Building more, and Building Smarter

When I was training as an engineer, from an energy generation perspective big was beautiful. Large projects were seen as complex feats of engineering and were lauded for job creation and investment into the UK economy.

Of course, we’ve accepted that a switch to renewables generation has to happen in favour of fossil fuels if we are to reach net zero. But what else needs to change? How else should we transform our energy system? Is “big” really the only way forward?

Renewable power is of course critical. However major renewables generation projects require significant investments in time and money to get off the ground. Relying on large scale power generation as a ‘silver bullet’ will not get us to net zero.?

The transition to net zero is a multifaceted problem that requires new ways of thinking and innovation. As we modernise our energy estate, the new kid on the block – small-scale technology – is changing the dynamics.?

What’s clear is that the future is green, and mainly electric. One of the largest costs related to electricity is simply transporting it from where it is generated to where it is needed. In the mid-20th century, the efficiency benefits of big power projects meant that building a network around centrally generated power made sense.?

However, the increasing effectiveness of smaller-scale technology means that there are real opportunities to create a decentralised grid. Locally generated and stored green power technologies and microgrids can fundamentally change how we produce and consume power. They also have the added benefit of providing flexibility into how we invest in net-zero, offering more options than just the big-ticket projects, and of course create local jobs across the country.??

To do this however we need to put in the effort needed to bring them forward. And even before that we need to shift the conversation and wake up to the fact that net zero can’t be achieved simply by investing in a handful of mega projects on their own. Ultimately this means we need to be open to building more at a local level too and working on ways to speed up grid connections.

I’m pleased that as part of my role I’ve had the opportunity to join new Government groups – the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero’s #energyefficiencytaskforce as well as its #netzerocouncil – to discuss the future of these challenges and opportunities.

At Siemens we’re conscious of our role in the ongoing conversation with others in the industry too, and many of our team have been at the recent Utility Week Live?to do just that. Coordination between large and small organisations and local and national government is critical to getting the UK to net zero.

Of course, delivering a smarter and more effective power distribution can’t happen overnight either. And it’s on all of us to ensure we’re being proactive as time is not on our side. Energy efficiency measures must happen alongside infrastructure transformation. Putting it simply, the fastest way to reduce the need to burn fossil fuels is to simply reduce the amount of energy society uses – both people and organisations. While it’s simple to put into words, it’s of course challenging in practice and often requires investment in digital transformation to get right.

It’s clear that we can’t continue doing the same as in years past and expect different results when it comes to how we power society.?

The scale of the electrification challenge means that big, centralised renewable generation projects are not the only game in town anymore. The transformation we need to make is deeper than that. It includes microgeneration, a new network of power across the country, and smart buildings and industrial processes that require less energy.?

Finding a way forward where everyone can be proactive, not just those involved in major projects, is going to be the key.