Businesses concerned about rising energy costs can harness tailored solutions to address their energy usage while simultaneously making the shift to decarbonisation.
That’s the message from Bord Gáis Energy, which is combining local experience and specialised solar capability with Centrica’s global expertise and investment. The goal is to help Irish businesses navigate this period of uncertainty with pragmatic energy solutions.
Research carried out to mark the launch of Bord Gáis Energy’s dedicated business division suggests that the current rollercoaster of energy prices, caused by ongoing geopolitical instability, is preventing businesses from making necessary energy upgrades. Its Power Paradox survey of 125 organisations suggests 69 per cent of businesses are delaying these decisions while they await greater certainty.
“What we are seeing is that our customers may want to transition to a more sustainable energy model, but equally they’re up against more and more cost pressures,” explains Shane Minehane, director of business with Bord Gáis Energy.
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Historically, energy was simply viewed as just another cost of doing business. But with energy shocks now an almost regular occurrence, businesses are beginning to understand that their energy consumption is directly linked to their success as a company.
The transition to renewables is also proving difficult for Irish companies to navigate – the survey also found that some 22 per cent of Irish businesses admit they are unlikely to meet their decarbonisation targets.
This is where Bord Gáis Energy is stepping in. “We are evolving from simply being the energy supplier of choice to the energy partner of choice,” Minehane says. “We don’t just want to sell you kilowatt hours. It’s actually a new mindset of, how can I save you? And how can I allow you to take control of that?”
Their approach is to combine energy supply, services and solutions. This integrated approach, he says, helps businesses balance cost, carbon reduction and resilience. “Business owners are not expected to be experts in energy solutions – they are experts in their own business,” he says. “Some larger organisations may have the in-house resources to support them. But I would say for the vast majority, having that support to help them through it is a challenge.”
Bord Gáis Energy offers solutions that are tailored to suit individual businesses of all sizes – from SMEs to large multinationals. “It’s about giving them a clear roadmap, that isn’t just one incentive or one initiative,” Minehane says. “Some of that will be what they can do on site within their consumption, some of it might be how they procure energy on the market, some of it might be renewables, but it’s looking at the whole picture for them and putting together an affordable and achievable roadmap.” Leveraging SEAI grants is also key to ensure that any energy upgrades are as cost effective as possible for a business.
“What we do is find the sweet spot of the solution that will meet their needs,” Minehane says. “We say, ‘Listen, we understand you want to reduce carbon, and we want to reduce your reliance on the grid, because when you reduce that, you reduce the price exposure, but you need to do it in a cost-efficient manner’.”
A realistic energy plan for a business should ensure not only immediate savings on energy costs, but also contribute significantly towards its eventual decarbonisation. “We have tried and tested solutions, we’ve case studies with businesses, we’ve shown where we’ve done it before,” Minehane says. “It’s coming from a trusted brand like Bord Gáis Energy that’s been around for 50 years and will be around for the next 50 years and more, helping our customers.”
One example is that of award-winning Irish chocolatier Lily O’Brien’s, a long-standing customer of Bord Gáis Energy, who recently availed of a bespoke energy strategy. This included the installation of a 170kWp ground-mounted solar PV system at its production facility in Newbridge, Co Kildare. The system is expected to generate approximately 140,000kWh of renewable electricity annually, reducing both energy costs and carbon emissions.
Another client is a large national hospital. With a large, complex site, their energy strategy involved a host of energy efficiency measures, including the deployment of a combined heat and power system, upgrades to heating and building management systems, and the replacement of more than 5,000 lights. The programme has been an unmitigated success, delivering a 70 per cent reduction in reliance on grid-supplied electricity, a 20 per cent reduction in electrical consumption and a 26 per cent reduction in carbon consumption. This is not only helping the hospital reduce costs, but also strengthening its operational resilience and accelerating progress towards its sustainability goals.
“Now they’re saving over €1 million per annum as a result of this strategy, and that’s a considerable part of their energy bill they don’t need to worry about,” he says. “The dichotomy is, as energy prices go up, that saving increases.”
Bord Gáis Energy and Centrica recently announced an investment of €1 billion in the infrastructure, innovation and expertise needed to support Ireland’s economic growth and energy transition. Yet, it’s almost an understatement to say the energy transition brings challenges as well as opportunities for businesses.
Bord Gáis Energy’s role is to remove the guesswork and leverage their expertise and that of Centrica to ensure Irish businesses have the best energy plan for them throughout turbulent times and beyond.
“We operate across all businesses in Ireland, the full span from very small hairdressers all the way through to large multinationals,” Minehane says. “And we want to help all of them with their own solution that resonates with them, one that they can understand and digest and also one that’s fully implementable.”
