Awareness of the net zero energy transition (the move from fossil fuels to renewables) has been growing in recent years. With the effects of climate change becoming increasingly visible, strong and sustained reductions in greenhouse gas emissions are needed to minimise further impact.

This isn’t a new concept for businesses, who are now increasingly recognising their role within a sustainable energy future. However, what isn’t so well known is the number and scale of opportunities available to businesses prepared to embrace this transition.

Whilst the net zero energy transition may seem daunting, it’s something that is not only achievable but can also offer financial, social and environmental benefits to those prepared to get involved early. That’s especially true now as businesses face more obvious, immediate challenges such as high, volatile energy costs and a tough economy.

However, we believe that tackling these issues and preparing for a sustainable energy future can go hand in hand. Here are four reasons why your business should embrace the energy transition:

With the right contract, businesses can already see the financial rewards in becoming more engaged with their electricity usage and the grid.

By gaining greater control over their energy usage, businesses can save on costs, and access new revenue streams by offering flexibility to the grid. In fact, through our optimisation solutions, our customers have offset up to 20% of their energy spend by allowing us to tweak their consumption, within agreed limits, in line with system needs.

These benefits will only become more apparent in the avoidance of potential fees, high energy prices or costly infrastructure upgrades as the transition continues.

As the world moves to decarbonise, businesses embracing the energy transition sooner rather than later can also put themselves in a better position to understand their own energy consumption.

By gaining this knowledge around their own operations, businesses can plan for the future. In doing so, they can ensure they adopt the low-carbon technologies most suited to their operations, alongside the tailored supply contracts to suit them. This enables businesses to work towards sustainability targets, reduce carbon emissions and meet regulatory compliance requirements.

A common misconception among businesses is that embracing the energy transition is something they can’t afford the time or money to do. But getting started doesn’t require any huge expenditure, sweeping machinery upgrades or costly staff retraining – most businesses likely already have the technology in place to start making their move to a sustainable energy system.

Energy-using assets such as HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning), electric vehicles (EVs), energy storage or heat pumps have the potential to be optimised. This means businesses can start optimising their energy usage now, and see the financial rewards for providing flexibility to the grid.

Whilst the immediate business benefits may be primarily financial, long-term, changing our approach to electricity will also benefit our society as a whole. By adopting a new mindset when it comes to consumption, we can use the electricity network more responsibly. Thinking in terms of being energy “citizens” rather than “consumers”, we can act as “good grid citizens” and take a more considered approach to consumption, using only what’s needed.

Businesses embracing the energy transition, as good grid citizens, can help ensure a reliable and affordable net zero grid for all. This brings the opportunity to gain a reputational advantage as a leader in the energy transition space. As more and more businesses begin, or accelerate, their transition journeys, they will be looking at the examples and successes of early movers for inspiration.

All these benefits, and more, are available to businesses who embrace the energy transition right now. Optimisation solutions are already available to help organisations use electricity more intelligently and sustainably, and to support the wider energy system in the UK in achieving net zero.

Download our FREE guide ‘Navigating the Net Zero energy transition and what it means for your business’ to find out more: https://www.brytenergy.co.uk/navigating-the-energy-transition/