It has been well documented over the last few years that the UK is facing a shortfall in electrical generation capacity. At the end of 2015, five of the older coal power stations are due to close, to comply with European Union rules on Sulphur Dioxide emissions. This represents 10% of Britain’s power capacity. Many of the remaining Power Stations will be of an age where they will inevitably have increased costs to run and become more unreliable.

In May 2008 Blackouts hit thousands as seven power stations shut down affecting businesses, factories and homes in Cheshire, Cleveland, Lincolnshire and London, demonstrating the fragility of the UK’s power infrastructure. In September 2008 The National Grid released figures that revealed surplus capacity was only 1.5% of total consumption. It was reported in several papers that the loss of just one of the UK’s 38 largest power stations could cause breaks in supply.

There is currently no clear Government strategy on the building of new Power stations and taking into account the long planning process to be navigated, the UK is under serious risk of Blackouts within 5 years, even if serious investment is provided now.

A very brief summary of the issues are;

• Renewable Energy; The energy companies appear to be slashing spending or pulling out of On and Offshore wind farm projects, concerned with their viability due to
• consistency of supply against demand.
• Gas; This causes a dependence on fuel imports, especially from Russia and is seen as a short term solution.
• Nuclear; Attracts a very negative public perception.
• Coal; Sulphur emissions are higher than permissible under European Union rules. Even “Clean Coal” has questionable financial viability of Carbon Capture and Storage
• (CCS) Technology against Gas.

There is complacency in the UK that the availability of supplies will continue, as the National Grid has been reasonably reliable in the past. With five large Power Stations due to close, the reliability of others being questionable and the lack of a clear strategy for new Power Stations, the obvious conclusion is that Blackouts will become more commonplace in the UK over the next few years. Therefore, it is in the interest of every company to review their critical electrical requirements and plan mitigation of the risks, before unreliable supplies cause their business to suffer.

The ever increasing price of electricity also means that the power in a building should be used as efficiently as possible to keep costs to a minimum, including the fuel used by any on site generators. As Blackouts occur more frequently, the price of the electricity will inevitably increase, putting pressure on revenue lines for businesses and the building managers to minimise energy usage.

Triplex specialises in controlling power within buildings in the most efficient manner possible. We offer surveys to identify risks and single point of failure studies to enable companies to plan short and long term control measures. From a complete triplicated power control system, a SCADA package, or a reliable load shedding facility, we can help design solutions to overcome capital or logistical constraints and future proof the buildings electrical infrastructure to protect against unplanned power failures.