Almost two-thirds of primary energy is wasted in the UK’s centralised electricity generating system. In other words, for every 100 units of energy contained in the fossil fuels used to generate electricity, only 38.5 units are put into the national grid for distribution, with 35 units being eventually supplied to the customer.

Devised in the 1930s, around inefficient coal pits, the waste inherent in this system now accounts for 20% of the UK’s annual carbon emission total.

Furthermore, this inefficient picture is mirrored throughout the developed world.

Distributed energy is where energy is generated close to or at its point of use. All types of buildings – ranging from terraced houses to the largest factories – cease to be just passive consumers of energy, as they currently are, and instead become power stations themselves, the constituent parts of local energy networks.

There are many different technologies that can be used to generate energy in this distributed way including photovoltaic, solar, wind turbines and cogeneration (combined heat and power) units and now by harnessing the energy generating potential of the gas pressure reduction process.

Energy (heat, power, cooling and refrigeration) produced from the gas pressure reduction process is available during peak periods – daily peaks, as well as seasonal peaks. More power is generated when more gas travels through the system – for a given supply pressure – so as gas demand peaks, generation from the gas pressure reduction process increases. Gas demand is closely linked to electricity demand, so the electricity is generated at the most useful time, reducing the need for surplus capacity on the local grid.

Moving to a more distributed model of energy generation is important because electricity production currently accounts for one third of the UK’s carbon emissions. Greenpeace and others estimate that investing in a distributed energy strategy would enable the UK to reduce “at least half of all emissions from the UK electricity sector, or 15% of total UK emissions”.

There are more than 2000 locations in the UK where energy can be generated from the gas pressure reduction process and worldwide the potential from this source exceeds 20 GWe.