16 BusIness AUGUST 2019
Spotlight
FROM PAGE 15
businesses that the tech they use can
have an environmental impact, he
replied: “Climate change is recognised
as a business-critical challenge by
forward thinking organisations.
“Top priority is reducing energy
consumption and moving to lower
carbon energy sources.
“Tech has the power to provide
innovative environmental solutions, as
evidenced by my own company, which
uses advanced technologies to help
businesses improve energy
sustainability.
“The flip side is that the tech sector is
also a major user of environmental
resources, particularly energy.
“For example, the cloud-based
digitisation of tech requires energy
intensive data centres to meet fast
growing demand.”
Manchester technology and cloud
hosting firm UKFast has placed a
premium on reducing its emissions for
more than a decade.
Earlier this year, it also announced its
commitment to meeting stringent
emissions targets under the
government’s Climate Change
Agreement (CCA) for data centres,
administered by techUK.
The move reflects the energy
efficiency of the firm’s data centres and
the business’ decade-long commitment
to reducing emissions.
UKFast was the first carbon neutral
hosting company in Britain, having
achieved the PAS 2060 carbon
neutrality specification in 2010,
contributing to a number of
hydropower renewable energy
schemes, which reduce greenhouse gas
emissions by displacing power from
higher-emission fossil fuel sources on
the regional electric grid.
While UKFast recognises that web
hosting is an energy-intensive industry,
it maintains that well-planned layouts
and engineering in data centres
ensures minimal wastage.
UKFast chief executive Lawrence
Jones explained: “There’s no denying
how power-hungry the hosting
industry is, which is why it is our
responsibility to ensure that it has the
lowest possible impact on the
environment.
“As a tech community it’s incredibly
important that we take a responsible
and pro-active approach to energy
usage.
“We are committed to reducing our
emissions and buying all of our energy
from renewable sources.
“We are also investing in new
technologies and efficient systems
across UKFast and delivering greater
energy efficiency is a key part of our
roadmap for the coming years.
“Our data centres are designed to be
as efficient as possible, and we
continue to embrace emerging
technology to increase that efficiency
year on year.“Our newest data centre, MaNOC 8,
is our greenest data centre yet, with
super-efficient UPS, AC power supply
and generators. All of the lighting in
the facility is LED, which uses
significantly less energy.”
The ongoing reporting process for
the CCA sees UKFast continually
submit energy usage metrics to
techUK.
While Manchester-headquartered
tech companies like UKFast are
actively looking to reduce their own
carbon emissions while simultaneously
helping others to reduce theirs, what
steps can businesses take of their own
accord to improve their green
credentials?
Hopkins added: “The good
news is that by minimising their
environmental impact,
businesses can also
reduce costs, improve
operational
efficiency, increase
business resilience
and boost their
brand reputation.”
Centrica
Business Solutions
recommends a
six-step approach to
improving energy
sustainability:●●1 Uncover intelligent
energy insights you can act on by
using advanced software analytics and
audit methodologies to monitor energy
infrastructure – right down to device
level.
●●2 Optimise your operations by usingthese insights to get more from your
energy using devices and processes.
●●3 Improve energy efficiency by using
energy efficient technologies, such as
LED lighting, advanced heating and
cooling solutions and energy control
systems.
●●4 Become an energy producer by
generating your own low carbon, low
cost energy using onsite generation
technologies such as high efficiency
Combined Heat and Power (CHP), or
solar panels. Make use of batteries to
store energy and further increase
flexibility and sustainability.
●●5 Unlock more value from your
energy assets by using spare electrical
capacity to participate in Demand Side
Response (DSR) schemes. DSR is
where energy users change their
electricity consumption patterns in
response to an incentive from the
network operator. These schemes
support grid stability and
decarbonisation, while earning
revenue and achieving energy savings.
●●6 Put your energy plan into action,
ideally as a coordinated package,
which can often be funded by suppliers
via the ongoing energy savings.Hopkins envisages an “innovative
future” for green tech businesses
nationally – and expects Greater
Manchester to be at the heart of this
revolution.
He explained: “The carbon challenge
is driving new innovation in
distributed energy technologies that
enable businesses to manage, produce
and store their own low carbon energy.
“These solutions are now more
affordable for growing numbers of
businesses, who are already using
Internet of Things (IoT) technologies to
take a more intelligent approach to
energy optimisation.
“We’ve established Centrica
Innovations to identify, incubate and
accelerate new technologies
and innovations.
“We’re live-testing
blockchain technology
to explore how
communities can
use flexible
demand, low
carbon generation
and zero
emissions battery
storage in a fully
decentralised local
market place.
“Battery storage
technologies will
become more widely
deployed, particularly with
the growth of the electric vehicle
sector.
“We’re seeing excellent cost and
carbon reduction results from
combining batteries with solar to
create hybrid renewable systems.Ian Hopkins
Director
Centrica
Business
SolutionsAs a tech community it’s
incredibly important that
we take a responsible and
pro-active approach to
energy usage
UKFast chief executive
Lawrence JonesClaire Scott, an environmental business
advisor at GC Business Growth Hub