Renewable energy remains at the forefront of both businesses and individuals’ minds on a daily basis. With the cost of living crisis remaining to be a major concern and global targets to meet net zero looming, the majority of people are looking for ways to harness clean energy.
We’ve caught up with Duncan Booth, Managing Director of ORKA, to find out more about renewable energy and why now is the perfect time to make that switch.
“Having been interested in renewable sources for a number of years, it was actually COP26 in Glasgow that really made me consider how I can help others get a better understanding of this technology, and make it more accessible across Scotland. With that in mind, ORKA launched in 2021, offering renewable energy solutions to help businesses and domestic clients lower their carbon emissions and save money.
“It remains apparent however, that people are hesitant to make the switch and instead adopting a ‘worry about it later’ mindset, when really, right now is the best time to take the leap and make that initial investment, and it’s for the reasons below…”
1. We’re in the middle of a cost of living crisis AND a climate crisis
“It’s not a question of ‘if’ your business will need to invest in renewables, it’s ‘when’. The time is now for organisations to take on this investment as the energy crisis continues to affect everyone around us and sadly, these soaring costs are completely out of our control.
“Furthermore, businesses cannot continue to ignore the climate crisis and their role within it. The CSR and environmental efforts of organisations are becoming a more prominent factor in the buying behaviour of customers, meaning this is the perfect time for business owners to ask themselves if they are doing all they can to be sustainable and how are they contributing to Scotland’s net zero ambitions.
“By adopting cleaner solutions into your operations, you’ll reduce the impact of exorbitant energy prices while increasing the appeal of your business to the conscious consumer.”
2. It’s a risk free investment
“Cleaner solutions, such as solar energy, are one of the few significant business investments where you’ll get your money back. Consider a high-cost expenditure like an office refurbishment - this may boost morale amongst your employees and make your premises more appealing, but you’ll never see a monetary gain from doing this.
“Now compare this to a solar energy system - according to The Renewable Energy Hub, businesses can typically make back their initial investment within roughly 10 and then after this period you’ll have another 10 plus years of cost-free electricity.
“Of course there are multiple factors that will determine when you start to see an ROI such as the sum of the initial investment and the size of the solar panel installation, but there’s a 100% guarantee that you will make your money back.
“Additionally, it’s worth noting that there’s been a decrease in installation costs. According to The Eco Experts, the cost of installing this eco-friendly solution in both domestic and commercial instances has decreased as much as 82% over the last 10 years. This can be attributed to an overall increase in production and updated manufacturing techniques - these innovations allow manufacturers to save money, and in turn sell these panels at a lower cost.
“Solar energy will always be a long-term investment, but the length of time to make back your money has significantly shortened, so I’m advising people to really consider this now as demand is increasing and it will only continue to grow as we get closer to net zero.”
3. Emissions reporting is becoming more and more prominent
“There is of course the external pressure from governing bodies that requires businesses to reconsider their operating processes. An example of this is the Greenhouse Gas Reporting (GHG) that is required from large organisations within the UK, which records the energy usage and emissions produced by your business and gives an understanding of how you are contributing to climate change, and is a lot more technical than you may think.
“GHG Reporting covers the emissions that a business makes directly - but also indirectly. This means the emissions associated with your business, for example, from the suppliers that you collaborate with. I’ve seen first-hand on tender opportunities that customers and businesses alike are now more conscious of who they chose to associate with, sometimes assigning a contract to the organisation with the best green credentials to support their own targets.”
4. Petrol and diesel vehicles will soon be redundant
“The UK government is committed to stopping the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030, while new hybrid car sales will be stopped by 2035. Legislation like this increases the need for EV charging points which will become more of a requirement for both staff and visitors to your building in the future.
“The increase in popularity of electric vehicles can also be attributed to their cheaper ownership costs. According to EDF Energy, electric cars require less maintenance costs over the course of their lifetime and generally have lower running costs than a petrol or diesel vehicle.
“A major hindrance for people transitioning to an electric car is because there is concern around accessibility of charge points. If your business makes this a priority, you’re not only aiding your sustainability initiatives, but you're appealing to your employees’ expectations too."
