7 Pillars of Your 24/7 Renewable Energy Matching Strategy

Transitioning to 24/7 Renewable Energy: Step-by-Step

The objective of consuming energy more sustainably has led many industries and companies towards renewable energy sources.

As this field evolves, ambitions are soaring, especially towards achieving “24/7 renewable energy matching.” This goal entails matching industrial energy demand with renewable energy production around the clock. A great yet challenging endeavor towards a carbon-neutral future.

Want a small reminder on what 24/7 Renewable Energy matching means? Watch the video below.

How, then, can organizations navigate this complex transition?

Here is a detailed, seven-step strategy to consider for achieving this ambitious goal. Note that the detailed application of each step shall depend on your specific energy context.   

1. Assessment and Planning

The journey begins with a thorough assessment of your current energy context and future needs.

This phase is crucial for understanding your energy consumption patterns, infrastructure, and the feasibility of integrating renewable sources. Setting clear, measurable milestones based on this assessment is essential. They serve as benchmarks for progress, guiding the creation of a roadmap that is ambitious, achievable, and quantifiable.

2. Sourcing Renewables

With objectives tailored to your specific energy context, the focus shifts to sourcing adequate renewable energy. This goes beyond merely selecting solar or wind power. It involves a nuanced contracting effort to optimize the mix of renewable sources taking into account their additionality and geography.

Some Big Tech companies use their collective power to secure renewable energy capacities, pushing the market towards innovation while competitively sourcing capacity. 

For an innovative initiative by Google, refer to their blog: Google x Microsoft x Nucor clean energy initiative

3. Smart Management and Flexibility

Merely sourcing renewable energy may not be enough.

Advanced energy management can significantly enhance the alignment between renewable supply and demand. Through sophisticated software tools, companies can proactively adjust energy demand to coincide with the availability of renewable energy. Such flexibility is pivotal for adapting to the variability inherent in renewable energy generation.

Note that hydro as supply source can also embed significant supply flexibility.

Google exemplifies this approach by adjusting their data center operations based on renewable availability.
For more details, visit:

• Google Data Centers working with Renewable Energy
• Google's Carbon-Aware Computing
  
  

4. Storage

For companies with limited demand-side flexibility potential, in regions lacking abundant, flexible renewable supplies like hydro, the intermittent nature of sources such as solar and wind becomes a challenge.

Such a situation might necessitate storage solutions in order to make decent moves towards 24/7 renewable energy matching.

By employing systems such as batteries or thermal (heating / cooling) equivalents, energy can be stored. This ensures —to a certain extent based on the capacity— that energy needs are more consistently met with renewable sources.

5. Collaboration

The pursuit of 24/7 renewable energy should a collective journey.

Engaging in partnerships across the energy value chain—including providers, tech companies, peers and even competitors—is crucial for unlocking innovative solutions and achieving industry-wide goals. Collaborative initiatives, such as the one between Microsoft and Google, underscore the impact of united efforts in the renewable sector.

For more on their collaboration, read: Google, Microsoft, and Nucor's Partnership.

6. Monitoring

Constant monitoring of energy consumption and renewable production is indispensable. Real-time data enables smart steering of energy usage and allows to install tracking towards your matching goals.

As such, it not only ensures adherence to commitments but also opens avenues for broader optimizations in energy management.

Below a standard heat map dashboard re. renewable energy matching in the companion.energy application. It displays hour-by-the-hour what the degree of matching is between electricity demand and supply.

7. Engagement

Finally, engagement with all stakeholders—employees, customers, regulators, and the community—is essential.

This builds a culture of sustainability and fosters innovation. By championing these new and innovative practices, you can create a valuable ripple effect that extends far beyond your organization.

We discussed this 7-step framework in our webinar on hourly renewable energy matching. Watch the recording via the link below. 

Conclusion

Transitioning to 24/7 renewable energy is imperative but comes with its set of challenges.

The rewards, however, are significant and multifaceted.

Following these seven steps, companies can smoothly navigate the complexities of renewable energy adoption, positioning themselves as sustainability leaders.

It demands a unified effort, creative solutions, and a strong commitment to sustainability.

The result is a sustainable and energy-secure future, undoubtedly worth the collective journey.