But Which Right Answer Should I Pick?

Choosing a low or zero carbon technology that is the right fit for your building or estate is tricky.  It used to be that there was one go-to technology option for heating.  You would install a new gas boiler and move on with your life. 

But things have changed and now you are faced with a huge range of options.  You want to make the best investment decision you possibly can, but there is a sea of potential solutions, all promising to be the answer to all of your problems.

So when there are multiple versions of right, how do you cut through all the noise to pick the rightest answer?

What’s going wrong?

We are all familiar with the Netflix Paradox of having so much content available that we scroll endlessly, unable to choose something to watch.  The principle of decisions becoming harder the more choice you have extends beyond your sofa, and also very much applies here.

It’s not just the number of choices available.  The context around each choice is also more complex than ever.  Each available technology solution requires different adaptations to your buildings or energy infrastructure, and navigation of different sets of regulations and standards.

Procurement routes are increasingly in this category, too.  The emergence of new options such as renting out your roofspace, or Energy As A Service contracts help to relieve financial pressures of large investments.  Provided you are eligible.

All of this is wrapped up in significant uncertainty about what energy systems are going to have to deal with in future.  Given the pace of change we are seeing with extreme weather, how do you know that what works for you now will still work for you in another 20 years?  You can’t control the possibility of heatwaves, droughts, or storms.  Can the systems you install now handle that?

But why?

You can’t be an expert in everything.  It’s all moving so fast that it’s impossible to keep track of all the strands of funding, emerging technologies, regulation changes, procurement routes.  But too many of the people you ask for advice have their own opinions or vested interest in promoting a particular solution.

And this is a decision that is going to have long-term consequences.  Not only are you making a decision that is right today, but it has to keep being right in years (decades!) to come.    

Is there another way to think about this?

I would argue that the best way to decide which technology to install is to stop thinking about technologies.  Any option can be made to work from a technical perspective (within reason, obviously), so what else is driving this decision? 

You have three categories to consider.  Any systems you install will have to work for the individual building, but they also have to fit into the wider jigsaw puzzle of the estate.  And buildings and estate are really only there to serve the operation of the organisation.  

Don't optimise one decision in isolation.  What else does this investment mean for your organisation in the long term?  Does it support operational priorities and future plans for estate-wide energy infrastructure? 

A sound technology investment is going to be one that still works for you in ten years and beyond.

…..Plot Twist!

Choosing a technology is not the route to a sound investment decision.

The real value lies in considering how technology can support your building, estate and operations in the long term.