Improving your energy security - what does it mean to me?

"There can be no energy security while we are so dependent on fossil fuels". 

We're all seeing and feeling this first hand; energy prices are due to drop by 7% in April following the autumn budget's announcement, made before the Middle East conflict, but July could see a huge increase of 20% of more, showing just how connected we are to what's going on thousands of miles away.

Planning restrictions and regulations are often cumbersome and frustrating and this is no more evident than when considering solar PV (photovoltaics for electricity generation) and how on earth can one progress construction projects whilst waiting for grid connection dates? Despite the positive message from the Future Homes Standard, it won't be as simple as flinging a few panels onto new roofs, how are they actually going to be connected to the grid?

On top of this, whilst the message of 'moving away from fossil fuels' is admirable, whilst electricity prices are still ridiculously high, switching from gas-fired heating (which forms the bulk of the debate) to electricity-based heating is not financially viable & although ToU & off-peak tariffs combined with storage will certainly help, in the bleak midwinter the majority of buildings in the UK will use up the stored energy as quick as a flash and then have to rely on peak-rate imported electricity at an extortionate cost, regardless of its lower carbon factor. 

Like anything in life there is no one solution and a lot of what is happening is out of our hands at present, so what can we all do? We can control our energy usage; "the cheapest form of energy is the energy you don't use" is an easy mantra to stick by! As the flowers bloom and the clocks change, it is tempting to think 'nothing to worry about, heating season is almost over', however as summers get hotter and hotter, cooling demands are on the rise, especially in commercial properties which increasingly have to rely on air conditioning.

The picture here from an office in Newark is of a wall-mounted electric panel heater; it has a local timer and thermostat but in a room on the top floor that is rarely used (the lack of furniture suggested as much), with no loft insulation above, single glazed windows and solid brick walls; cheap electricity tariff or not, this is not energy efficient! (oh and the lights were left on all day regardless).

Improving your energy security starts with reducing what you use; that's the cheapest and most secure form of energy, what you don't use! However, it is inevitable that your property will still use some energy regardless of how energy conscious you are; by offsetting some with a solar PV array for example, you're taking a huge step towards total energy security. Better yet, install a battery alongside the array for periods of surplus solar generation; the battery stores the excess energy and then discharges it when there is demand that the solar panels can no longer cover (e.g. at night!).

Insulate, A-Rate, Generate. Insulation will help reduce heat loss in winter and the reverse in summer; 'A-Rating' appliances and equipment, keeping it serviced and adjusting controls will further reduce energy consumption, whilst 'Generating Your Own' could become the modern-day renewable energy equivalent to the war-time message of 'Grow Your Own'...it certainly feels apt...

#carbonzero #energyefficiency #InsulateARateGenerate