The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers’ (Cibse) annual lecture last night (7 November 2012) gave Alistair Buchanan, Ofgem’s chief executive, a chance to review the UK’s rapidly changing energy supply landscape. Maintaining energy security of final supply was emerging as a key issue. It could offer new opportunities for the energy demand side to play a key future role.
In his lecture ‘How secure is Great Britain’s electricity and gas supply over the next decade?’ Alistair Buchanan looked at the complexity of energy supply and planning for the future, he touched on existing resources and the potential of shale gas, which has helped the US move towards self sufficiency, from a European-wide and UK perspective.
Cibse resident David Fisk, who is also a non-executive director of Ofgem, welcomed Alistair Buchanan’s lecture as an opportunity to take a new look at the energy security landscape from the demand side perspective. After the serious domestic and international fuel supply uncertainties of the 1970’s had faded from memory, the demand side may have become too complacent. In a new world of imported gas and reluctant overseas investment in power plant we could be missing opportunities in the way we manage our demand that would improve security and make the economy more competitive at the same time.
David Fisk commented energy security was central to ongoing work in both mature and emerging economies but the current situation in the UK brought the issue into sharp focus, with Ofgem estimating by 2015/16 there will be just a 4% margin in UK installed capacity.
In the UK buildings consume a little over 40% of our energy. Energy efficiency has a role not only in saving the planet but keeping the lights on, he said. Cibse’s own published guidance suggests that it is feasible to reduce this by around one fifth by simple, low-cost measures and improved energy management. Winners of the Cibse Building Performance Awards often exceed this performance.
The Annual Building Performance Awards reward buildings where outstanding actual (rather than planned) performance has been achieved, through innovation and best practice throughout the building’s lifecycle. The shortlist for the 2013 Awards, to be held on 5 February 2013, will be released on 16 November 2012.
The annual lecture can be viewed as a webcast at www.cibse.org/annuallecture
