Energy expert roots for corporate hybrid solutions

Local mobile service providers Etisalat and du could save in excess of two million gallons of diesel fuel per annum each, if they adopt hybrid solutions that focus on energy saving.

While presenting a seminar today on "Hybrid Energy - Expensive Myth or Cost Effective Eco-Friendly Solution" at the ongoing Middle East Electricity (MEE) fair in Dubai, the Chief Executive of Lister Petter Bryan Draper said companies have invested heavily into metering electricity consumption, but little thought has gone into the massive standalone power industry.

This, Draper says, costs such companies unnecessary sums of money, not to mention the cost of equipment depreciation and servicing.

Top innovator of power solutions - Lister Petter - has been conducting development work and research at their head office in Dubai's Silicon Oasis in an effort to provide new ideas for clean, rugged and reliable energy-saving products.

At the MEE fair, the company is promoting its new line-up of latest engine models that offer hybrid solutions.

"Our latest inventions are particularly relevant in areas where diesel and gas rather than mains electricity are used to provide short- and medium-term power solutions," said Draper.

He added: "We are continuously playing an important role in contribution to the UAE government's strategy to increase the efficiency of energy consumption."

Hybrid systems, like the name implies, combine two or more modes of electricity generation together, usually using renewable technologies such as solar photo voltaic (PV) and wind turbines.

They provide a high level of energy security through the mix of generation methods and incorporate a storage system, including battery, fuel cell or small fossil-fuelled generator to ensure maximum supply reliability and security.

The GCC, where construction continues to be on the upswing despite the global recession, would benefit much from the hybrid systems, Draper suggested.

"Although the waste level where a hybrid solution becomes viable is as low as 15 per cent, the construction sector has an average waste of 30 per cent and in telecoms up to 75 per cent," the executive added.

The global warming campaign has also been elevated over recent times to such a high level that many organisations are fighting to reduce the carbon emissions produced by fossil fuel.

"In the emerging world markets such as Africa, South Asia and South America the reliability and availability of energy from a central source or grid is virtually nonexistent. Operators have been forced to provide power from diesel generators as alternative sources, such as solar and wind power, are too expensive and difficult to deploy," he said.

In conjunction with a number of other power system manufacturers and suppliers, Lister Petter has researched and developed solutions to the power problem that is both cost effective and beneficial to the environment, Draper said.

"A typical generator set runs at a fixed speed, generating a specific level of power. This has to be set at the maximum level required by the application and as a result when the generator is run consistently there is an immediate power wastage which is never utilised and lost," he explains.

Supported by the UAE Ministry of Energy, the 35th MEE exhibition that started on Tuesday comes to a close tomorrow. All sectors of the energy industry are comprehensively covered, with focus areas being water, lighting, new and renewable and nuclear energy.