UK energy provision has been plunged into chaos by a perfect storm of trans-national market forces and an energy supply industry out of step with its market. These trends threatens the UK economy from consumer energy suppliers to the business community and heavy industry. Less conspicuous to date, has been the societal shift in favour of digitisation, which has seen all sectors of society, from education to ecommerce, increasingly reliant on a consistent and affordable energy supply. So how long will the current energy crisis last? And will things ever go back to ‘normal’?
Press coverage is stoking fears that a wave of energy suppliers will collapse and consequently, households and businesses will be saddled with unaffordable bills. But that is not the full extent of the problem. Along with most advanced economies. The UK is amidst a socio-economic transition to a digital and therefore, energy consuming environment. Be it IT, AV, business or entertainment. It all uses electricity and is therefore subject to the laws of supply and demand.
So what are the drivers behind the current crisis? Many and various is the answer. and we are particularly unfortunate that these factors are combining into a ‘perfect storm’.
Drivers of the energy crisis
Undoubtedly. Putin’s war in Ukraine is one of the major issues which shows no early sign of immediate resolution. As shipments of gas have turned from Europe towards China, additional flows of pipeline gas to Europe have failed to make up the shortfall. In a single day gas prices across Europe rose by another 10% after Russia’s state-backed gas company, Gazprom, refused to increase its exports to Europe – despite record-high prices across the continent. The company has met its contractual obligations for gas delivery over recent months but Gazprom has come under fierce criticism for appearing to send little extra to help meet the enormous demand in Europe.
The gas shortage is particularly bad news for the UK. Around half of the UK’s electricity is generated by burning fossil fuel in gas-fired power plants, a trend which has become more deeply entrenched over recent months after a string of problems in the UK electricity system. The UK has been slow to react to the challenge of renewables and ageing nuclear power plants have been forced to suffer unplanned outages for maintenance. A main power cable used to import electricity from France has shut down after a fire and the UK’s wind turbines have slowed during some of the least windy months since 1961.
Britain has been forced to temporarily fire up coal power stations, paying millions of pounds to the likes of Drax in North Yorkshire, to plug some of this power shortfall. That fragile system faces further challenges in the years ahead, with most of the UK’s nuclear power plants, which supply up to 20% of electricity, to close by the end of the decade. Hinkley Point C is being built to enhance nuclear energy supply but will not be available for years.
Electricity prices
The energy price cap sets out a maximum level for default energy tariffs twice a year based on the cost of supplying energy. It rose by more than 12% from 1st October and is likely to rise again next April. But the hikes will not come fast enough for dozens of small energy suppliers which don’t have deep enough pockets to survive the wait until the next cap increase.
As a major supplier of business displays and monitors, Sharp/NEC was one of the first to offer customers immediate access to information around the energy efficiency of its range of digital signage, interactive displays, dvLED and Pro TV products to customers (listed in the box below.)
Earlier this year the EU’s revised energy labelling system came into force, replacing the existing labelling (A+++, A++, A+, A, B, C and D) with a more simplified A-G measurement rating. Existing appliances with an A or A+ rating are likely now listed as G. The new A-G labels placed on Philips professional displays now feature a QR code which, when scanned using a smart phone, immediately show the information stored on the EPREL database, allowing greater transparency to customers and easier market surveillance by national authorities.
Martijn van den Woud, Head of Global Business Development and Marketing at PPDS, commented: “It’s estimated that up to 25% of products in the market do not comply with energy efficiency labelling regulations and that around 10% of potential energy savings are lost due to non-compliance. The new labelling and database will help improve understanding and coherence for customers to correctly identify and select the most efficient products.”
In the US has been far more proactive: The Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) provides ‘acquisition guidance’ for displays and monitors, a product category covered by ENERGY STAR efficiency requirements. Federal laws and requirements mandate that agencies purchase ENERGY STAR-qualified products (or FEMP-designated products) in all product categories covered by these programs and in any acquisition actions that are not specifically exempted by law.
FEMP’s acquisition guidance and associated ENERGY STAR efficiency requirements for displays and monitors are technology neutral, meaning that one technology is not favoured over another. However, ENERGY STAR’s product specification requirements are limited to computer monitors and signage displays. Products covered by other ENERGY STAR program requirements (e.g., televisions) are excluded.
Outside government, AV industry suppliers have taken independent initiatives. Samsung, for example, says that its display devices based on quantum dots have promised “greater power efficiency, brightness and colour purity than previous generations of displays.” Quantum dots are nanoscale crystals capable of emitting light of different colours. Of the three colours typically used and required for full-colour image displays blue has proven difficult to produce.
Pixels can appear almost any colour, but they are not the smallest element on your screen; they are typically made up of subpixels which are red, green and blue. The variable intensity of these subpixels gives the appearance of a single colour from a palette of billions.
Quantum dot light emitting diodes, or QD-LEDs. Displays based on QD-LEDs already exist, but the technology is still maturing, and current options have some drawbacks, specifically regarding the blue subpixels within them. Of the three primary colours, blue subpixels are the most important. Through a down-conversion process, blue light has the ability to generate green and red light. Because of this, the blue quantum dots require controlled physical parameters – more so than others. This often means blue quantum dots are highly complex and costly to produce, and their quality is a critical factor in any display. But now, a team of researchers led by the University of Tokyo’s Department of Chemistry has claimed to solve the problem.
How long will the energy crisis last?
So in the longer term, a technological fix may well be on the way. But will these be available in time? Energy market watchers say that the energy crisis will last until at least 2024. In January if this year, British Gas owner Centrica’s CEO Chris O’Shea told the BBC that “high gas prices will be here for the next 18 months to two years”. But that was even before Russia invaded Ukraine, and Europe moved away from Russian energy, which in turn prompted Russia to limit its energy supply to the continent.
This move exacerbated an already perilous situation for the UK, which had low levels of gas storage and was heavily relying on European nations who got much of their energy from Russia. With global gas supplies still unable to properly meet demand – and with Russia still at loggerheads with the international community over its illegal invasion of Ukraine – the energy crisis may well continue past 2024.
The Centre for Economics and Business Research’s deputy chairman Douglas McWilliams has said that “unless the Ukraine situation resolves itself, prices are likely to be high but falling for three or four years.” Shell CEO Ben van Beurden has wars: “It may well be that we have a number of winters where we have to somehow find solutions through efficiency savings, through rationing and a very, very quick buildout of alternatives.”
What would end the energy crisis?
Diminution of the driving factors behind the energy crisis is complicated and difficult to execute. Most are also long-term. Of those with the most immediate prospect of resolution, a Russian withdrawal from Ukraine, should result in an earlier end to the crisis. But sanctions on Russia are likely to continue for a while, as Putin’s regime has become a pariah state that must be stopped from further aggression.
In the longer term, Europe as a whole has been attempting to create an energy mix that doesn’t include Russian oil or gas. This will likely be a lengthy process, but the best route is to commit to developing renewable energy sources. This will cut reliance on Russian oil and gas, provide a way for the UK to reach net zero emissions, and help the country to achieve energy independence. Investment in solar energy, wind power, geothermal energy, and hydropower is the way to find a long-lasting solution to the crisis.
Between now and October 2024, the government needs to find a way to end or at least mitigate the crisis, or face having to freeze energy costs again – a policy that’s already set to cost the taxpayer more than £100 billion. This is where measures designed to temper energy usage are significant, even where the numbers involved might formerly have seemed relatively trivial.
Impact of the energy crisis
Greg Mack. Sales Manager, UK, Ireland and Middle East. at Vivitek described the impact of the energy crisis on his customers: “Education, leisure and the corporate sector are all impacted by the energy crisis and are likely to be so for at least the next two years, as they are particularly energy-intensive industries. Looking at premises holistically, those businesses that are based in energy-efficient smart buildings have a head start, as a combination of solar panels, PV inverters and energy management solutions provide much more control over their energy use and storage.”
“That really needs to be the starting point; while it is sensible that all electric devices can power down when not in use or are energy efficient, all of those device-related gains can be lost if the building itself is inefficient. In terms of how they’re responding to the crisis, we’re seeing more organisations hanging on to their IT and AV equipment, rather than trading up.“
“Schools for instance, had their budgets set earlier this year ahead of the energy and cost of living crisis taking hold. Their budgets are now diminishing rapidly, with many now having to decide between heating and providing meals for their pupils. That scenario has seriously impacted their ability to make new investments in any field. That’s one reason why schools – and other organisations – that purchased reliable and durable AV solutions with long warranties, are now benefitting from the investment decisions that they made ahead of the energy crisis unfolding.”
Energy saving initiatives by the AV industry
PPDS places sustainability as a ‘top business priority’ as part of a commitment to reduce waste, protect the environment and slash energy costs on Philips professional displays The company has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting and promoting sustainability in the AV industry with a strategy that is designed to help customers reduce their electronic waste and enhance their green credentials. This will see PPDS will continue to bring more energy efficient products to market, reconfiguring and reducing packaging, while providing greater access to information on energy consumption, for more educated and environmentally focused business buying decisions.
The declaration. made by Martijn van der Woude, Head of Global Business Development and Marketing at PPDS, includes extending its focus on delivering the most energy conscious products to market and bringing lower cost of ownership to customers – more relevant than ever in the ongoing global energy crisis. Van der Woude added: “Sustainability has always been of great importance to us at PPDS. We’re proud of what we have achieved to date, and we feel it is our duty and our responsibility, both to customers – who are calling for this – and to the planet, to do even more. And we encourage our competitors to do the same.”
Cross-industry collaboration
Further, he said: “Collaborating closely with our partners, we will be working hard to ensure that our existing and future Philips professional display products and solutions continue to provide best-in-class experiences, while also delivering on lowest energy consumption and reduced impacts throughout product lifecycles, including the use of recycled and recyclable materials, and the carbon neutrality of products.”
In addition to improving the energy efficiency of its digital signage, interactive displays, dvLED and Pro TV solutions, PPDS, alongside its sister organisations, TP Vision, MMD Monitors and Displays, and AOC, has already made significant strides in enhancing its green credentials throughout the display lifecycle – from manufacturing in its factories, along transportation journeys, through to its headquarters and regional sales operations. Benefiting from its unique position, manufacturing its own products in its own factories (no outsourcing) as a part of TPV, PPDS is owner of its own destiny, ensuring appropriate measures are taken throughout the entire production process, from concept to completion.
This is highlighted, as a part of its continued expansion program, with the recent opening a new manufacturing plant for its dvLED production, with the building’s design and the practices within it providing not only a quality working environment, but an environmentally conscious one, too. Products are also now contained in condensed packaging, carefully calculated to minimise resources used and to maximise the number of products able to be loaded in any one shipment.
Legislative support
Earlier this year, the EU’s revised energy labelling system came into force, replacing the existing labelling (A+++, A++, A+, A, B, C and D) with a more simplified A-G measurement rating. Existing appliances with an A or A+ rating are likely now listed as G. The new A-G labels placed on Philips professional displays now feature a QR code which, when scanned using a smart phone, immediately show the information stored on the EPREL database, allowing greater transparency to customers and easier market surveillance by national authorities.
Martijn van der Woude believes that: “It’s estimated that up to 25% of products in the market do not comply with energy efficiency labelling regulations and that around 10% of potential energy savings are lost due to non-compliance. The new labelling and database will help improve understanding and coherence for customers to correctly identify and select the most efficient products.”
He continues: “Part of the ethos announced in our rebrand statement highlighted our ‘global reach, local support’ strategy. This is hugely important on many different levels. In short, we have physical teams located across the world, which greatly reduces the travel needs for arranging meetings, sales and visiting project sites. Videocalls, rather than physical meetings are also greatly encouraged where possible and our business has been set up to support remote working. Our Philips C-Line range makes this even easier – meaning the pandemic meant no radical changes for us and allowed us to function fairly closely to normal.”
Design for sustainability
PPDS’ most recently launched solutions – most evident with its ranges of corporate (Philips C-Line), education (Philips E-Line), hospitality (Philips MediaSuite) displays, which facilitate and encourage remote working/learning/entertainment, while helping to reduce unnecessary electronic waste. Taking things further, PPDS’ new Philips DV LED range (Philips 7000 and 6000 series) which are now designed to deliver proven low energy consumption – between 20%, and, in some instances, close to 50%, when compared to similar products on the market – without compromising on performance.
In another innovation to support energy saving in displays, Avocor’s Google Meet Series One, is an all-in-one devices. launched in September 2021, to bring meeting equity to everyone, both in-person and remote. The Series One Desk 27 and Board 65 feature a sleek design that is intuitive and easy to use, including an optically bonded screen. Both devices are tilt-optimized for a natural writing angle, with anti-fingerprint glass to offer an acutely sensitive writing experience using fingers, palms, or the included passive stylus for immersive whiteboarding where everyone can easily see and contribute.
A specifically energy efficiency feature of the Google Meet board is called Idle Mode, which, has ow been adopted in a number of Avocor displays. “Our interactive touch screens are designed to flawlessly and seamlessly connect employees’ together and improve meeting productivity, whether they’re in the office or working remotely. With environmentally friendly features like power-saving mode, some of our interactive flat screens also have built-in sensors, automatically turning on when you enter the room.”
Such energy efficient features will surely be adopted in the near future by many other manufacturers, steering them towards sustainability. These technology enhancements have a longer life than the duration of the current energy crisis and mark a step on the road to true sustainability.
Will the energy crisis morph into a sustainability crisis?
Some environmentalists view the present energy crisis as a mere symptom of a deep-routed societal shift to a greener, more sustainable world. PPDS and CTouch are among the AV leaders in this respect: Van der Woude again: “Sustainability has always been of great importance to us at PPDS. We’re proud of what we have achieved to date, and we feel it is our duty and our responsibility, both to customers – who are calling for this – and to the planet, to do even more. And we encourage our competitors to do the same. Collaborating closely with our partners, we will be working hard to ensure that our existing and future Philips professional display products and solutions continue to provide best-in-class experiences, while also delivering on lowest energy consumption and reduced impacts throughout product lifecycles, including the use of recycled and recyclable materials, and the carbon neutrality of products.”
CTouch CEO and Chief Sustainability Officer Remmelt van der Woude issued a challenge to manufacturers: “CTOUCH is focused on making our touchscreens more sustainable every day. We believe this is commitment every manufacturer should be after. Our environment is all we have. If we and you don’t take care of it, who will?” Many other manufacturers will follow suit as sustainability migrates from an item on the feature list to a corporate philosophy, fundamental to product design, manufacturing and operation.
CTouch CEO and Chief Sustainability Officer Remmelt van der Woude: “CTOUCH is focused on making our touchscreens more sustainable every day. We believe this is commitment every manufacturer should be after. Our environment is all we have. If we and you don’t take care of it, who will?”Most of the UK’s nuclear power plants, which supply up to 20% of electricity, to close by the end of the decade. Hinkley Point C is being built to enhance nuclear energy supply but will not be available an estimated 11 years.
Tools and tips to reduce energy usage
As rising energy costs bite more deeply, there is plenty of advice available for businesses to help them reduce their energy bills . NEC With simple ideas such as replacing light bulbs with LEDs, to investing in a smart meter to help you be more energy aware, businesses want to take control of their energy usage. The risk of energy shortages as a result of geo-political threats further adds to the need to reduce usage in order to safeguard supplies. Here are some AV specific suggestions from Sharp/NEC.
Five tips for reducing power consumption
Most professional devices feature ECO modes and functionality such as automatic timers and smart sensors which are recommended to use. Different product groups will have different functionality but all with the aim of reducing power consumption and lengthening the life cycle. Not all these tips are so obvious however, so look out for some perhaps lesser-known ideas!
- Operate in ECO Mode
Sharp/NEC desktop monitors, large format displays and projectors all feature ECO Modes, designed to optimise energy consumption during operation. Intelligent Power Management features and Auto-standby Mode ensure the device is only switched on when a source is connected. Inbuilt scheduling functionality avoids unnecessary operating time by automatically powering down at a pre-set time.
These tools are available and Sharp/NEC encourages its customers to make full use of them as they audit and action energy reduction. All Sharp/NEC displays are shipped in an energy-saving pre-set because, in general, the end user rarely makes any adjustment to the factory setting.
- Activate sensor technology
Motion sensors, such as the NEC Human Presence Sensor, detect movement around the device to trigger an action. Built into Sharp/NEC desktop monitors and an optional feature on its large format displays, when the user, or passer-by, is detected within the sensor area, the display automatically powers-up to increase the brightness. By minimising power usage when there’s no one in the vicinity, significant energy savings can be made. Businesses can save over 30% of their CO2 consumption by using this feature.
Similarly, brightness sensors adapt the display brightness to the ambient light conditions ensuring eye pleasing readability of content and optimised power usage.
- Shut down when not in use
Almost all electrical appliances consume energy even when in standby mode. Both LED and LCD technologies are mature enough to be shut down every day thus reducing unnecessary power usage. It is important however to be mindful of the inrush current when an LED device is switched on which can overload components. By regulating the switch-on process with the use of a switch-on controller, individual LED modules will start up sequentially to mitigate power spikes. This investment is small compared to running the overall system 24/7 unnecessarily.
- Choose your content wisely
Even if a complete shutdown is not possible, running your LED device without content could also reduce the energy draw. The influence of the content on the energy balance is often underestimated. By using a black background instead of a bright background for your LED display, the power consumption drops by up to 50 percent. Furthermore, blue LEDs consume the least amount of power so content using predominantly blue rather than red or green is preferable.
- Remote management and control
Digital signage screens, media players and other devices should be continuously monitored and actively controlled. A software solution for remote control is one of the most efficient ways to operate a display network. With the NEC NaViSet Administrator 2 software, for example, automated switch-on and switch-off times can be defined, minimising unnecessary power usage when devices are not in use. NaViSet can be used to monitor and report on usage and power saving functions across all connected devices helping organisations to quantify their carbon footprint.
