Companies that target energy saving may bask in the sunshine while we roast in the heat. Here are a few to consider.
I consider myself to be quite eco-friendly. I reckon that if I did my little bit to save the environment then maybe I can help alleviate the roasting conditions that Britain is experiencing this summer. Consequently, I try to recycle as much as I can -- I have a compost heap, and I also religiously switch off appliances when they are not in use.
However, after reading Rebecca Ash's book "The New Spend Less Revolution" I was embarrassed to discover that only 5% of the energy used by my mobile phone chargers is used to charge my phone -- the rest is wasted when I have it plugged in at the wall without a phone attached to it. Ash's book is packed with 364 other great tips to help you spend less, and I recommend it highly. But it is the wastefulness of phone chargers that caught my attention.
That led me to investigate the market for energy saving devices. For instance, Paul "The Plumber" Davidson owns the patent to the Noisy Charger that will make a horrible sound when an unused charger is left plugged in. It seems that the average mobile phone charger wastes around £25 a year. According to Davidson the device, which is yet to enter production, may generate revenues of £36,000 a day or £13m a year!
ParOS
(LSE: PARO)
is another company that is interested in helping us reduce energy consumption. The Imperial College spin-off's energy-saving technology is currently used in the automotive and process industries.
Meanwhile, Ceres Power
(LSE: CWR)
, which is another spin-out from ImperialCollege, is working with Centrica
(LSE: CNA)
to accelerate the introduction of fuel cells or Combined Heat and Power generators in British homes. According to one report, around three-quarters of UK home, or 18 million UK households, are suitable for micro-CHPs.
Sticking with heating, Inditherm's
(LSE: IDM)
technology is based on an innovative, energy-efficient polymer that is reckoned to deliver significant cost-savings. Applications include pipeline temperature management and medical blankets. The technology has also been deployed in under-soil heating, and one such contraption has been installed at Chelsea Football Club's training ground in Surrey.
Elsewhere, Kingspan
(LSE: KGP)
is interested in improving the insulation of buildings. The company reckons that it has almost single-handedly been responsible for developing the market for insulated cladding panels in the UK and Ireland. Since 2003, shares in Kingspan have risen more than eight-fold as insulation providers benefited from government directives that tightened building regulations to improve heat and energy conservation.
Some may argue that the abnormally hot conditions this summer may just be a blip. But it strikes me that the blips are becoming more frequent. In fact the hottest ten years in the UK have occurred since 1990. Is that just a coincidence, or a sign that global warming is a reality? If the latter is true, then businesses that target energy saving may continue to bask in the sunshine while we roast in the heat.
> Phew! What A Scorcher | Making Money Out Of Thin Air | Profiting From Alternative Energy
David, a graduate from Imperial College, supports Chelsea, and owns shares in Centrica.
