Siemens alerts businesses that time is running out and they need to take action now to decarbonise.
Decarbonise Your Business
Decarbonisation is a global target in the current climate. Subsequently, there is a growing urgency for businesses to act; even at the risk of policy-driven increased operating costs, increased energy or compliance costs. Additionally, decarbonisation is not just an objective imposed by policies. With the right approach, it creates tangible business opportunities that go beyond long-term financial savings: better brand reputation, customer preference over competitors and attractiveness to investors. Industry leaders such as Google and Microsoft have paved the way; now it’s time for other businesses to follow suit.
Siemens Whitepaper
To help organisations create their own decarbonisation strategies, Siemens has published a whitepaper suggesting a range of specific steps towards carbon neutrality. These are grouped into three areas: the management side, the energy demand side and the energy supply side.
Decarbonise on the Management Side
On the management side, overarching actions include assigning responsibility to an energy specialist internally to ensure a realistic energy strategy is defined and successfully implemented. Siemens also suggests aligning energy KPIs with business KPIs and challenging the supply chain to decarbonise.
Energy Demand Side
On the energy demand side, energy savings translate into carbon savings and eventually operational expense savings. Replacing and renovating outdated equipment, implementing smart load controls and automation can all increase energy efficiency. Modern building energy management systems can even simulate the facility and how it reacts to load changes. Electrifying the transport fleet significantly reduces direct emissions, especially when combined with smart charging solutions. Organisations should also review their production processes to identify possible energy savings as a result of adjustments – such as lowering the temperature – without compromising overall process quality.
Energy Supply Side
The recommended actions on the energy supply side are designed to reduce indirect emissions from the generation of purchased energy. They include generating “green” electricity on site with low-carbon technologies like solar, wind power or bioenergy, purchasing zero-carbon electricity, as well as shifting to low-carbon heat. Deploying energy storage can enable carbon savings when used as an optimisation asset. These measures can be further enhanced with other energy elements, from a basic storage and PV installation to the holistic solution provided by microgrids.
“The success of any decarbonisation strategy will depend on a clear vision and strong commitment from the business,” explains Faye Bowser, Head of Siemens Energy Solutions. “Well-defined targets, clear commitments and a dedicated budget are key. Heightening the responsibility in a clear way up to the C-level for all aspects relating to decarbonisation, beyond just documenting the commitment, can have a significant impact in the overall success of the transition.”
