing discussion of linking renewable energy systems with pumped storage hydro facilities, with facilities that already exist such as in Norway and Canada. Or finding solutions for countries with an abundance of renewable energy production such as Denmark; because a large amount of its electricity generated from wind is generated at periods of low demand, necessitating export to Norway and Sweden. Although pumped hydro storage alone will not be enough to meet Denmark’s renewable energy targets. Pumped hydro storage is one of the most mature energy storage technologies with 100 sites operating worldwide. However, it is probably more viable to refurbish or repower an existing hydro storage plant to improve its efficiency than build new plants. These plants have very significant adverse impacts on the environment and require a suitable terrain, therefore their deployment is severely limited. During a typical day, “off peak” demand solar pv or other renewable energy s...

Not a new technology by any stretch of the imagination, compressed air energy storage (CAES) is slowly gaining ground with a number of projects taking shape at various stages of the design and implementation process. Currently, only two utility-scale plants exist; one, in Germany, and the other in Alabama, in the United States. With the growth of renewable generation sources, energy storage is only set to grow. Why do we need Energy Storage? The nature of our electricity infrastructure and available technology dictates that the energy we consume must be simultaneously produced. I.e. supply from the generators must always be equal to or greater than the demand from consumers. Unfortunately, we don’t consume electricity at a consistent rate. For example, at night when the lights at the office are off, we consume far less energy than during the day when most people are working. Unfortunately, it’s at these times of low consumption that we often have a large supply of renewable ene...

By now, most of us are familiar with the concepts and technologies of the smart grid ; however, there is still a long way to go for full implementation and a realization of the potential that this technology can bring. In this article, we will discuss some of the barriers faced in the implementation of a smart grid. 1. Access to finance, especially in developing countries, considering market uncertainty, policy uncertainty and revenue uncertainty due to regulatory structures Though many electricity networks around the world are in a constant state of renewal and repair, implementing smart grid technology requires an additional investment not only in acquisition, but also training and implementation to be a technological success. The business case for the smart grid is there, but the willingness and ability to implement may be lacking. 2. Limited competition in the utility market, due to no or only partial deregulation of the market Not all energy markets are liberali...

The cost of electricity is a complex calculation. Using a number of assumptions it is possible to calculate the cost of producing electricity in a fixed situation but there are still external variables, especially in a lifetime cost calculation, which an owner has to evaluate with additional risk and sensitivity analysis. These include political factors such as the impact of the two oil crises on the 1970s which have had a permanent effect on many countries’ energy policies, climate considerations, financial trends and many others. There are many occasions when the cheapest or most convenient solution is not the best. However, we have to have some cost estimation as a basis for the decision. Two approaches are most commonly used, overnight cost and levelised cost. Overnight cost is the cost of a construction project if no interest was incurred during construction, as if the project was completed “overnight." An alternate definition is: the present value cost that would have to b...

Despite what some global leaders may say and think, the world is in danger. Pollution levels are at an all time high and governments are not doing enough to limit the amount of carbon that is being emitted into the atmosphere. Pure Earth, a non-profit organisation that is dedicated to fighting pollution, released a list a few years ago of the most polluting industries in the world. Here is what its study brought to light. 10. Dyeing The dye industry was placed at number ten on the list. Dyes can be found in all manner of products, including plastics, paper, textiles, paint etc. Artificial dyes are often used instead of more expensive and less durable natural dyes, and contain a range of hazardous chemicals that are harmful to humans and the environment. 9. Product Manufacturing The manufacturing of consumer goods contributes a lot of pollution to the atmosphere. Factories use a range of dangerous chemicals and their waste disposal methods are often not monitored sufficiently st...

Natural gas is a fossil fuel that is rapidly rising in popularity due to the fact that it burns cleaner than coal and oil. It comes from decaying plant and animal sediment that has been compressed under the heat and pressure of the Earth for millions of years. The carbon atoms in the sediment eventually break down and form gas, which rises to the surface of the Earth until it eventually meets an impermeable layer. It then gathers under this layer of earth and forms a reservoir or deposit. Humans have now developed the technology to dig down to these reservoirs and extract the natural gas, which is comprised mainly of methane, but also contains butane, propane, ethylene and other gases. Methods of extracting gas from the Earth are numerous, but the most common are fracking and pumping it up through wells. Both have their advantages and disadvantages, but they both get the job done. Once the natural gas has been extracted from the ground, it needs to be purified before being shipped of...

The climate crisis is currently one of the most pressing issues on earth. Every day, scientists are researching new technologies and advancing their understanding of energy in order to further the fight against climate change. However, not all countries are equally invested in moving forward with regards to renewable energy. There are some that seem disinterested, while others are spearheading what is being referred to as the renewable revolution. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that our planet is suffering. The polar ice caps are melting at an alarming rate, the temperature is hotter than ever before, and natural disasters seem to be occurring with far more frequency than in previous eras. If we don’t act now, there may be precious little left for our children and grandchildren to inherit. Right now, these are the five countries doing the most to further the renewable revolution. Sweden Scandinavia has always been particularly impressive when it comes to fo...

Every year, the energy sector is faced with a new set of challenges. Over the past few decades, the aim of the game has been to bring the cost of energy generation down whilst simultaneously increasing its efficiency. In 2019, however, the landscape looks slightly different. Thanks to the advent of the Internet of Things, and a number of other highly data-intensive developments, demand for energy is higher than ever before and increasing at an unprecedented rate. But, on the flip side, increased efficiency by way of widespread automation, among other things, intends to bring this demand back down. So, what do scientists predict to be the main trends that will affect the energy sector in 2019? Automation, Automation, Automation Automation is the word on everyone’s lips right now. From vehicles to factory machinery to even entire cities, everyone is working towards automation. In the long-run, this is expected to increase energy efficiency but right now automation is ...

There has been a lot of talk about electric vehicles over the past few years. They were supposed to have stormed the roads and reduced emissions so we could tackle this climate change problem we have on our hands. But, so far there has been noticeably little action in the world of electric vehicles. The streets are not flooded with them and charging points around big cities are few and far between. What is keeping us from embracing electric vehicles when we know the benefits they offer? The key selling point of the electric vehicle is the fact that it emits zero emissions. This has a positive knock on effect on the air quality and the environment as a whole. On top of this, electric vehicles are generally cheaper to run and maintain, although the initial cost may be more than a traditional car. In the long run, these cars will help us save money. They are even quieter than regular cars! So, what’s the deal? Unfortunately, there are still some drawbacks when it comes to elect...

There is a lot of jargon in the energy world and for the most part, many of the terms won’t come up in day-to-day conversation. Feed-in tariffs, however, are worth understanding and you will understand why as you read through this article.  There has been a huge push for clean and sustainable energy to become more mainstream. However, in order for this to happen there has to be some kind of incentive for businesses and industry leaders other than the general greater good of saving the planet. With an increasing awareness of and drive towards profitability, we need to make renewable energy as profitable as possible.  Feed-in tariffs (also called FITs) are part of what is known to some as the Clean Energy Cashback. Essentially, the scheme pays people for generating their own ‘green electricity’. FITs are on offer for everyone, including households, schools, businesses, care homes and anywhere else that needs electricity.  These tariffs were introduced in the UK with t...

There is an increasing fear among members of the public that our data is being stored without our consent and then used to control and manipulate us. Last year, in France, there were huge demonstrations calling for people to stop using Linky, the smart meter that was introduced by French energy giant EDF. The concerns surrounding the technology were that the meter would act as a Trojan horse. It would sit in our house and harvest vast amounts of data about us that would eventually be used to manipulate our spending. The data that is recorded by a smart meter consists primarily of our gas and electricity usage. However, experts explain that they are actually collecting far more than this. Patterns in gas and electricity usage can tell analysts when people are most likely to be at home, how many showers households take, and which appliances they use most among other things. This can then be transformed into targeted marketing. In the wake of the roll out of the GDPR, compani...