Business-to-business energy supplier Opus Energy has found that British businesses are increasingly becoming more interested in generating renewable energy from their own premises.
A third of those businesses surveyed, around 39% compared to 32% in 2011, expect to install renewable technologies such as solar panels, wind turbines, hydro power and anaerobic digestion. Around half (48%) would like to be generating renewable energy within the next two years. A sixth (15%) are already generating renewable power, compared to just 6% in 2011. Those business owners aged 55 or over are among the most enthusiastic, with 20% of them generating renewable energy on the premises
Opus Energy has also experienced a growing level of interest from companies signing up to the company’s renewable Power Purchase Agreements (PPA’s) which enable businesses excess power to be supplied to its customers thereby generating extra income and boosting their corporate social responsibility credentials. Businesses cited self-sufficient energy supply, generation of additional income and ‘doing their bit’ to tackle climate change as the three main benefits of installing renewable energy.
The company also signed its 500th renewable generator agreement in December 2012 with recent signings including Knockain Farm in Scotland where a 330KW wind turbine generates enough power for 37 small-to-medium businesses for a year. All of this power is sold on to Opus Energy. Another signing in 2012 was the Port of Milford haven which has installed solar PV on 13 of its sites including the flagship 100.8KW Phoenix Power PV station which is the largest integrated solar PV system in Wales. It was installed on the roof of a tenpin bowling centre.
“It is great to see companies warming up to the idea of powering their businesses by generating their own renewable energy” said Charlie Crossley Cooke, Managing Director of Opus Energy. “The Opus Energy renewables team looks forward to working with companies to help them realise the extra revenue and benefits that they can gain from entering the renewables market.”
The businesses taking part in the survey said that government grants or subsidies, proof of ability to generate income and penalties for lack of renewable generation capacity would be among the main factors that would encourage businesses to install renewable power systems, with most businesses favouring income potential.
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