You've got the power (2024)

25 Jun 2024

Customers are moving away from buying electrons towards generating their own. And DCC’s energy management businesses are here to guide them

“The energy world is changing,” says Diane Abrahams, Managing Director Europe of Wewise, a brand DCC Energy launched in January 2024. “Renewable energy is constantly becoming more price competitive. But this on its own doesn’t make pivoting to smarter, cleaner energy easier. The commercial and industrial companies we speak to tell us they find it challenging to integrate new energy technologies into their operations.”

Energy management usually focuses on solar and also covers heat pumps, combined heat and power solutions and, increasingly, digital optimisation. Businesses say they struggle with piecing it all together. “That’s where we can help,” says Diane. “With our energy management service they get a trusted partner to help them look at the whole picture. They hear about their options in a way that’s simple to understand. And they gain clarity on how quickly they’ll get payback on their investment.”

DCC has spent the past three years building its energy management capabilities. French solar energy experts Soltea and Solewa were first to join DCC Energy in May 2021. Since then, DCC’s acquisitions have accelerated across Europe in both solar and energy management.

Wewise brings DCC Energy’s commercial and industrial energy management services businesses together under one umbrella brand, while keeping regional brands and local market knowledge in place. The two initial acquisitions are now joined by 15 others to form the Wewise network.

For me, turning the energy your own roof receives every day from the sun into electricity with a simple, well-established technology is an obvious thing to do.

Wewise thinks globally, acts locallyCustomers get a comprehensive, end-to-end energy management service relevant to their location. This starts with establishing their unique goals and continues with the creation of a solution tailored to them. It’s a complete package, from design and installation to finance options, maintenance and ongoing energy management.

“As a solar PV customer, you own your power generation. So you want to know when to store it. When to buy energy from the grid. And when to sell it back to the grid or to your neighbours in an energy community,” says Diane. “Working with Wewise experts in your region, you get advice that works for you.”

“This can range from what equipment to install to where to put sub-meters to make energy usage in different parts of your building visible so you can start managing it,” Diane says. “Everything is considered, right down to smart EV chargers for maximum efficiency in getting green electrons from your solar panels into your fleet’s batteries.”

Upfront costs can be a barrier to companies making the switch to solar power. So customers in France, the UK and Ireland will be able to pay in instalments from this summer.

“We call it Solar as a Service. It's solar asset financing for our customers who could afford to install solar panels, but who would rather invest capex in their own core activities,” says Diane.

How does energy management work in practice?
It’s not a one-size-fits-all scenario. Energy management solutions vary according to context, size of business and customer priorities. Diane gives three examples to show how varied these can be.

• Techrete: saving money and making strides towards ambitious sustainability goals

“Irish company Techrete makes prefab concrete products for the construction industry in the UK and Ireland. It has committed to achieving net zero in its products and facilities by 2030,” says Diane.

DCC Energy business AEI installed 320kW PV (840 x 380W panels) in September 2021, which generated 259,000kWh of power in two years. This allowed Techrete to make a saving of €100,000 on their operating costs and move closer towards their net zero target.

AEI offers a kWh production guarantee which means if a customer’s system yields less than estimated, they get cashback for every missed kWh. “That gives them stability, reliability and peace of mind,” says Diane.

• Energy redistribution made easy for Zoomalia, a retailer of pet products with 36 stores across France

Wewise founder member Soltea installed 4,000 sq m of PV panels on the roof of Zoomalia’s new warehouse to create an 800kW solar PV system. The system deliberately produces power beyond the needs of the site. As Diane explains: “The warehouse uses 30 per cent of electricity generated and the rest is fed into the grid, with Zoomalia stores around the country receiving an equivalent reduction on their energy bills in return.”

• Big savings and faster-than-expected payback on investment for SSS

SSS Industrial Doors manufactures fire and security products in the north of England. DCC Energy business Centreco installed a 30kW solar PV system. As a manufacturing business with a high electricity usage, SSS consumes 90 per cent of the power it generates on site, leading to savings of 42 per cent on its annual electricity costs and six tons of carbon annually.

“The initial estimate was for payback within just over four years. With the recent spike in energy costs the payback period has now been reduced to around two years,” says Diane.

Techrete

Zoomalia

SSS Industrial Doors

Reducing the speed of climate change with renewables
“The Wewise network is expanding. We now have 17 members; by the end of this year we’ll be a pan-European network,” says Diane.

She’s fired up about doing something positive to reduce the speed of climate change. “The energy transition is a unique opportunity,” she says. “It’s not just about helping our customers to have more reliable, more sustainable, more affordable energy. We’re also doing our bit towards a renewables-based society with a more circular model.”

And with that, by making the most of clean, abundant, free energy from the sun, DCC energy management services are creating a brighter future for everyone.

References
* DCC survey of 1,000 business leaders about their plans for the energy transition
** International Energy Agency estimates