Green Energy

Green energy choices for business

What is Green Energy?

Green Energy is generated by renewable, non-carbon methods, typically from wind power, solar PV, hydroelectric and biogas. Recent years have seen impressive increases in the efficiency of renewables, particularly solar and wind, which are now cheaper than the equivalent carbon based generation from fossil fuels. Correspondingly, costs have fallen. now challenging natural gas.

With so much investment and so many technological advances it is now easier and cheaper than ever to choose renewable energy as your chosen fuel source for business premises, and the rapidly increasing deployment is forecast to drive green electricity prices lower still.

With the forecast proliferation of electric vehicles, we are going to need a corresponding increase in reliable power along and major grid reinforcement. New and cheaper storage batteries are addressing these issues along with other emerging technologies.

Why should your business Go Green?

With green business energy prices becoming more affordable, or even on a par with carbon based generation, perhaps the question should be why should you not go green?

The Increasing effects of climate change reinforce the importance of cutting carbon emissions, and with the range of renewable energy offerings continually increasing, businesses have the opportunity to play their part.

Are you moving into new business premises? If so, consider choosing renewable energy as a first step on your sustainable energy journey. It's more important than ever for your business to demonstrate its commitment to the environment.

Green Energy for Business

As one of an ever-increasing number of businesses concerned about climate change and who recognise the urgency of cutting carbon emissions in your business, you will find it easier than ever to obtain fully renewable business energy tariffs.

However, before making any quick decisions you should understand what your options are. If you simply want ‘green’ branding for your business but are not too concerned about where the ‘green’ component comes from, then you have a wide selection. However, if you also want to be sure that your supplier uses renewable gas and electricity, matched against fully certificated UK renewable energy sources, then you should check the specifics.

GREEN ELECTRICITY

Green Electricity?

Where do you find a truly 100% renewable business energy supplier?

Touchstone works with a selected range of fully certificated renewable business energy suppliers and can help your business obtain renewable Green Energy backed by REGO certificates.

Choose your business Renewable Energy supplier:

100% green and sustainable energy tariffs

Quick and Easy - Call us Now or Request a Callback

GREEN GAS (Biogas)

Green Business Gas (Biogas)

What is Biogas?

Biogas is produced from renewable energy sources including agricultural materials, along with food and water waste. By using biogas, you help lower greenhouse gasses.

How is Biogas created?

Biogas can be harvested by anaerobic digesters, which is a truly sustainable process. The digesters break down (digest) a wide variety of raw materials. Most existing biogas plants in the UK use biodegradable matter such as:

Biogas production though growing, is still not widely available. This results in a significant price premium compared with Liquid Natural Gas (LNG), the carbon based alternative. It has a very low carbon footprint as it is harvested from gases released during natural processes. All our biogas is produced in the UK and by choosing a green gas tariff you are supporting UK production and jobs. With your support, production can increase, resulting in a corresponding reduction in costs and tariffs.

Who is Biogas suitable for?

Our business Biogas offering is 100% renewable and produced from sources such as agricultural materials, along with food waste and wastewater treatment. It’s fully backed by Renewable Gas Guarantees of Origin (RGGOs).

Does your energy supplier offer your business Renewable Gas? If not, call us or request a callback for a quote now.

Our Biogas Suppliers

The facts about Green Energy

Renewable Electricity (REGOS)

For every 1 MWh of renewable electricity generated in the UK by solar, wind or other renewable energy sources, OFGEM (the energy regulator), issues a REGO (Renewable Energy Guarantee of Origin) certificate. The company that generates this electricity then makes money in one of 2 ways.

They can sell it directly to energy suppliers with large customers that don’t want or need accompanying REGO certification. In these instances, it means there are surplus REGO certificates available for sale which generators can sell to other suppliers. These suppliers can brand some of their electricity as Green by using these certificates, although they are not generating or buying renewable electricity themselves.

The widespread availability of secondary REGOs provides suppliers with the opportunity to ‘greenwash’ their offering, when in fact they are supplying brown (non-renewable) electricity.

The ideal therefore is to find suppliers who buy or generate green business energy along with matching REGO certificates. Preferably, this should be electricity generated in the UK thus supporting the UK renewables industry.

However, the important thing is that as a business consumer, by choosing renewable energy, you are sending a message to energy suppliers and the government that you are concerned about where your electricity and gas is coming from.

With so much investment and so many advances it is now easier and cheaper than ever to adopt renewable power as your chosen fuel source.

Sources of Green Electricity

Types of renewable electricity sources:

Wind Power: Wind turbines have developed and grown over the years and these massive turbines are incredibly efficient. They are installed in locations known for their constant, strong winds, such as the North Sea.
Solar Power: Increasingly cost-efficient, solar panels are installed throughout the UK. Solar capacity in has tripled since 2014 and is now approaching 13 Gigawatts.
Hydroelectric Power: Electricity is produced by turbines placed in dams. The UK has relatively little hydroelectric power at around 5.7 gigawatts.
Biomass: Large scale Biomass plants typically use wood from trees to power turbines. There is some conjecture as to how green this is.
Wave Power: Has the potential to generate significant amounts of energy. However, the technology is still developing and remains to be proven.
Geothermal Power: Harvested from deep boreholes in locations with high subterranean temperatures, geothermal power is not readily available in locations where large amounts of energy is needed.
Tidal Power: Could be the answer to generating huge amounts of power. It is highly predictable and governed by tidal ebbs and flows.

According to the Department for Business Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Renewable energy’s share of electricity generation increased to 29.9% in 2020 Q2 from 23.6% for the same period the previous year. The share in 2020 Q2 is the second highest share on renewable generation on record.

The Down Sides of Green Electricity

The one big problem with most of the current renewable energy sources is intermittency. No country can afford to rely on renewable energy to power businesses and homes if the sun doesn’t shine and the wind doesn’t blow. Thankfully, this issue is being addressed by the recent developments in battery energy storage and grid management which have improved grid resilience. Lithium-ion battery prices have declined 85% since 2010 making commercial energy storage, at grid, business and home levels, an increasingly attractive solution.

GREEN GAS

What are RGGOs?

The Renewable Gas Guarantees of Origin (RGGO) certifies that the gas comes from a renewable source. One RGGOs certificate is issued for every 1kilowatt hour (kWh) of Biogas that has been produced and injected into the grid by these accredited sites. Each RGGO is labelled electronically with a unique identifier. This identifier contains information about where, when and how it was produced. When consumers buy biogas the RGGO is their guarantee that the gas is authentic and has not been sold to any-one else.

As a Biogas customer, you’ll get your gas through the national grid as normal, and we will ensure that each kWh of your gas consumption is matched to a RGGO.

By purchasing Biogas, supported by RGGO accreditation, your organisation is making a commitment to renewable energy. Using it results in lower greenhouse gas emissions than the gas derived from fossil fuels that it replaces. It can also help you differentiate your business from competitors.

Can I Generate My Own Energy?

Absolutely! You can generate your own energy for your business.

A significant change is occurring in the UK energy sector as many businesses consider the benefits of on-site, self-generation as a means of reducing their costs.

Take IKEA for example. It now owns more wind turbines than stores, across 29 countries, Countless tech and manufacturing businesses are installing solar PV and storage batteries. Another example, Hamerton Zoo in the UK, uses onsite wind, solar PV and biomass to produce on-site power. It also generates an income as it sends excess power back to the network.

In a recent survey, almost 70% of selected manufacturers stated they are considering self-generation to reduce their costs, increase their resilience and enhance their environmental credentials.

What are the benefits of self-generation?

Long-term energy costs become more predictable, with significant cost benefits when compared against comparable market prices. With UK wholesale electricity prices some of the highest in Europe, businesses view self-generation as a logical and cost-effective response.

On-site generation.

Today, more businesses than ever are generating their own energy. New technologies and increased efficiencies are accelerating this trend, providing increasing opportunities to produce heat and electricity on business premises.

CHP (Combined Heat and Power)

Produces electricity and hot water at the same time.

Heat, Hot water, and Steam:

Electricity

Find out about Solar PV here: Commercial Solar Panels.

Investigate self-generation using low-carbon gas to Generate Electricity.

Find out about Combined Heat and Power (CHP).

How can my business become greener?

Buying Green energy is a great first step, but there are many more things your organisation can do to reduce your carbon footprint and your costs. Understanding when, where and why you use your energy is the first step on your green energy journey. Find out more here…