Erda Energy Driving Emissions Reductions Beyond National Averages
Since 2011, the UK’s national grid has steadily reduced its carbon intensity or the amount of carbon released per unit of energy, according to government figures, emissions have dropped by over 60% thanks to the increased adoption of renewable energy sources and the phase-out of fossil fuels. However, Erda Energy’s geo-exchange systems have consistently outperformed this national trend, providing an even more significant reduction in emissions for sites adopting the technology.
Fig. 1: Reduction of carbon emissions for Erda systems and UK grid
Note: UK national grid figures were taken from the National Statistics publication Digest of UK Energy Statistics (DUKES) produced by the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero (DESNZ).
Performance over time
As shown in Figure 1, the emissions from Erda-operated sites have dropped by over 90% on average since 2011 or the base year where its value is 100%, compared to the UK grid’s 60% reduction over the same period. This divergence highlights the value of pairing Erda’s geo-exchange systems with a progressively greener grid. The green line, representing Erda sites, showcases a sharper and more consistent downward trend than the black line for the UK grid.
Year-on-year improvements
Figure 2 & 3 breaks down the annual emission reductions for both Erda and the UK grid. While the grid saw steady year on year decreases from 2013 onwards, Erda’s systems delivered substantial carbon savings when it was installed in 2013, when emissions of the site dropped by over 30% in its first year of installation. Following this initial impact, Erda has continued to make continual, incremental improvements with their Aftercare service, with smaller but steady annual improvements, even in years when grid reductions slowed. This proactive optimisation has kept Erda ahead of the curve.
Fig. 2 & 3: Progression of carbon reduction since 2011
Outperforming the grid
In Figure 4, we see a direct comparison of Erda’s performance relative to the UK grid. The green bars show that Erda’s systems consistently outperform the grid in carbon emission percentage reductions year after year. Notably, from 2020 onwards, Erda’s annual reductions became increasingly pronounced as the systems adapted to evolving site requirements and benefitted from ongoing grid decarbonisation. Thanks to Erda’s aftercare work consistently lowering energy needs of the site by 2023 the site reduced carbon emissions by 30% in addition to the UK grid reduction.
Fig. 4 : Erda exceeding / subceeding the UK grid
The future of decarbonised heating
These results show the potential for Erda’s geo-exchange systems to complement the UK’s renewable energy transition. By aligning site level heating and cooling systems with the decarbonising grid and with Erda’s aftercare service continually improving carbon emissions, Erda is enabling its clients to stay ahead of their carbon reduction goals. As the grid moves closer to 100% renewables, Erda’s systems are poised to deliver heating and cooling that is not just low carbon but entirely net zero.