There Is No Decarbonisation Without Digitalisation

The essential role of digital and data in decarbonising your business. Insights from the recent Sustainability Live conference in London, listening to speakers from Danfoss, Eon and Deloitte.

The ultimate aim is to produce less carbon dioxide for the same amount of work. As a business, how might you do this? GridDuck believes that decarbonisation starts with technology that helps you become more energy efficient. 

Danfoss: a Role Model For Energy Efficiency 

Let’s take the example of Danfoss, a Danish engineering company that pioneers energy-efficient solutions for a range of clients. It’s also a role model for how other businesses can become more energy efficient without compromising on their operations or productivity. It implemented an “energy-efficient first” principle to reach its goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2030. 

Danfoss started in 2021 by reducing the energy consumed in its buildings and its production processes. Their goal was to double their energy productivity and halve their energy intensity. Using 2007 as their baseline year, the company reached its goal nine years ahead of time. Danfoss’ energy productivity went up from 80% in 2020 to 104% in 2021. Yet their energy intensivity was 51% lower than in 2007. And this was all achieved simply by becoming more energy efficient. 

The Role of Digitalisation 

Jonas Hamann, a business process expert at Danfoss, told Sustainability magazine that a big focus for the company was targeting wasted heat. Using some of its own technology, Danfoss redistributed heat being generated from its data centres through a heat pump to other areas of its campus. 

He suggested that businesses look at their heating needs, and if there’s surplus heat, then choose to export it elsewhere.” Hamann added that refrigeration equipment, such as those you might find at a dairy farm, are often sources of wasted heat. Insulation is, of course, another way of ensuring that heat is not being wasted unnecessarily. 

GridDuck listened to Hamann speak at the Sustainability Live conference in London, where he was part of a panel discussion called “No Decarbonisation without Digitalisation”. The panel argued that, without data, a business will not have a solid case for making strategic, climate-friendly decisions. In the case of Danfoss, for instance, you need to know where you are losing heat in order to redistribute it elsewhere.

Additionally, it’s impossible to know what impact you are having without data – the hard numbers will tell you whether you’re reaching your goals and what effect it has had. The bonus is that tracking your progress will help keep your employees motivated and engaged in the process. If they feel they’re getting somewhere, they will likely keep up with climate-friendly behaviours.

Decarbonisation: What Else Is in It for Me? 

Apart from becoming more energy efficient, saving money and achieving that little goal of saving the planet, there are other reasons to start decarbonising your business. Some are less obvious than others but they include:  

Attracting and Retaining Top Talent. Increasingly, people want to work for businesses that have a purpose beyond profit. People want meaning from work and are seeking to align themselves with organisations that mirror their own values. If you’re a big polluter and aren’t demonstrating how you are adapting to climate change, this can turn many talented people away.

Attracting customers. Your customers, like your employees, will be looking to buy from businesses that are doing their bit for the planet. Eon Energy surveyed 2,000 consumers across the UK: 65% thought it was important that the goods and services they bought did not harm the environment. Moreover, 51% said the environmental credentials of a product or service are as important as the price they pay for it. 

Future-proofing your business. The reality is that we’re all going to have to decarbonise and it’s being expected of businesses small and large. Decarbonising UK industry is part of the government’s strategy for reaching net zero in 2050. The targets are ambitious: industrial emissions to be reduced by two-thirds by 2035 and by 90% by 2050. Not doing anything now will cost you more later.  

GridDuck: Our Role in Decarbonisation

We have established that in order to start on the journey towards decarbonisation, your business must become more energy-efficient. There isn’t one without the other. As energy costs spiral upwards and eat into profitability, the case for reducing energy waste is even more compelling.  

GridDuck has worked across many sectors, helping its clients to achieve energy savings and reduce their carbon emissions. We do this through an intelligent monitoring system that connects wireless sensors and clamps to a range of appliances. The data is sent to an online dashboard which allows you to see your energy consumption at a glance and automate certain functions. 

One of the sectors that stands to gain the most from this data is manufacturing. The manufacturing and construction industry accounts for 16% of all carbon emissions in the UK. We worked with Bowles and Walker Ltd, a specialist in plastic injection moulding and the manufacturer of a range of products from its base in East Anglia. 

Like many manufacturers, Bowles and Walker uses heavy industrial machinery that consumes vast amounts of energy. GridDuck installed its monitoring system to check the energy efficiency of its appliances. The data pointed to several inefficiencies. We’ve since been able to help them save £911 per annum and avoid additional costs of £20,000. 

In summary, companies need data to decarbonise and to implement strategies that will help them reach environmental targets. The potential is massive and the technology is improving all the time. 

If you would like to find out how you can start decarbonising your business, saving energy and saving money, get in touch with us. The GridDuck team is always happy to chat.