Becoming a sustainable business is important now more than ever and one of the easiest ways to improve your carbon footprint is to look at your businesses energy efficiency. Choosing renewable energy sources and green energy for your company premises will not only reduce your environmental impact, but it can also save your business money in the long run.
Here we go into detail about some of the renewable energy sources available for businesses, how they work and the benefits they bring. Get in touch if you have any questions or would like advice about how best to make your business more green.
Renewable energy for businesses
There are a variety of different ways that you can incorporate renewable energy into your business, whether you’re the business owner or a member of staff tasked with reducing energy consumption, energy bills in the long term, or both. From solar panels to wind power, there’s options for all types of business to move away from fossil fuels as an energy source.
Solar energy
Solar panels are the most commonly known forms of renewable energy, and because they are so popular, they are a relatively affordable form of renewable energy for your company. They use solar power – light and heat from the sun – to generate renewable heat and electricity.
There are two types of solar panel available:
- Solar PV
- Solar Thermal
Solar PV panels
Solar PV panels refers to the standard solar panels you usually see on peoples homes and businesses. They generate electricity from the heat of the sun and can be used to power your home or business. If you signed up to the government solar panel scheme, any extra electricity generated can be sold back to the national grid, where you can receive money back.
Solar Thermal
Solar Thermal energy works in a similar way by using the heat from the sun but instead of generating electricity, this power is used to heat the water stored in your hot water tank. This allows you to heat your company premises and have hot water through the taps.
Although in the UK the weather can be unpredictable, solar panels are able to store energy and electricity generated from solar power and store it for use even on the cloudiest, wettest days. As a form of business energy, it can be quite reliable.
Air source and ground source heat pumps
Air source heat pumps and ground source heat pumps work in a similar way to each other, they extract heat and use this to heat your building and generate hot water.
Air source heat pumps extract heat from the air around it, whereas a ground source heat pump extracts heat from the ground.
Although temperatures can change throughout the year, air source heat pumps can generate heat from air temperatures as low as 20 degrees. Both types of heat pump have 100% energy efficiency and generate no waste at all.
Wind power
Wind turbines use wind to generate electricity and can be a really efficient way to generate an energy supply for your business. However, a wind turbine may not be suitable for all businesses, as they require a lot of land in order to be installed.
Whether you have the room to create a whole wind farm, or just have space for one wind turbine, you can generate a lot of wind energy just by installing a few turbines.
Hydroelectric power
Another alternative energy source for your business is hydroelectric power. This uses running water to generate business electricity. Using flowing water as the energy source, the water runs through the hydroelectric generator and creates electricity to be used in your business premises.
This type of green energy is site specific, as the flowing water needs to be nearby in order to be used by your business.
Biomass boiler
Biomass boilers are the next step in green energy sources. Not only will they ensure your business is fully heated, they also don’t use harmful fossil fuels such as oil and gas to do so. They use things such as wood pellets and logs to burn and generate heat and energy that will keep your business premises warm.
Things to consider when choosing renewable energy
If you like the sound of some of the green energy options above, then there are a couple of things you need to think about before taking action to ensure you’re choosing the right options for your business.
- Planning permission – some business buildings require planning permission as alterations may be needed on your building. Ensure you check with the right local authorities that you’re able to install renewable energy sources onto your business building.
- Expert advice – before making any decisions about renewable energy, speak to a business energy expert to ensure you’re making the right decision for your business. They’ll be able to give you advice, update you about the latest advances in renewable energy and even source local companies to install the best renewable energy for your business.
- Your energy usage – understand the energy that you require to run your business effectively and efficiently; this will help your company and your experts build a plan for installing renewable energy.
Falcon Energy is proud to be experts when it comes to all things renewable energy. We’re able to work with you to ensure you’re choosing the right renewable sources and are saving on your energy costs and reducing your carbon emissions at the same time. This include providing expert advice on solar panels and installing air source heat pumps, so can work with you throughout the whole process, giving you peace of mind.
Why switch to green technology?
The main benefit in switching to green sources and using renewable energy is the significant reduction in carbon emissions, helping towards tackling climate change and saving the environment. Whilst it may not seem like your business’s contribution to this will make much of a difference, even the smallest changes in habits can really impact your carbon footprint.
Alongside helping with carbon reduction, your business can actually benefit, as energy efficient measures and renewable energy can really reduce your energy bills, leading you to saving money over the long term. As well as this, the government offers a range of grants and schemes that actually give you cash back on extra energy generated.
Renewable energy options for businesses
If you’d like to find out more about the renewable technology available for your business, give our expert team a call on 01403 253439. We’re proud to work across Sussex, Surrey and London and have helped a range of businesses invest in renewable energy and reduce their carbon footprint.