A joint approach for EDF Energy and Capula at EDIE Live 2018

We were really proud to exhibit and speak alongside Capula at EDIE Live 2018 at Birmingham NEC last week. The event connected energy and sustainability professionals from all over Europe with the information needed to make their businesses more sustainable. The top enquiries we received on the stand were about DSR, Electric Vehicles and battery solutions, so it’s clear there’s a desire in organisations to adopt and develop disruptive technologies and we can help them on their sustainability journey.

The overarching theme of the event was to look at how companies will achieve a low-carbon, resource efficient and profitable future and what support they need to get there. Edie live #Mission Possible showcased the great progress being made across five key areas related to the future of sustainable business: energy, mobility, business leadership, resources and the built environment.

And looking to the future was very much on the agenda at the event.

In his presentation, ‘A 1.5 degree world: Can we achieve it?’, Kené Umeasiegbu, Head of Environment, Tesco talked about how Tesco are meeting their climate goals using Science Based Targets (emissions goals based on the scale of reductions required to keep global warming below 2C from pre-industrial levels). He said the fundamental question that every business should be asking is not, ‘Are we doing something to tackle climate change?’ but ‘Are we doing everything to tackle climate change’? And Tesco are certainly making great strides in meeting their 1.5 degree goals, as Kene demonstrated.

Tackling climate change is high on the boardroom agenda at Tesco, but how do you get to the place where all your senior stakeholders are on board? This topic was discussed in detail on the panel, ‘Into the dragon's den: how to achieve boardroom buy-in’, Chaired by independent energy consultant Andy Clarke. The panel gave their views and tips on how to convince senior stakeholders to invest in a new energy management approach. Key takeouts included:

The importance of storytelling - Sam Hunt from SMS spoke about the importance of storytelling in getting energy up to board level. For many in the board room energy at face value is boring or may seem irrelevant– so it’s really important to align your stories with their goals and show how you can use energy to achieve other objectives (in particular productivity and sustainability).

Speak their language - said Anya Ledwith from Eshcon. The board don’t need/ want all the numbers/ technical detail. Communication is key – make sure they understand so they can then engage with their staff – appeal to what’s important to them and you’ll get them on board.

Be positive! Though it sometimes feels doom and gloom in terms of climate and political landscape, there’s really positive opportunities in changing energy behaviour. Give them the good news and they’ll want to hear more.

Driving down costs through innovative solutions - Powershift

Then we come to the positive outcomes that can be achieved through implementing energy solutions. Chris Regan from EDF Energy and David Robinson from Capula co-presented in the Energy Efficiency Theatre on the topic Technological Innovations to Drive Down Energy Usage. The presentation  gave an overview of the innovative PowerShift technology, EDF Energy and Capula’s collaboratively developed software and control solution for driving efficiency and cost savings, which is will have a significant impact following its installation at their own facilities.

Chris Regan, Head of Business Development at EDF Energy’s Innovation hub, Bluelab, said “At EDF Energy we want to be at the forefront of decentralisation of energy, supporting the UK in our ambitions for decarbonisation. Utilising the flexibility of customers through Powershift is key to the future grid mix.”
“We’re pleased to be working alongside EDF Energy to develop new technologies that support low carbon solutions and use IOT technologies to drive down energy costs,” said Mark Hardy, Managing Director. “It’s all about helping our clients manage their assets and energy usage more efficiently, which in turn reduces costs and helps them attain their sustainability targets.”

With the very difficult climate targets to reach, with the awareness of the detriment of plastic waste and the various political barriers to protecting our climate it was really positive to see so many businesses come together to showcase their innovation and ambitions for the greater good through better use of energy.

Watch this space for more stories on how we’re helping businesses make positive changes through our energy solutions, sign up to Talk Power.