Renewables & Energy Strategy

 Not every business has the same sustainability objectives or budget.

Some organisations may prioritise renewable electricity across their entire portfolio.

Others may want to understand the additional cost before making a decision.

Orbital can help compare:

• Renewable and conventional electricity options
• Contract lengths
• Estimated annual costs
• Supplier offerings
• Sustainability objectives
• Existing energy strategy

We will explain the available options so you can decide what is commercially and environmentally appropriate for your organisation.

There is no one-size-fits-all answer.

Businesses with suitable premises may be able to generate some of their own electricity through technologies such as solar PV.

For customers considering on-site generation, Orbital can help review how this may interact with your existing electricity arrangements.

This may include looking at:

• Current electricity consumption
• Half-hourly usage where available
• Existing energy contracts
• Import electricity requirements
• Metering requirements
• Export arrangements
• Supplier requirements
• Potential future energy needs

Where specialist design, installation, engineering or certification is required, this work must be completed by appropriately qualified providers.

Orbital's role is to help ensure your renewable generation and utility arrangements are considered together rather than as completely separate projects.

Where eligible renewable generation exports electricity back to the network, an export arrangement may be available.

For certain small-scale renewable installations, this can include the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG).

The SEG requires participating electricity suppliers to offer payments for eligible low-carbon electricity exported to the grid, subject to the relevant eligibility requirements and supplier terms.

Export rates and contract terms can vary between suppliers.

Orbital can help customers understand their existing import and export arrangements and, where appropriate, investigate available options.

This may include:

• Identifying the existing electricity supplier
• Reviewing export metering
• Understanding import and export arrangements
• Supplier liaison
• Reviewing available export information
• Helping coordinate utility requirements around renewable generation

Renewable energy becomes more complicated when an organisation operates across several locations.

Different properties may have:

• Different suppliers
• Different energy contracts
• Different contract end dates
• Different consumption levels
• Different metering arrangements
• Different suitability for on-site generation

Orbital can help build a clearer picture of the entire portfolio before renewable energy decisions are made.

We can help review:

• Site-by-site consumption
• Current electricity contracts
• Contract end dates
• Renewable electricity opportunities
• High-consumption locations
• Existing solar generation
• Import and export arrangements
• Future procurement opportunities

This allows renewable decisions to form part of a wider property and multi-site utility strategy.

Renewable electricity should not be considered separately from the wider commercial energy contract.

When reviewing a new electricity contract, Orbital can compare available options based on factors including:

• Price
• Contract length
• Supplier
• Renewable credentials
• Consumption
• Budget requirements
• Future plans
• Multi-site requirements

Where renewable options are available, we can present them alongside other suitable contract options so you can understand any difference in cost and terms before making a decision.

 Terms such as green energy, renewable electricity and 100% renewable electricity can be used in different ways by energy suppliers.

Where supporting renewable evidence is available, we can help explain the information supplied with the product.

In Great Britain, Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin (REGOs) are certificates used to demonstrate electricity generation from eligible renewable sources.

One REGO represents one megawatt hour of eligible renewable electricity generation.

When comparing renewable contracts, customers should look at the overall product, supplier information and available supporting evidence rather than relying solely on the product name.

Renewable energy is only one part of managing a business's utilities.

A wider energy strategy may also consider:

Business Energy Procurement

Utility & Account Management

Property & Multi-Site Utility Management

Consumption & Capacity Management

Energy Compliance

Metering & Site Works

This can help ensure sustainability decisions also make sense from an operational and commercial perspective.