Lowering electricity costs?
Discussion
Let's say I had a small business which runs in the background from home, but I'm looking to scale up into an actual business. The only thing holding me back is the electricity demands. Current domestic rates are capped at 0.25kWh. I can stomach a few hundred quid a month extra, but scaling up to 1-2MW per day starts adding up. Assuming you can't cut electricity usage, how would you cut the cost of electricity? Can businesses get deals for high consumption?
fasimew said:
Can businesses get deals for high consumption?
I think you can get a deal to use off peak electricity and to immediately shed load when requested by the supplier.The electricity supplier might need to make special arrangements to supply 2 MW.
Edited by Actual on Wednesday 17th April 17:09
So 700MW per year? So 700,000kWh Say 20p plus fixed and pass through costs about £150,000 or so
No special deals, that's by no means a large supply for commercial premises, but the more you buy through a single meter the lower the cost. You might get some for demand side response if you can reduce usage at peak times.
Happen to be tendering a similar size supply tomorrow so will be able to give a more accurate current cost tomorrow.
Best you could do is invest in solar panels for roof of premises, look at energy monitoring systems to check for wasted energy, get more efficient machines etc etc. What is it that is using the energy mainly?
No special deals, that's by no means a large supply for commercial premises, but the more you buy through a single meter the lower the cost. You might get some for demand side response if you can reduce usage at peak times.
Happen to be tendering a similar size supply tomorrow so will be able to give a more accurate current cost tomorrow.
Best you could do is invest in solar panels for roof of premises, look at energy monitoring systems to check for wasted energy, get more efficient machines etc etc. What is it that is using the energy mainly?
Mr Overheads said:
...Best you could do is invest in solar panels for roof of premises,...
solar on roof is expensive to install. currently the panels are cheap and fitting cost is high, so install in the car park or build fences out of panels. not as productive but much cheaper up front costs.Currently there is no premesis to speak of, other than my garage. There will be no load shedding or off peak hours.
I have worked on a 4MW solar installation, where a PPA contract was used. This meant that a DNO bought the power produced for a length of time at a specified rate. I don't know if such an agreement can be had as a consumer?
I have a meeting pencilled in with a renewable energy expert to discuss ideas. A suggestion that's been made is to sell the heat produced to offset the consumption.
I have worked on a 4MW solar installation, where a PPA contract was used. This meant that a DNO bought the power produced for a length of time at a specified rate. I don't know if such an agreement can be had as a consumer?
I have a meeting pencilled in with a renewable energy expert to discuss ideas. A suggestion that's been made is to sell the heat produced to offset the consumption.
Edited by fasimew on Wednesday 17th April 17:41
fasimew said:
Let's say I had a small business which runs in the background from home, but I'm looking to scale up into an actual business. The only thing holding me back is the electricity demands. Current domestic rates are capped at 0.25kWh. I can stomach a few hundred quid a month extra, but scaling up to 1-2MW per day starts adding up. Assuming you can't cut electricity usage, how would you cut the cost of electricity? Can businesses get deals for high consumption?
Are you looking to still run this from home?Your home electric supply, if standard, would be woefully inadequate to cope with that level of use. Most home incomers are either 80A or 100A. As a rough guide that gives you a maximum loading of either 18kW or 23 kW. 24 hours at maximum use is either 441kWh or 552kWh. this is nowhere near your 1-2 mWh.
To cope with that level of demand you are looking at a commercial 3-phase supply.
MustangGT said:
fasimew said:
Let's say I had a small business which runs in the background from home, but I'm looking to scale up into an actual business. The only thing holding me back is the electricity demands. Current domestic rates are capped at 0.25kWh. I can stomach a few hundred quid a month extra, but scaling up to 1-2MW per day starts adding up. Assuming you can't cut electricity usage, how would you cut the cost of electricity? Can businesses get deals for high consumption?
Are you looking to still run this from home?Your home electric supply, if standard, would be woefully inadequate to cope with that level of use. Most home incomers are either 80A or 100A. As a rough guide that gives you a maximum loading of either 18kW or 23 kW. 24 hours at maximum use is either 441kWh or 552kWh. this is nowhere near your 1-2 mWh.
To cope with that level of demand you are looking at a commercial 3-phase supply.
fasimew said:
Thank you both for the insight, but that's quite obvious to anyone with a modicum of knowledge.
As is the solution. Run extension cables from your neighbours' houses. Plug on both ends of each cable, then plug them all into one of those extension boards. Voila. You'll have a 240V 500A supply at domestic rates for the price of a few extension cables and a few bottles of sherry to thank the neighbours. Obviously you'd want to check that all your neighbours are on the same phase as you, just to be safe.I've just googled that. Sounds like complete snake oil... Lowers your voltage to reduce electricity consumption? The fack is that about? A load will take as much current as it needs. You lower the voltage, the current demand goes up. Where's the saving?
Now if you were talking PFC, yeah that's actually useful.
Now if you were talking PFC, yeah that's actually useful.
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