Tom Adlington, sector sales manager for building services and construction UK & Ireland at Aggreko (Photo: Aggreko)

With this long-term forecast, it is understandable that contractors and consultants may feel a growing sense of optimism. This is also mirrored in the short term, with November data from the S&P Global UK Construction Purchasing Manager Index (PMI) demonstrating a ninth consecutive month of positive growth.

Though these findings and reports paint a positive picture, familiar pressures may nonetheless present barriers for tendering and construction. Industry skills shortages remain a pressing concern, especially in a sector reliant on a steady supply of skilled labour.

Reports from the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) Report further emphasise this situation, suggesting 251,000 more workers will be required to meet projected construction demand up to 2028. As the CITB also highlights, the need for more diverse skillsets within the industry is further complicating workforce shortage issues.

Sourcing sustainability skillsets

In these ongoing efforts to equip construction sector workers with modern skillsets, sustainability looms large. Concerns about climate change and the industry鈥檚 greenhouse gas emissions are driving greener construction practices, including the use of more sustainable materials, implementing more energy-efficient designs and reducing overall site waste.

This is welcome news, especially as leading construction companies and governments now expect projects to adhere to increasingly rigorous net zero legislation. Clear decarbonisation plans are required on new and revitalised projects, including a detailed energy mix, achievable targets, and realistic timelines and costs.

But while these requirements are now key to winning contracts and completing construction projects, a lack of access to these 鈥榞reen collar鈥� skills and knowledge could stall the industry鈥檚 expected recovery. This must be resolved if the sector is expected to remain on-track in its decarbonisation efforts.

The importance of identifying expertise

Consultants and contractors face a two-pronged problem in their efforts to win and complete projects. Namely, they need to be able to immediately access sustainability-related skillsets, but the construction workforce, as it is currently configured, cannot meet this demand at scale.

With these skills shortages in mind, supply chain expertise could help bridge knowledge gaps and identify further opportunities for decarbonisation. To realise more immediate improvements, it is advised consultants and contractors audit the energy efficiency of ongoing construction site activities and utility provision.

Construction site generators are a good place to start. Used as a temporary and consistent power supply during building construction, or to keep structures online while contractors upgrade or modify electrical infrastructure, this equipment is vital to a site鈥檚 continued running. Their importance is further underlined by the use of diesel generators as a standby solution for N+1 redundancy support at sites and facilities, providing backup power in case of unplanned downtime.

Considering this, it is unsurprising generators have become a major focus for equipment suppliers looking to find areas where emissions can be reduced. Attention is undoubtedly shifting toward sustainable power generation technologies that can be adopted on a large scale for ongoing site supply.

BESS in class

Contractors and consultants should keep this direction in mind when evaluating equipment suppliers for upcoming works. This includes ensuring that any potential equipment provider engaged has extensive experience supporting site stakeholders with more sustainable solutions. Part of these efforts should involve evaluating their commitment to integrating greener power generation technologies into their existing fleet.

A key barometer of identifying this progress is seeing how big a role battery energy storage systems (BESS) play in their current and future plans. Developed with stricter sustainability legislation in mind 鈥� including ultra-low emissions zones (ULEZ) 鈥� BESS solutions offer a clear path to energy-efficient decarbonisation.

Specifically, these systems can mitigate the inefficiencies caused by oversized generators, which are often selected to cover periods of peak demand. Though this course of action is understandable, it can lead to higher emissions because of inefficient fuel use. By contrast, BESS solutions implemented following analysis of a site鈥檚 load profile 鈥� including variations over time, peak demand, low demand and base load levels 鈥� can mitigate this.

Battery technologies can provide backup power, supplementing existing industrial generators while reducing site emissions through more energy-efficient power supply. Similarly, BESS may be used to handle power provision at times where demand may be lower, allowing generators to run at reduced capacity or even be switched off completely.

Yet outside of guaranteeing these solutions are readily available for hire, it is also crucial that contractors and consultants ensure any pre-implementation analysis is as well-informed as possible. Indeed, as noted in Aggreko鈥檚 latest whitepaper report for the sector, 鈥楢 Perfect Storm for

European Construction?鈥�, more than one in three UK construction managers it surveyed said they had experienced issues with sizing equipment in 2024. Remedying this right-sizing issue may require the leveraging of third-party expertise, especially in a sector where there is a shortage of such skills.

Greener upgrades, smarter solutions

Similarly, contractors and consultants should also evaluate any potential supplier鈥檚 use of other greener power generation technologies, including Stage V generators and alternative fuels including hydrotreated vegetable oil. If well-integrated into a supplier鈥檚 fleet, these solutions clearly demonstrate an ongoing commitment to supporting construction companies in their decarbonisation journey.

Ongoing collaboration with organisations within the supply chain will ensure the most suitable industrial generator and energy storage technologies are selected for each individual project, so it is vital construction site stakeholders leverage the expertise of organisations within the supply chain. Doing so will ensure contractors and consultants fully reap the benefits of the expected growth in demand for construction projects.

To download Aggreko鈥檚 latest construction sector whitepaper, 鈥楢 Perfect Storm for European Construction?鈥�, click .