The future has arrived, and it’s most certainly electric – as seen in the ongoing renewables boom, rapid acceleration of sustainable transport and continual digitalization.

In this vein, industrial and commercial businesses must take progressive action in their own decarbonization journey – through a holistic, integrated approach that takes full stock of new electric technologies and the vast carbon reduction possibilities.

As the electric economy continues to emerge, we explore some of the key considerations and solutions for those seeking to ramp up their electrification goals.

Beneficial Electrification

In line with the wider market, businesses that aren’t already doing so should evolve towards ‘beneficial electrification.’ This is the process of replacing traditional fossil fuel powered solutions, such as furnaces, boilers and water heaters, with efficient electric technologies.

For best results, these electric alternatives can be paired with renewable energy sources by installing on-site renewable systems like rooftop solar panels or wind turbines. As well as helping to lower energy bills through emissions reductions and increase profitability, this approach can help businesses reduce, if not negate, their dependence on fossil fuels and natural gas at a time of continued price hikes and market volatility. Importantly too, it can drastically improve brand image as consumers and stakeholders alike continue to gravitate to more sustainable and ethical businesses.

There is also the energy storage opportunity, where operators can be much more tactical about the way they use the renewable energy they generate to reduce the cost further.

Battery energy storage solutions, for example, can enable a greater feed-in of renewables into the grid by storing excess generation to enable peak shaving, load shifting and maximization of self-consumption. If a business has recently extended its electrical infrastructure, battery storage can be used to offset the additional cost brought on by the corresponding large peak loads. These systems can also increase grid resiliency and provide critical backup power, preventing revenue losses due to production outages.

Powering Sustainable Transport

The sustainable transport transition will form an integral role in achieving carbon neutrality. The result is that EVs, while once a distant reality, are coming to the fore and are here to stay.

While this might not seem a natural concern for the industrial or commercial operator, the reality is that it offers another environmental and, in turn, financial opportunity.

It could be, for example, that the remit is to invest in an onsite charging facility for employees as part of a wider incentivization scheme designed to promote EV adoption. Or, that it is to be offered to customers to add value and foster loyalty.

Either way, introducing EV charging as part of the wider sustainability goal can bring a multitude of benefits. It can allow businesses to gain country or continent-specific environmental accreditation and boost brand reputation. More so, as more people come to own EVs, it can also ensure they remain one step ahead as both employees and customers come to expect EV charging facilities as the norm. Importantly too, EV charging points can be a source of extra revenue, whereby businesses can choose to sell electricity to EV owners within the wider public.

Power Play

But there’s more. To unlock the full benefits afforded by today’s renewables and electric technologies, it is imperative for operators to obtain a full understanding of their energy usage. They also need to regularly assess their impact and, in doing so, observe any additional savings achieved which can be used to pay for further investment.

In this vein, another eco-opportunity lies in the next generation of smart solutions, such as automation packages, which can provide the insight needed to power all types of large-scale buildings more effectively. Alongside this too though, it is important not to overlook the importance of ensuring an efficient and reliable electrical supply to power these critical innovations.

By going beyond standard specification habits and making the most of the latest generation of electrical distribution devices, operators can help ensure a consistent electrical supply and, in turn, negate the risk of overloads, short circuits and arc faults.

Mission Possible

The task of achieving electrification may appear daunting, if not near impossible – especially for highly complex industrial and commercial operators. But it can be done.

This is shown as leading businesses around the world set out on their ambitious roadmaps to achieve carbon neutrality ahead of time – with tactics that include 100 percent renewable energy, zero-to-landfill, closed-loop manufacturing, the deployment of micro-grids and more.

There is no doubt about it - the movement towards electrification is gaining speed and quickly. And with benefits that include emissions reductions, energy cost savings, additional profit opportunities, futureproofing and an improved brand image, it’s hard to see why any largescale business wouldn’t choose to make the inevitable electric transition sooner rather than later.

Surely then it’s time to join the electric revolution?