Cut Your Emissions

Office emissions can be reduced by improving insulation and installing efficient lighting, hot water and air conditioning systems. Emissions can be reduced further by installing solar PV generation and battery storage systems. Emissions reductions can be maximized by choosing which offices to improve and by controlling when energy is consumed from the grid.

How battery storage can cut GHG

Electricity can be imported from the grid and stored in batteries for later use. Batteries can also be used to store excess electricity from solar PV generation. Batteries can be charged with low carbon electricity – with the stored electricity being used when grid carbon intensity is high. This reduces the overall Greenhouse Gas Emissions of electricity consumed.

Where does office electricity come from?

  • The electricity comes from a range of generators in Britain and may include imported electricity from Europe.

  • Some generators will emit greenhouse gases as they burn fuels such as coal, gas and oil. The level of greenhouse gas emissions from electricity varies as the mixture of generators change.

  • The level of emissions depends on where the office is located and when electricity is used because of the varying mix of generators.

  • Electricity usually causes GHG emissions – even when it is supplied under a 100% renewable energy contract.

offices
Large buildings in Chicago
The North Sea Link cable provides low carbon electricity from Norway to North East England
The North Sea Link cable provides low carbon electricity from Norway to North East England

Reducing electricity GHG Emissions using battery storage

Battery Efficiency 95%
Battery Cycle (days) 0.75
Battery Cycle (30 min time slots) 36
Nominal charging period (30 min time slots) 6
Battery Capacity (kWh) 1000
Number of charge/discharge cycles per year (nominal) 486.7
Total electricity charged to battery per year (kWh) 486,666
Utilisation Factor (nominal) 65%
Average Carbon Intensity with no battery – London 2022 (gCO2/kWh) 202.6
Average Carbon Intensity with battery – London 2022 (gCO2/kWh) 160.7
Average Carbon Intensity reduction due to battery (gCO2/kWh) 41.9
Average Carbon Intensity reduction due to battery (percent) 20.7%
Annual Greenhouse Gase Saving (kilogrammes of Carbon Dioxide) 13,246

Regional Carbon Intensity

Emissions vary from region to region because the electricity generation mix varies. For example in 2021 the average Carbon Intensity of electricity supplied in Birmingham was 222 whilst in Glasgow it was 81% less, being just 42.

Regional Optimization

  • Making buildings more energy efficient will always reduce emissions.

  • Switching from fossil fuels to efficient electric heating and air conditioning is likely to reduce emissions significantly.

  • Emissions will be reduced more in some regions than in others.

  • In 2021 Scotland had the greatest benefit from switching to electric heating whilst South Wales had least.

  • The chart below shows how regional CO2 intensity from electricity use varied in 2021.

Regional Average Carbon Intensity 2021

Energy Storage System, Pullman, Washington – United States
Energy Storage System, Pullman, Washington – United States

Daily Carbon Intensity Variations

Carbon emissions from electricity are heavily dependent on when electricity is used. Changing time of consumption by a few hours can massively reduce emissions. Weekly and monthly variations can be much bigger than daily variations. A half-hourly carbon intensity forecast allows emissions to be minimized.

Our Services

  • Assessment and Certification of Scope 2 Greenhouse Gas Emissions due to electricity consumption.

  • Location Evaluation – Choosing the best locations to convert to efficient electric heating so as to minimize GHG emissions.

  • Load and Battery Storage Switching Service using our Emissions Control Platform – to enable Scope 2 Emissions reductions.

  • Research, Analysis and Consultancy to help you minimize Scope 2 Greenhouse Gas Emissions.

London Oct 21 at 20:00

London Oct 21 at 02:30

Moving consumption from 20:00 to 02:30 reduces GHG emissions by 85%

Read our White Paper

Halving Business Scope 2 Greenhouse Gas Emissions by managing Carbon Intensity

Benefits for Data Centres

According to the International Energy Agency, more than 1% of the world’s electricity is used to power data centres.

  • We help businesses understand and assess their current carbon emissions from electricity used in their data centres.

  • We can develop a strategy for reducing these emissions whilst ensuring the facilities operate effectively.

Take a look at how we could also help:

> Distribution Centres
> Electric Vehicles

Data Centres

Benefits for Electric Vehicles

Emissions from fleets of vehicles can be cut by choosing where to deploy EVs and when to charge them.

  • Emissions can be reduced by around 23% per year by avoiding charging when carbon intensity is high and charging when it is low.

  • We have a cloud-based emissions control platform which can be used to optimize charging and minimize emissions.

Take a look at how we could also help:

> Distribution Centres
> Data Centres

Clean Power lab

Benefits for Distribution Centres

A typical large Distribution Centre will consume around 3,000,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity each year causing around 500 tonnes of Carbon Dioxide emissions.

  • We help businesses understand and assess their current carbon emissions from electricity used in their distribution centres.

  • We can develop a strategy for reducing these emissions whilst ensuring the facilities operate effectively.

Take a look at how we could also help:

> Data Centres
> Electric Vehicles

Distribution centre

Solving the industries biggest problems

Clean Power Lab founder Mike Watson has been helping deliver carbon-free electricity since 1990 through his work at Nuclear Electric and as owner of Pager Power which helps developers with planning permission for wind and solar farms.

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