With electricity prices rising by 7% in 2010 and an expected 10% increase in 2011/2012, businesses need to review their utility costs and how this is being provided. Using renewable energy, like solar energy, not only reduces the impact of these price increases but also provides additional revenue for businesses.
In addition to using less energy from fossil fuels, businesses and schools can make a positive contribution to reduce carbon emissions in the UK public sector by £1 billion.
For example, currently schools represent approximately 15% of public sectorgreenhouse gas emissions and 2% of the UK total, with 5m tonnes of carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere each year. Another 5m tonnes are attributed to the school run and the manufacture of school equipment and consumables.
According to the Carbon Trust, schools in the UK could save around£70 million simply by reducing energy costs. As well as saving schools money, making an effort towards cutting carbon emissions can also open up a range of funding opportunities.
The Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC), taxes a company £12 per tonne of carbon dioxide it emits, is another factor why companies in the UK need to consider using alternative low-carbon sources of energy. This tax is expected to rise to £16 per tonne in 2013 and to £30 per tonne by 2020. The result of this tax, levied at high carbon-based generation companies, will mean that the additional costs will be passed on to consumers.
The scheme will require licensed electricity suppliers e.g EDF, to pay a generation tariff to small-scale low-carbon generators e.g. businesses and schools, for electricity generated (whether or not such electricity is exported to the national grid) and an export tariff to them where such electricity is also exported to the national grid. This means that a business or school will benefit from free electricity during the day and get 12.9p per unit used, assuming the solar energy system installed is less than 250kW.
Wireless Edge Energy is the energy division of the Wireless Edge group of companies, which include Communications, Software Development, Installation, Finance, Training and Distribution
Our customers include primary and secondary schools across the UK, large construction companies and nationwide retail stores