SmartestEnergy, leader in independently generated green power, has seen a 50 per cent surge in the amount of electricity it is purchasing from indie producers.
SmartestEnergy said it will have purchased more than five terawatt hours (TWh) of power over the last year to March 31, 50 per cent more than the previous year. The company is putting the record rise down to growth in the
renewable energy generation market in the UK following the recession and the introduction of incentives, such as the Feed-in Tariff.
"Over the last 12 months we have seen an increasing number of businesses, communities and landowners looking to become energy entrepreneurs to provide new income streams and reduce their own energy bills," said Mark Knights, head of Business Development for SmartestEnergy.
SmartestEnergy, which is largest trader of non-utility generated electricity, supplies power to large businesses in the half-hourly metered market, including Marks & Spencers and L’Oreal.
Renewable energy suppliers
It gets most of its electricity from renewable energy suppliers,
purchasing power from 600 independent power producers ranging from 100 kilowatt to 100 megawatt and representing technologies such as hydro, wind, biomass and anaerobic digestion. Since 2010, it has been directly responsible for 13 per cent of
renewable electricity entering the UK grid – making it the leader in independently generated green power.
Its suppliers include a 900-kilowatt community turbine on the Orkney island of Westray, the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC), which operates a test centre in the Orkney Islands for wave and tidal devices. Blue chip industrial suppliers include Atkins Power, British Sugar and Viridor Waste Management.
"The output from a large number of independent generators soon adds up to help meet the twin demands of a low carbon electricity supply and energy security, far more quickly and cost-effectively than traditional, centralised options," said Knight.
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