Energy World January 2016

Our main theme this issue is on the demand side of the energy equation – energy management. The first article argues that businesses need to link their energy purchasing efforts with those to cut consumption in one overall strategy – even in times of falling wholesale energy costs, at least in the UK. 

Further articles describe the ‘culture’ of energy management in an industrial setting and how this can be extended to all employees. We also look at the enormous scope for new technology to cut energy used by lighting, both indoors and to illuminate our streets. The last article examines how ‘smarter grids’ are having an effect; specifically through software used by utilities and consumers alike to manage demand response programmes, mainly in the US.

In the second theme we cover careers in the energy industry – the prospects for both young and experienced people to work in the growing renewables industry and the wider low carbon economy; and the changing, increasingly diverse role for energy managers.

We always include a news section for both the UK and internationally – we just had time to get a report on the COP21 climate change conference onto page 3.