Energy Drive Secures £20m Investment From Pears Family

We often write about electric vehicles, clean energy, energy storage, climate change, and policy here at CleanTechnica. There tends to be less focus on industrial systems and processes, which is why I was glad to get to interview Energy Drive, a company that does work with industrial technology.

Several hundred million industrial electric motors are used by industries, infrastructure and buildings around the world. They use a great deal of electricity, so making them more energy efficient matters. 

Energy Drive’s solutions are doing just that. Some of their staff members provided information about the technology and new investment.

What will the £20m from the Pears Family be used for?

The investment is first being used to partially re-purchase the stakes of some of the founding shareholders and a South African private equity investor, as we continue the process of “globalising” the Group. The capital will also support our continued market expansion in Europe and North America, which requires significant operational resourcing and capital expenditure. We have very ambitious plans for the region and are excited about executing our strategy, alongside an investor group which shares our vision.  – James Hynd, Chief Executive Officer, Energy Drive

Energy Drive’s optimizations reduce energy consumption of industrial motors by 43%. How do they accomplish this reduction?

Given our focus is on large fan and pump applications, without any form of control, we often encounter systems performing at efficiencies far below optimal, operating their motors at full speed at all times. Energy Drive deploys variable speed drives and intelligent motor controls that optimize the performance of industrial-scale motors to match the operational requirements. These automatically optimize a motor’s energy usage while meeting all operational and safety needs, reducing energy consumption of motors by 43% on average. They are installed and operated as-a-service by Energy Drive, who monitor the system remotely 24/7 and its impact is measured by an independent third party. – Paul Wrighton, VP Strategy & Global Business Development, Energy Drive

Energy Drive saves nearly one million kilograms of CO2, SO2, and NOX emissions each year. How does the company achieve such emissions reductions?

Energy Drive has over 250 systems globally, working with partners such as ArcelorMittal, Glencore, Vale, NLMK, Sibanye-Stillwater, and Liberty Steel. We work across Mining, Metals, Manufacturing, Chemicals, and Utilities, supporting the efficient running of industrial-scale pumps and fans. These are energy intensive and offer huge potential for energy savings using our technology, once installed and managed by our team. – James Hynd, Chief Executive Officer, Energy Drive

How does Energy Drive’s technology have no capital expenditures when it is utilized with industrial motors?

All of our systems are installed, owned, operated, and maintained by Energy Drive and delivered as a service. This means that we take full responsibility for buying, installing, and maintaining the equipment needed to implement and operate the system for as long as it’s on a client’s site. There is no requirement for capital expenditure or maintenance cost from our client. On an ongoing basis, we agree to a contract with the operator to deliver this solution “as a service”, paid from the energy saving our system delivers. In short, there is zero cost to our clients, with guaranteed energy savings. – Paul Wrighton, VP Strategy & Global Business Development, Energy Drive

What kind of industrial motors does the technology work with?

The Energy Drive system can work across a broad range of medium and low voltage industrial motor applications. These include pumps, fans, compressors and other large motors across Mining, Metals, Manufacturing, Chemicals, and Utilities. Through installing the system, the intelligent motor controls can automatically optimise the performance of the motors, while being managed remotely 24/7 by our team. – Paul Wrighton, VP Strategy & Global Business Development, Energy Drive

How many employees does Energy Drive have?

Energy Drive currently has 80 employees and we are actively recruiting as we continue to grow and expand in our target markets of the US and Europe. – James Hynd, Chief Executive Officer, Energy Drive

What does Pears Partnership Capital do? 

Pears Partnership Capital is the advisor for Pears Family in originating, arranging and overseeing direct private equity investments in operating businesses.

The Pears Family have been investing in residential and commercial property since 1952 as well as in other investment areas. The business has grown to become one of Europe’s leading family-owned investment holdings groups, with interests including The William Pears Group.