From festivals and outdoor gigs, to the residential construction projects we urgently need to fill the housing gap, Britain’s clean energy future depends on more than decarbonising the grid.
The UK’s energy transition is gathering pace. Provisional government figures show UK greenhouse gas emissions fell by 2% in 2025 and are now 54% lower than 1990 levels. Renewables generated a record 53% of the UK’s electricity in 2025, marking the second year in a row that more than half of generation came from renewable sources.
However, continued progress will depend on more than national energy infrastructure alone. For sectors that rely on temporary power, including construction, events and infrastructure, there is a growing need to reduce the environmental impact of power on-site. That means moving beyond cleaner fuels or newer equipment alone, and looking more closely at how power is being used in real time.
The future of temporary power will depend on accurate data, early identification of inefficiencies, and systems designed around actual site demand. By reducing wasted fuel, cutting unnecessary generator runtime and designing lower-emission, lower-noise solutions from the outset, the sector can play a practical role in supporting the UK’s net zero ambitions.
Why accurate data is becoming central to temporary power decarbonisation
One of the biggest challenges in temporary power is generator oversizing. Equipment is often selected conservatively to ensure enough capacity is available, particularly on complex or high-pressure sites where power failure is not an option. While this approach can provide reassurance, it can also mean generators run inefficiently for long periods, consuming more fuel than necessary and creating avoidable emissions.
Historically, these inefficiencies have been difficult to identify because many sites have lacked detailed visibility of live generator performance, load profiles and fuel consumption. Without accurate data, decisions are often based on assumptions rather than evidence.
Telemetry and remote monitoring are changing this. At CES Power, we recently developed an improved telemetry system designed to give customers clearer visibility of generator performance, fuel use, tank levels, load profiles and abnormal operating patterns. It also allows our teams to identify potential issues before they affect site operations.
This type of reporting is becoming increasingly important as Environmental, Social and Governance scrutiny grows across construction, infrastructure and public-facing projects. Customers are no longer simply asking what equipment is being used. Increasingly, they need evidence that temporary power systems are operating efficiently and that sustainability claims are backed by robust data.
Accurate reporting can also create immediate operational improvements. Recently, while remotely monitoring a customer’s generator performance, we identified that a unit was operating significantly below its optimal load range. By recommending a move from a 60kVA generator to a 40kVA generator, the customer reduced fuel consumption by approximately 330 litres per week, resulting in a 903kg reduction in CO2 emissions.
This shift from estimated sustainability reporting to evidence-based reporting will be critical. If the sector is to support net zero ambitions, customers need transparent, accurate data that shows not just what power equipment is on site, but how efficiently it is being used.
How battery storage is reducing carbon, noise and local disruption
Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) are also playing a growing role in reducing the environmental impact of temporary power. However, their value is not simply in replacing one piece of equipment with another. The greatest impact comes when battery technology is integrated into a wider site power strategy, supported by careful specification, generator management and remote monitoring.
At CES Power, we have seen this approach deliver significant operational and environmental improvements across a range of sectors. For example, on one backlot film production, CES Power supported a customer that needed continuous 24/7 power across stage areas, workshop spaces and accommodation units, alongside heating and cooling to keep production teams safe and comfortable, and ensure the show could go on. By reviewing energy usage inline with customer requirements, we recommended scaling down the original 500kVA Stage V generator to a more efficient hybrid system, combining two 150kVA Stage V Whisper Quiet generators operating on a load-on-demand basis, with a BESS unit.
By redesigning the system around the site’s actual requirements, the customer received the power and temperature control they needed while saving 538 generator runtime hours, reducing fuel use by 15,062 litres, cutting carbon emissions by 49,000kg and delivering commercial savings of more than £24,852.
Battery systems deliver the greatest impact when they are specified around real site demand, rather than treated as a like-for-like equipment swap.
The benefits also extend beyond carbon reduction. Reducing generator runtime can significantly cut noise and air pollution, both of which are important considerations for sites operating close to homes, schools, hospitals, as well as other environmentally sensitive locations.
Why collaboration will define the next phase of low-carbon temporary power
Technology alone will not solve the temporary power sector’s net zero challenge. One of the biggest changes taking place is the growing expectation for suppliers to act as strategic partners, rather than simply equipment providers.
Customers are increasingly looking for guidance on how to reduce emissions, optimise fuel consumption and improve site efficiency without compromising operational performance. In many cases, the most effective improvements come from smarter planning rather than major equipment changes.
At CES Power, our teams work closely with customers to identify more efficient ways of powering projects. This often means taking a more consultative approach from the outset, understanding the site, assessing likely demand, and then using live data to refine the solution once equipment is operating.
The route to net zero will not be delivered through a single technology or an overnight transformation. For temporary power, progress will come from smarter operational decisions, accurate reporting, intelligent use of battery storage and closer collaboration between providers and customers.
As the UK continues its transition, the temporary power industry has an important role to play. By reducing wasted fuel, cutting emissions, lowering local environmental impact and helping customers make better energy decisions, the sector can support both national climate targets and the day-to-day realities of delivering major projects.
Jamie Nesbitt, operations director at CES Power, explores how accurate data, battery storage and closer collaboration can help reduce emissions across the UK’s temporary power sector.
Image: Rook of Arts / Unsplash
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