OnGen was an exhibitor for the first time at the EMEX 2022 event in London during one of the most pivotal times for the energy sector. EMEX is the Net Zero and Energy Management Exhibition for professionals who want to build a low-carbon, energy-efficient and sustainable future for their company. The event creates a platform for a variety of industry experts to come together to discuss sustainable Net Zero solutions and strategies. EMEX was an opportunity for OnGen to show how we can help organisations to reduce their carbon emissions to reach their carbon reduction goals/net zero and increase their savings in the currently volatile energy market. OnGen does this by assessing the feasibility of onsite renewables.
There was a diverse range of companies both in attendance and exhibiting at the event, and OnGen was delighted to speak with some of our current clients including Brook Green, Tower Hamlets, ESS Utility Consultants, and JLL. Some of the exhibitors included Equans, ClearVUE.business, Clarke Energy, Edina, and Honeywell.
Exhibitors were offering a variety of net zero solutions and technologies including heat pumps, air compression, artificial intelligence, waste reduction technology, carbon management, and the use of big data in combination with innovative technological solutions.
There were 4 theaters within the event, which hosted talks throughout the day for attendees. The OnGen team attended presentations and panel discussions to engage with the key issues being raised at EMEX, some takeaway points can be found below.
Talk 1 – Day 1, 11 am: Home working emissions
Matteo Deidda of Lloyds Banking Group and Darren Sear of Standard Chartered Bank delivered this talk. They highlighted the need for the measurement and carbon reporting of home working emissions, especially since the spike in home working during and after the covid pandemic. The best approach for measuring home working emissions is forming both a quantitative and qualitative approach; this will include information such as the hours that you work from home, the usual commuting distance from your home to work, and what desk setup you have at home (e.g., computer, monitors, and printers). By having this information, companies can start the process of decarbonising on a domestic scale for individual employees.
OnGen is currently in the process of reporting its carbon emissions and is hoping to adopt a similar process to reduce home working emissions.
Talk 2 – Day 1, 12:30 pm: Utilising big data and energy management systems to develop a successful carbon emissions reporting roadmap
This talk was delivered by Dan Smith of ClearVUE.Business. He highlighted the imperative use of big data, influencing people to push the net zero agenda, and having a multi-disciplinary team on board.
To push for a company to establish and execute a net zero strategy, a board-level appetite must be present. The first step to creating a roadmap to net zero is establishing the baseline; what emissions (e.g., scope 1 and 2), and how many of those emissions are you aiming to reduce? The second step is to produce a strategy development plan; intermediate steps are key to reaching net zero and this should include pulling sustainable policies together. The third step is creating a programme development roadmap which is the timeline for each goal you want to achieve. The fourth step is when the company helps the customer to apply the programme development roadmap to their net zero plans.
Big data is a key part of the roadmap to net zero. It is crucial to use granular data when analysing energy usage for a site; spikes in usage may occur between readings. If there is no high-resolution data available, then this will reduce the accuracy of any interpretations made from the data provided. A system where meters automatically upload readings to a centralised database will mean data is readily available.
The OnGen Expert uses granular data in its software to perform site analyses, producing accurate financial breakdowns of each feasible onsite renewable technology.
Talk 3 – Day 2, 2:30 pm: Net Zero – the defence approach
Lieutenant General (Retd) Richard Nugee of the Ministry of Defence (MOD) hosted this talk. He outlined the approach that the MOD is taking in the efforts to reach net zero. In the UK, the MOD covers ~400,000 hectares in its estates and therefore has enormous potential to reduce its carbon emissions. The Army is committing to installing 80 solar farms which will guarantee the security of energy in such uncertain times with the reliance on energy resources from foreign bodies. As well as this, the generation of onsite renewable energy will save money in the long term, allowing for the re-investment into new defence assets. The installation of onsite renewables has the potential to be deployed over much of the MODs estates and the cumulative cost savings would be immense. OnGen has experience working with large public sector bodies; we have previously secured a contract with the Ministry of Justice.
Everyone at EMEX shared a common goal for their organisation which is to reduce their carbon consumption, whilst saving costs on their energy bills. By the end of Day 2, OnGen had spoken with several different people from a variety of sectors, and we are looking forward to following up with them and providing a demonstration of our software. Did you miss us at EMEX this year and want to find out more about OnGen? Please get in touch by emailing us at sales@ongen.co.uk.
