Remnants of the old system clinging onto a fossil-powered world will be left as relics of a past era!

‘There is a conundrum at the heart of renewable growth: Barriers are everywhere, but growth keeps happening. The reason is that barriers are specific and local, but solutions are generic and global, hence likely to overwhelm resistance to change’.

RMI recently highlighted the exponential growth we’re about to foresee in the renewables sector as they project 15-20% growth in wind and solar generation every year for the rest of this decade! With solar clearly the cheapest source of electricity and costs of storage and other renewables still going down, the time for climate and energy initiatives to push for rapid implementation at scale TODAY has never been more opportune!

At Integrate to Zero we believe that part of this exponential growth will come from consumers and businesses who can turn their buildings, fleets and energy assets into integrated systems that generate cost savings, revenue streams and provide carbon-free electricity services to consumers and the grid.

That is why together with our partners we support deployments, policy and advice on commercial, financial and technical solutions that can help scale the integration of distributed renewable sources ‘on-site, on-road, on-grid’.

Exciting insights from our partners:

Over the past 3 months we’ve been busy with a myriad of insights as we’ve tried to answer questions such as:

-         What are the cost and GHG emissions savings opportunities when adopting integrated approaches vs. 'fit and forget’?

-         Who are the market leaders offering end-to-end services?

-         What policies exist to incentivise the integration of distributed energy systems?

-         Which financial models can help consumers overcome upfront-cost barriers?

-         Are all brands and products compatible, and what are the interoperability issues as more distributed solutions try to connect to the grid?

With the help of our partners, we’ve started unpacking these questions:

  Cornwall Insight found that in the UK integrating on-site, on-road, on-grid technologies vs. deploying them in silo (ie integrated vs. ‘Fit and Forget’) allows for a 25% reduction in electricity wholesale electricity price in 2035. They also identified top energy leaders in the UK offering integrated packages with solar, batteries, EVs, heat pumps, inverters, and FITs to clients. Report available via this link Podcast version also available here.

Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP) mapped policies around the world that facilitate DER integration. RAP’s report Integrate to zero: Policies for on-site, on-road, on-grid distributed energy resource integration dives into existing case studies from around the world and uncovers barriers for DERs and policy best practice that exist to address these.

Does my EV plug type matter? Can’t I just buy an adapter? Do I need a second-generation smart meter to export energy to the grid? Wifi, 4G Ethernet- which connection do I choose? WELL, it depends. In this new report, The Carbon Trust helped unveil the challenges and benefits behind interoperability by assessing energy assets brands, products and screening existing standards and protocols.

Energy Service Companies (ESCOs) have been instrumental in the deployment of clean technology and solutions by offering financing solutions to beneficiaries such as leasing models that can alleviate the upfront-cost burden when acquiring new technology or energy efficiency measures. BASE Foundation analysed the ESCO market in six African countries (Morocco, Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, and Rwanda) to understand the maturity and needs of this sector to provide integrated energy services. podcast version also available here.

We’re also excited to have now identified and commissioned 8 deployments of integrated and distributed systems. Stories from implementation will start flowing soon, so watch this space to hear more about the 3 deployments in Nigeria, 2 in Kenya, 1 in Rwanda, 1 in Mexico, and 1 in Senegal.

ICYMI!

London Climate Action Week

We hosted an event during London Climate Action Week in partnership with Mitie Energy and Climate Group to discuss interoperability issues in a world where energy systems are more diverse and digital connectivity raises challenges. We invited a brilliant panel to share their perspectives. We heard views from an energy supplier angle ( Stephen Lorimer from Centre for Net Zero (Octopus Energy Group) ), policy ( Louise Sunderland from Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP) ), consumers ( Oliver Bealby-Wright from Consumers International ) and climate technology expert ( Molly Webb from Energy Unlocked ).

The census was: More coordinated effort is needed to build the right policy frameworks so that regulators value DERs, consumers are protected and can make the right technology choices, aggregators play a bigger role in facilitating DERs-to-grid operation, digital communication of assets is standardised, and flexibility is incentivised.

WBCSD’s Switch programme

This May, WBCSD – World Business Council for Sustainable Development launched their new Switch programme focused on supporting multinationals adopt integrated approaches in decarbonising their operations. Switch provides access to knowledge, networks and tools to help businesses make the most of the transition to net-zero emissions.

We are pleased to be one of Switch’s partner and greatly value their leadership in driving businesses further and faster in their integrated decarbonisation journey!

That’s it from us this time! React, share and get in touch if you have insights or want to learn more about our work!

Warm wishes,

Integrate to Zero team

info@integratetozero.org