Energy & Climate Change

Energy efficiency, energy savings, renewable energy, wind turbines, biomass boilers, hydro-electricity, climate change advice, community energy, combined heat and power, market reports, strategic advice.

We have given advice to clients on energy matters for over 30 years. Here are typical examples.

Energy efficiency and energy savings

As term consultants to the Carbon Trust and its predecessors we have carried out energy surveys and advised on energy saving measures in commercial premises ranging from civil service and MOD establishments to hospitals, chocolate and cheese factories, bakeries, schools, secondary aluminium processors, abattoirs, breweries and whisky blenders.

The initial energy study often leads on to more detailed consideration of, for example, process heat recovery, space heating, fuel quality and electrical supplies.

Climate change

We provided assistance to the mineral wool trade association on their climate change levy negotiated agreement. We provide ongoing assistance with monitoring and targeting. Staff are on the panel of arbitrators appointed for resolving disputes relating to the climate change levy and managed by the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.

Combined heat and power

Our work in this area has included feasibility studies for combined heat and power installations for industry, major development projects and hospitals;  appointments in the capacity of expert witness in connection with both contractual and technical issues related to large scale CHP plant; and design, supervision and project management of the installation of CHP.

Community energy

Common in other parts of Europe, community energy schemes or district heating have never been popular in the UK. This is now beginning to change and we have been at the forefront of investigating the feasibility in various locations.

Renewable energy

We have worked on a variety of renewable energy sources: wind, hydro-electricity, geothermal, ground source, wave and marine, hydrogen, biomass, waste to energy, anaerobic digestion.

Energy storage is also an important consideration.

Grid connections

Grid connections and studies for connection of plant such as combined heat and power, biomass powered engines and generators, wind farms, photo-voltaic installations and mini hydro-electric schemes to the National Grid or the local distribution network had formed a significant part of the firm’s recent activity.

National Grid Code, G59 and ETR113 have all become familiar.

Earthing systems, switchgear, paralleling equipment and knowledge of distribution and transmission voltages and practices have come into focus.

Energy publications

We are routinely commissioned by the Carbon Trust to prepare and publish a wide variety of publications on energy technologies, energy consumption guides and good practice case studies. For example we were commissioned to produce Good Practice Guide 289 (Getting Signed Up – Energy Services in the Public Sector) for BRE and FES (formerly ETSU).

We have also undertaken a series of market research projects on the Power Generation Industry in various parts of the world. These have resulted in internationally published reports (generally about 500 pages each) for South East Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, European Union, Central and South America and China. A report has also been prepared on the trends in development of high efficiency power generation.