2 minute read

Opportunity for Energy Growth

Climate: Opportunity for Energy Growth

Two important strands of our strategy to achieve our Vision and support the Island in achieving net-zero by 2050 in line with our TCFD commitments, are to put JE at the forefront of solar PV and the electric vehicle charging market, and to grow energy market share. Director of Commercial Services Peter Cadiou, who oversees the Energy Solutions team responsible for these areas, reports on progress.

The Government of Jersey’s Carbon Neutral Roadmap published in May sets a course for achieving net-zero by 2050. While not without risks, the recommendations within the report, particularly around the high-emitting sectors of heating and transport, provide huge opportunity for increasing electricity’s share of the energy market from its current 39%*. As we plan and invest to meet such challenges as converting c.20,000 fossil fuel boilers bring, we arereassuredthatthefirst£23mof Government funding from the Climate Emergency Fund is secure for the firstfouryearsoftheRoadmap.We are also actively involved supporting Government and developing workable initiatives in the heating and transport sectors.

Fuel Switches

Our Energy Solutions team, formed sevenyearsagospecificallytodevelop customer propositions to deliver growth through fuel switching, has continued to grow and strengthen its organisational capability. The New Product and Proposition team, created last year, has recruited two Product Managers and a Product Development Analyst,whileupskillingexistingstaff in programme management, business analysis, and product management. Although unit sales volumes fell slightly this year from 639m to 613m kilowatt hours, the team exceeded its internal target of domestic fuel switches for the third year running, converting 325 premises from fossil fuels and reducing their carbon emissions by around 90% per premise.Operationalefficienciesthat streamline the customer journey from initial enquiry to installations have made the fuel switch process faster and smoother than ever.

We have also made progress in the commercial and public sectors by making it easier for businesses and public sector consumers such as the Parishes, which own community buildings and housing stock, to convert from fossil fuels to low-carbon electricity. This included fuel switching ourfirstchurchfromoiltoQuartz ray heaters. By building relationships with these stakeholders and devising bespoke funding models we have been able to further reduce their carbon footprint by incorporating EV charging and solar PV installations to complement the fuel switch.

613m

Unit sales

Solar PV

Utility and Commercial scale solar PV continues to be an important focus. The Carbon Neutral Roadmap and the Bridging Island Plan support more onIsland renewables to increase energy sovereignty and we have made much progress in this area. In March, we signed an agreement toinstallourfifthcommercial-scale solar array on the roof of the Albert Bartlett potato processing plant. At 612kWp, and with over 1,500 solar panels installed, the Albert Bartlett array is the largest in the Channel Islands, surpassing those already commissioned at Woodside Farm and Jersey Dairy and will generate over half a million kWhs a year when commissioned in 2023.

During the year, we also progressed plans for a utility -scale groundmounted solar array . One 4MWp site in the Parish of St Clement is already at formal planning stage. We have reached landowner agreement for a further 3MWp site on the North coast at Sorel, and two other sites are in the development pipeline which could bring on-Island solar generation to around 15MWp.

‘…the team exceeded its internal target of domestic fuel switches for the third year running, converting 325 premises from fossil fuels and reducing their carbon emissions by around 90% per premise.’’

Total customers 52,473

+561

Total customers on discounted heating tariffs 21,918

This article is from: