Renewable energy solutions
The cleaner, greener alternative to fossil fuels.
Good for the planet and your bottom line. Discover how you could profit from renewable energy solutions
Companies EM3 is working with
What is renewable energy?
Put simply, renewable energy comes from a source that will not run out. It’s energy that comes from a natural source that replenishes itself.
What are renewable energy sources?
Renewable energy sources include solar power, wind power and hydroelectric power (including waves), as well as ‘biomass’.
This is created when organic material - anything from plants to timber to food waste - is burned as a fuel.
What are renewable energy solutions?
A renewable energy solution harnesses energy created from renewable sources and puts it to good use. For instance, solar thermal systems, heat pumps and biomass can all produce process heat for manufacturing. Biomass, effectively made from waste, is also a petrochemical feedstock used to create fuel, heat, electricity and an array of products such as plastics, synthetic fibres, adhesives, dyes, detergents, pesticides, and even paints.
What are the advantages of using a renewable energy solution?
Generating your own electricity via a renewable energy solution can get you a rebate on your energy bill from your energy supplier. What’s more, if you generate more electricity than you need, you can be paid for it!
The government’s Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) scheme enables you to feed back any electricity you don’t use into the National Grid via your energy supplier.
The three main requirements are
- Your renewable electricity generating system must meet the SEG eligibility requirements.
- You’ll need a smart meter capable of providing half-hourly export readings.
- Your installation and installer must be certified through the microgeneration certification scheme (MCS) or equivalent.
So, there is a significant amount of form-filling and red tape involved but if you have a large surplus, the effort can be well worth it.
Benefits of renewable energy solutions
Abundant supply
While the earth has a finite supply of fossil fuels, it has plentiful sources of renewable energy.
Reduced carbon footprint
Switching to renewable energy is one of the easiest ways for businesses to cut their emissions of harmful greenhouse gases like CO2.
Cheaper way to produce electricity
Whereas renewable energy solutions were once a ‘clean-but-expensive’ alternative to fossil fuels, green energy is now competitively priced, leading to lower production costs.
Enhances your reputation
Investing in a renewable energy solution boosts your company’s standing and creates a powerful marketing opportunity.
Potentially profitable
Turns energy from a cost into a profit opportunity when surplus electricity created by a renewable energy solution is sold back to the National Grid.
Cleaner air and water
As well as contributing to global warming, burning fossil fuels releases dangerous pollutants such as mercury, sulphur dioxide, particulates and dangerous metals into the atmosphere and contaminates waterways. In contrast, a renewable energy solution creates no pollution, waste or contamination risks.
Greater energy security
A renewable energy solution means industrial businesses are less reliant on gas and oil imports to keep operations running.
Benefits of using EM3 for your renewable energy solutions
Benefits of using EM3 as a company for renewable energy solutions
For more information on renewable energy solutions tailored for your industry, contact us today.
EM3’s Real Zero tool
Your journey to Real Zero starts here
A renewable energy solution is a highly effective route to dramatically reduce your carbon footprint, cut costs and improve your business’ long-term sustainability. If you’re serious about reducing your operations’ impact on the planet, we’ve developed this tool for you.
What is the Real Zero tool?
Our Real Zero interactive tool gives you a personalised roadmap to help you reach your emissions reduction target. Benefit from our expertise and years of experience to avoid wrong turns and save time getting where you want to be.
You’ll get summary charts, like the one below, and full guidance on the steps to take in each phase. Ready
Let’s go! Or contact us to find out more.
Related solutions
Renewable energy solutions are just one of the energy-efficiency services EM3 offers to industrial businesses. Our extensive knowledge of industrial energy management means whichever service you need, you can rely on us to deliver sustainable engineering solutions that result in quantifiable energy savings.
Types of renewable energy solutions
The main sources of renewable energy are:
Wind
The spinning blades of wind turbines on wind farms generate electricity. The blades’ movement turns a drive shaft and gear box connected to a generator. The electricity produced is then converted into higher voltages and fed into the national grid.
Solar
Solar power works by exposing photovoltaic (PV) cells on solar panels to sunlight converting the sunlight to electric current in a process known as the photovoltaic effect.
UK aside, sunlight is one of the world’s most freely available energy sources. You might think this would make it the top source of renewable energy but, of course, the amount of sunlight varies according to location, the time of year and time of day
Hydroelectric
Hydro power is created by harnessing the immense power of falling or fast-flowing water. for this reason, hydroelectric power plants are typically situated at dams. Electricity is generated through underwater turbines that turn a generator. Tidal power works in much the same way, relying on powerful ocean forces to generate electricity.
Biomass or bioenergy
Biomass contains stored chemical energy from the sun. It’s organic, meaning it comes from living organisms, such as plants and animals. The most common biomass materials used are wood, waste and plants, which produce biomass through the process of photosynthesis.
Biomass can be burned directly for heat, converted to electricity or into renewable liquid and gas through the processes known as gasification and pyrolysis.
Steps to a renewable energy solution
EM3’s team of renewable energy specialists have extensive experience in delivering renewable energy projects on industrial and green field sites throughout Ireland and the UK. Our capabilities span all elements of a renewable energy solution, from initial feasibility and economic viability studies to operational asset management.
Step 1 - Analysis
As the first step when designing a renewable energy solution, we carry out technical and commercial analysis to assess the economic viability of installing a renewable scheme on your site(s). Our engineers evaluate which is the best option for you: either a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) where a developer builds, owns and operates the site on your behalf with no capital outlay on your part, or a client-owned scheme.
A client-owned scheme allows you to take advantage of funding incentives like the Accelerated Capital Allowance (ACA), which allows you to reduce your energy costs, your carbon emissions and enhance your corporate social responsibility credentials.
Step 2 - Feasibility study
EM3 will conduct a feasibility study to determine the economic viability of installing and operating a wind turbine or solar scheme on your industrial or commercial site. Where applicable, we’ll consider battery storage to integrate with your renewable energy solution.
We’ll detail all elements of a renewable scheme – capex, opex and economics – along with all the process steps needed to deliver the system. Our final feasibility report will include a recommendation for either a developer-owned PPA or client-owned option with supporting analysis.
Step 3 - Project management
We will manage all elements of the project, from planning and construction through to commissioning. Once the scheme is operational, we’ll manage the performance of your asset. You can be reassured you’re in good hands: EM3’s renewable project managers have more than ten years of successfully deploying renewable energy solutions on large energy users’ sites throughout the UK and Ireland.
Take the first step to cleaner energy!
Contact us today to explore how a renewable energy solution could benefit your business:
