East Hampshire District Council
Energy Strategy 2014–2019
Delivering a low-carbon, energy efficient, economically vibrant community
November 2014
Contents
Page
Foreword .................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 3 Why we need an Energy Strategy.......................................................................................................................................................... 4 Delivering the council’s vision for the future................................................................................................................................ 5 The wider policy context............................................................................................................................................................................... 6 The strategy............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 7 Strategic objectives........................................................................................................................................................................................... 8 Implementation................................................................................................................................................................................................... 9 • Hampshire energy centre...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................9 • Energy generation and supply............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 10 • Energy demand management............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 13 • Economic development .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 16 • Engagement strategy................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 17
Prerequisites for success............................................................................................................................................................................ 18 Next steps and timescales........................................................................................................................................................................ 19 Annex: A Strategy at a Glance ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 20 B Outline Business Cases.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 22 C Current Energy Baseline .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 24 Progress to date: ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 27 Part I Ongoing Projects............................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 27 Part II Community Initiatives..................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 28 Part III EHDC Estate........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 29
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Energy Strategy 2014-2019
“The economy is a wholly owned subsidiary of the environment, not the reverse.” Herman E. Daly
Reducing harmful emissions and achieving an affordable, decarbonised and secure energy supply is extremely challenging. At a time when the trend is for energy consumption to rise rather than fall, success will require sustained commitment and investment in a new range of skills and technologies. This is an ambitious strategy that invests in the future of East Hampshire and puts our planet and sustainability at the heart of council decisions. Conscious of the legacy we leave future generations, it demonstrates that investment, services and commerce can flourish alongside high environmental principles. Currently in the bottom half of Local Authorities in the UK in relation to our carbon emissions, it is our intention to be in the top 10% of the best performing rural authorities. In doing so we will provide the means for our council and the people we serve; to become resilient to fluctuations in global energy prices and volatile supply chains; to support and grow efficient and ethical businesses; to foster innovation; and, to enable communities to reduce their energy use and generate their own sustainable energy supplies. Grasping the opportunities present in energy market reforms, this council will lead the way in delivering a new breed of local energy company. Procurement and investment decisions within the council will take full account of environmental impact, alongside financial opportunities. We will reduce energy consumption across our buildings and operations.
Energy Strategy 2014-2019
The vision and aspirations at the heart of our energy strategy will be embedded within all service areas to ensure that we are doing everything we can to reduce our own and residents’ energy use and meet our remaining energy needs through renewable generation. There is growing recognition that we cannot continue to exploit our natural resources without consequence. As we begin to experience the effects of climate change across the country, I am proud that East Hampshire District Council is tackling this issue head on reducing emissions and maximising the opportunities provided by the green economy. It is also gratifying to know that ‘doing the right thing’ is moving us closer towards financial independence.
Councillor Melissa Maynard Portfolio Holder for Energy and Environment
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Why we need an energy strategy Our communities face major challenges and risks relating to both the supply and demand for energy. There are solutions to these problems and for those who are able to recognise and grasp opportunities, the potential to bring real benefits for our local and wider communities. This council has both a duty and is in a unique position to lead the way in meeting these challenges and turn them into opportunities.
Rising energy prices The cost of energy to fuel our homes and businesses continues to rise above the rate of inflation and this is not set to change. Households are finding that cost of electricity, gas and oil is taking a larger share of the weekly budget. This tends to be worse for low-income families causing some to be classified as being in fuel poverty.1 These are growing pressures that affect health, welfare and prosperity of people in East Hampshire. Rising energy prices also increase the cost of transport, food, public services and the production of raw materials required by business. The purpose of this strategy is to minimize the impact of rising energy prices for East Hampshire District Council, our residents and businesses; and gain economic advantage from lower costs.
Damage to our environment The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has just issued its fifth report, the first since 2007. It concluded that climate change is almost certainly manmade and a large proportion of fossil fuel reserves will need to stay in the ground to avoid dangerous warming of 5ºC or more. East Hampshire has already felt the effects of the severe weather conditions synonymous with a warming global climate. The IPCC concluded that the transition to clean energy to avoid the worst impacts of climate change was eminently affordable.2 The UK is committed to targets to reduce carbon emissions mainly caused by burning fossil fuels such as coal to produce electricity. East Hampshire is committed to meeting its share of this target. Much of East Hampshire’s character comes from the beauty of our rural landscapes and countryside, a natural heritage we are committed to conserving. This strategy seeks to protect our communities and countryside from the effects of climate change, using our natural assets to generate cleaner energy.
Uncertain energy supply No longer can we assume that energy is going to always be there when we need it. The UK is importing an increasing percentage of its energy from abroad and this means less security over supply, less price stability and less freedom of action in foreign policy decisions. Our national grid is already struggling to cope with rising energy demand at times. A major part of this strategy is concerned with reducing overall demand for energy, which alongside increasing local energy production, will make our community more self- sufficient in energy, improving our resilience to supply and price fluctuations.
[Professor John Hills] (March 2012). Getting the measure of fuel poverty - Final Report of the Fuel Poverty Review (Report) (1st ed.). Department of Energy and Climate Change
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Energy Strategy 2014-2019
IPCC, 2014: Summary for policymakers. In: Climate Change 2014: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability. w A: Global and Sectoral Aspects. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA, pp. 1-32.
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Delivering the council’s vision for the future Our Energy Strategy follows the adoption of the council’s Corporate Strategy in February 2014, which sets out the council’s vision and priorities leading up to 2019. This extract sets the scene for the energy strategy: “We are robust guardians of our ‘natural capital’ providing leadership and inspiration to others in our ability to balance our responsibility to generate income, while reducing harmful emissions and protecting our local and global environment. Therefore it is a feature of our economic development strategy to promote and support a strong green economy within the District maximising the opportunities afforded by this growing sector. “When making policy and investment decisions we acknowledge an equal and serious responsibility to safeguard and improve our residents’ quality of life, cultural wealth and our natural heritage. Financial self-sufficiency has been achieved using economic and non-economic calculus as a basis for investment cost benefit analysis. Preventing the degradation of our natural asset base holds equal value when determining investment and service level decisions. The rate of financial return is not our sole marker for success.”
The Corporate Strategy sets out five operational priorities for the next five years:
• Financial Sustainability • Economic Growth • Environmental Sustainability • Public Service Excellence • Creativity and Innovation It describes the core values necessary to achieving our aspirations: 1. Customer focus - putting the Customer at the centre of everything we do. 2. Innovation - finding radically new and better ways to meet the needs of our Customers. 3. Entrepreneurship – open to the consideration of new and untried ideas, embracing new opportunities. 4. Cost effectiveness – demanding and providing excellent value for money. This Energy Strategy describes how a business led approach to environmental sustainability, routed in our core values, can deliver the council’s five operational priorities.
Energy Strategy 2014-2019
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The wider policy context National policy
Local policies
The 2008 Climate Change Act established the world’s first legally binding climate change target. It is designed to reduce the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80% (from the 1990 baseline) by 2050.
There are a number of local policies that express our existing commitment to climate change mitigation; the East Hampshire Sustainable Community Strategy 2008 – 2026; the 2011 and 2013 EHDC Climate Change Action Plans; and, the Joint Core Strategy adopted in June 2014, which sets out specific sustainability requirements for new housing developments.
Moving to a more energy efficient, low-carbon economy will help meet this target. It will also help the UK become less reliant on imported fossil fuels and less exposed to higher energy prices in the future. Under the Act UK Governments are obliged to: • Set five year carbon budgets to limit the amount of greenhouse gases the UK is allowed to emit • Use statistics on greenhouse gas emissions and further evidence, analysis and research to inform energy and climate change policy • Reduce the demand for energy and improving energy efficiency • Invest in low-carbon technologies • Publicly report carbon emissions from businesses and the public sector Large public authorities with extensive property and carbon emissions, including Hampshire County Council, must purchase allowances to offset their carbon emissions under the Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme. Furthermore all local authorities are required to measure and report carbon emissions to DECC annually. EHDC currently reports this information to DECC via Hampshire County Council.
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Energy Strategy 2014-2019
We are also signatories of the Nottingham Declaration, acknowledging the increasing impact that climate change will have on our community during the 21st century and committing EHDC to tackling the causes and effects of a changing climate on our district. The Whitehill & Bordon Regeneration Project is the top priority for EHDC. Carbon reduction and energy saving is at the centre of plans to redevelop the former military town and encompasses new developments, retro fit of existing housing stock, renewable energy generation, transport and green economic development. More recently EHDC has contributed to and endorsed Energy Strategies developed by Hampshire County Council, The National Parks and Partnership for Urban South Hampshire (PUSH) and the Solent Energy Strategy. East Hampshire’s Energy Strategy is consistent with the principles found in all these policies and agreements. We will look for opportunities to build on synergies and consolidate resources.
The strategy East Hampshire District Council will become a renewable energy company
East Hampshire will become an exemplar in energy demand management
EHDC will take a commercial approach to the task of increasing the amount of renewable energy generated and supplied in East Hampshire. Income generation will support this council’s vision of financial sustainability, while local generation will support increased energy independence and environmental sustainability. Becoming an energy supplier will enable us to provide residents with reasonably priced energy and create new jobs.
EHDC will drive down carbon emissions across the district. We will partner with central and regional government, private, public and third sector organisations to; understand heat and power usage across the District; explore innovative solutions to energy demand management; provide advice, support and smart technology to reduce energy usage; and, maximise our ability to improve the energy efficiency of new and existing buildings.
East Hampshire will become a natural home for green industries EHDC will grow the green economy in East Hampshire; creating innovative investment propositions; encouraging the growth, creation and relocation of green businesses within the District; developing a skilled workforce; and, securing new jobs in the region. Supporting green technology companies will keep us ahead of innovations and emerging opportunities in areas like storage technology and energy control systems.
Energy Strategy 2014-2019
East Hampshire District Council will be at the centre of developments in the energy sector EHDC will position itself in the vanguard of developments in the energy sector, contributing to intellectual debate among academics, think tanks and practitioners, offering respected opinions and benefiting from the expertise and experience of others. Able to influence Government policy by virtue of our position as a trusted partner and critical friend, we will help shape, pilot and review new initiatives, using our experience to help develop innovative yet practical policy solutions to energy issues. We will provide Local Authority representation on Ministerial advisory groups and promote Energy Market Reform. Early knowledge and understanding of upcoming initiatives will put EHDC in a good position to apply for future funding streams.
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Strategic objectives This strategy has five key objectives:
Energy generation and supply ES1 Increase the amount of renewable energy generation ES2 Develop EHDC’s commercial provision of energy and related services
Energy demand management ES3 Reduce energy usage across East Hampshire ES4 Reduce the heat requirement across East Hampshire
Economic development ES5 Stimulate business opportunities and job creation arising from the green economy More data is required to attach smart targets to these objectives. Service teams will be working with the energy team to develop individual plans and targets, which will feed into realistic yet stretching corporate targets. This section of the strategy will be updated in Spring 2015. Energy generation business plans will include detailed targets and financial forecasts.
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Energy Strategy 2014-2019
Options in line with existing national and regional targets might include: • Renewable energy will be 20% of East Hampshire’s energy profile by 2020 • 100% Increase in the amount of energy generated in the District compared to 2014 • EHDC to achieve ROI of xxx by 2040 • Create or safeguard xxx long-term jobs by 2020. • Xx% increase in the percentage of people employed in the energy sector by 2020 • 25% reduction in energy use by 2020 compared to 2005 • Xx% of buildings to achieve an EPC rating of xx by 2020 • Xx% increase in EV ownership by 2020 • 80% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2050 compared to 2008 (CCA 2008)
Implementation Creating Hampshire’s energy centre Central to the implementation of this strategy is the creation of a new organisation capable of managing the commercial elements within the strategy and bringing together the specialist skills, experience and know-how to deliver the wider programme. The energy centre will be focused on establishing a new energy company model and pioneering new technologies and partnerships. This will require dynamic leadership, driving the strategy forward with clarity of purpose and a structure that enables the organisation to generate profits and attract investment from public, private and charitable sectors. The energy centre will have the ability to release share offers; conventional, via crowd-funding and within discrete communities. Alongside investment in renewable energy projects and energy reduction programmes, the energy centre will provide energy services for other organisations and, in time, manage a green investment fund. It will lead the development and delivery of a green economic development strategy. There are already several models in existence including the Oxford low carbon hub and Oxfutures. Starting with a grant from Intelligent Energy Europe Oxfutures will leverage £20m investment into local energy projects by the end of 2015. It aims for £400m investment by 2020. Operating at arms length from the council will give the energy centre some protection from the ebb and flow of the political cycle, a degree of separation that will enable long-term commitment to investment and service decisions. While operating as an arms-length entity, the council will remain a crucial player both as a majority shareholder and with respect to the importance of strong political and corporate commitment to the objectives imbedded within the Energy Strategy. The energy centre will position itself at the heart of energy sector developments. Building strong relationships with academia, business, trade associations, NGOs, the Third sector and Government. It will earn a credible voice locally and nationally, alongside a reputation for delivery and a pioneering, entrepreneurial spirit. The strength of our networks and our reputation will be important factors in our ability to raise finance and attract green business into East Hampshire.
Energy Strategy 2014-2019
An essential part of delivering energy services to both residents and businesses, the energy centre’s multidisciplinary advice team will provide a single point of contact for residents and businesses. It will: • Provide a trusted source of professional advice. • Inspire and help households and businesses to improve energy performance. • Identify training opportunities to up-skill employees, enabling businesses to drive down costs through efficiencies and maximise business opportunities. • Provide advice on energy technologies alongside a procurement, installation and maintenance package. • Facilitate local networking, consortium building and collaboration. • Support feasibility studies, access to finance and new markets.
Resources Personnel The energy centre will become the driving force behind the success of the Energy Strategy providing leadership, commitment, expertise and innovation. The energy team itself will need strong, charismatic leadership from someone with credibility in this field and 100% commitment to delivering a dramatic transformation in East Hampshire’s energy profile. A wider multidisciplinary team will incorporate council resources, with representation from service teams, working alongside experts from the energy industry some of whom may become staff, provide outsourced activity, or join temporarily on secondment or loan. The make-up of the team will evolve over time to include representation from a range of individuals and organisations according to the needs of the Energy Strategy Implementation Plan. Finance An outline Funding Strategy will be prepared as part of the business case for the Energy Centre. The strategy will explore the following funding sources and match them against specific actions in the implementation plan: grants and loans; EHDC investment; third party investment; planning gain; sponsorship; community investment/bonds; feed in tariff/renewable heat incentive.
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Energy generation and supply ES1 Increase the amount of renewable energy generation ES2 Develop EHDC’s commercial provision of energy and related services Generating and selling renewable energy provides the council with the opportunity to generate income and improve security of supply. Heat and power is responsible for a significant portion of the district’s emissions, increasing the amount of renewable energy use will have a considerable impact on our carbon footprint. Spending on heat and power is also responsible for significant egress of financial resource to companies outside the district. Relocating the generation of heat and power within the district will provide new jobs and investment within East Hampshire and keep money circulating locally.
Renewable power generation While we have no coastal boundary, nor rivers of sufficient power or fall to generate hydroelectricity, there are opportunities to harness a range of renewable energy resources across the district. In the short term, the most obvious and accessible place to start is solar.
Urban solar farm EHDC will create an Urban Solar PV Farm, making use of the thousands of roofs not yet being utilised in this way. Investing in energy generation across our own building stock and beyond, we will create a model that is both scalable and caters for the many different types of buildings and ownerships that exist in East Hampshire.
New build This project will see council owned solar PV panels on newly built houses in partnership with developers and housing associations. Objectives: •
Improve overall sustainability of new buildings – Developer focuses all their resources on the quality of the fabric of the building, while EHDC funds energy generation elements.
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Create scalable, efficient entry point for generation capacity.
Benefits: •
Scaffolding is a significant part of installation costs. Installing solar panels during the build stage will reduce costs and the payback period.
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Reduce the necessity for complex and resource intensive discussions with individual householders.
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Provide the council with a long-term revenue stream via charges and the feed in tariff.
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Homeowners will receive the benefit of much cheaper electricity and reduce their carbon emissions.
Panels will be purchased, installed and maintained by the energy centre. Standard roof agreements and electricity packages would be in place at the point of property purchase, enabling the council to receive feed in tariff payments and charges. This requires the co-operation of the developer or social housing provider but since all current planning applications are recommending solar PV as the carbon reducing renewable energy source of choice; and, given the imminent increase in the standards for sustainable homes, we believe such a scheme is achievable.
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EHDC estate
Community partnerships
Solar PV will be installed on all suitable EHDC properties. We will also explore opportunities for solar hot water panels.
We will work in partnership with community groups to ensure that East Hampshire benefits from Government schemes like the Rural Community Energy Fund.
To illustrate the potential benefits Cornwall Council installed over a megawatt of solar panels on roofs on 38 sites across the county. This is the equivalent to the power consumption of 600 houses, saving the council over £100,000 every year on energy bills. Panels will be installed on a further 14 sites bringing the total power generated to 1.3 megawatts, equivalent to almost 800 houses and generating savings of a further £30,000 a year. The financial savings from the 52 sites together with the income from the Feed in Tariff equates to over half a million pounds per year.
A joint initiative between Defra and DECC, the £15 million Rural Community Energy Fund was created to help community groups based in rural areas develop their own local renewable energy projects. Administered by resource efficiency experts WRAP, the fund provides up to £150,000 of funding to individual projects for feasibility and pre-planning development work to help them become investment ready.
Wider public sector buildings and housing
Thirty local renewable energy projects across England are celebrating being the first recipients of RCEF this year, with over £500,000 assigned to help develop bespoke projects. The first 30 projects receiving funding represent a spectrum of technologies, including community scale anaerobic digestion, solar power, hydro and wind as well as renewable and low carbon heat networks.
The energy centre will work with partners in East Hampshire and further afield to replicate these schemes on public buildings – e.g. schools, healthcare facilities and libraries. We will look for opportunities to partner with others to bring public housing and housing association properties into the scheme.
Private property We will look to extend the scheme to existing privately owned domestic and business premises.
Renewable heat generation Energy used to heat buildings generates a significant proportion of the district’s emissions. The energy centre will develop a renewable heat strategy. From wood fuel to farmyard waste, East Hampshire is rich in biomass resource. Alongside biomass the Heat Strategy will look at solar thermal, air and ground source heat, and district heating opportunities. It will explore the provision of an advice, supply, fit and maintenance package for renewable heat technologies, looking at a model similar to the Urban Solar Farm using Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) payments. Government policy is encouraging growth in this sector. The council will engage with national schemes and take advantage of government funding in this area. A good example is DECC’s Heat Fund, which the council will be bidding for in 2014.
Energy Strategy 2014-2019
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Energy supply Multi-Utility Service Company (MUSCo)
Electric vehicle charging network
The MUSCo concept is a relatively new approach in the UK, which enables local authorities and the private sector to take advantage of deregulation in the utilities market, which enables local utilities providers to be established to supply energy and other utilities to new and existing homes and businesses. Local authorities have traditionally worked with the private sector to deliver other services. The MUSCo is an extension of this approach, which will see EHDC forming relationships with the private sector and local energy generation projects. The MUSCo will enable the council to earn income and provide residents with reasonably priced energy.
East Hampshire has higher than average energy consumption associated transport costs due in part to its rural situation. Sales of electric vehicles (EV) are increasing steadily, however, Hampshire has relatively few charging points. We will install EV charging points at locations across the district on council property and supply the private, public and domestic sector with charging technology and access to our network.
Consistent with this strategy, commercial partnerships and energy generation initiatives will ensure that the MUSCo supplies as much renewable energy as possible. Contracts will be sufficiently flexible to enable growing amounts of locally generated energy to supplant coal and gas generation as soon as possible, helping to build a green economy, making the most of our natural assets, bringing woodland back into commercial management, delivering jobs and providing secure sustainable energy supplies.
Energy supplied by charging points will be renewably sourced thus further reducing the impact of these low emission vehicles and mitigating the impact of increased consumption due to the substitution effect. This tells us that as each mile of travel becomes cheaper, both in terms of the financial and environmental cost, we can expect an increase in driving speed, miles driven and therefore fuel consumed.
Where off grid homes are unsuitable for current renewable heat technologies, the MUSCo will explore the viability of providing a group buying service for heating oil.
David Hanlon / Shutterstock.com
MUSCo governance structure MUSCo Development Group
Independent utility provider/s
Consumer
Future projects • The energy team will continue to look for opportunities in other energy sectors for example – innovations in energy from waste, including business waste.
Network installer
Meter reading
Operation & maintenance
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Energy Strategy 2014-2019
• EHDC will explore the options for increasing local bus and train services. Administration
• The energy team will look to establish a revolving investment fund to support new energy initiatives and the less profitable but no-less important energy efficiency projects.
Energy demand management ES3 Reduce energy usage across East Hampshire ES4 Reduce the heat requirement across East Hampshire At current levels of rising consumption we will not be able to break our national dependence on fossil fuels. We must adapt our homes, business premises and the way we live to become more energy efficient. In an age when fuel is having an increasing impact on household budgets and overheads, using less has the added benefit of reducing costs.
Other EHDC properties
East Hampshire District Council estate and services
Delivering low carbon services and operations
As a provider of services to the community, EHDC is using energy all the time - to heat and cool buildings, run vehicles, manage waste collection etc. We have taken steps to reduce energy use in the past with some success. However as energy costs increase above inflation this will eat into council resources and put increasing pressure on budgets. Through this strategy EHDC seeks to become one of the most energy efficient councils in the country. We will look at supply chains and procurement, monitoring processes and carbon accounting to include whole life costs.
The energy team will work with EHDC service teams to explore opportunities for energy saving within their operations and how they might be able to encourage wider energy generation and demand management in their client base. Each service will be asked to prepare local implementation plans.
Low-carbon Penns Place
All council owned properties will have an energy assessment and a rolling retrofit programme will be established.
Staff and Councillors will require updating on this complex area. The energy team will provide training on current government schemes and EHDC policies, latest technological developments and what the most forward thinking councils are doing.
Clearly a local authority expounding the need and benefits of energy efficiency and generation must have its own house in order and any property upgrade must have energy saving as a core objective. Some work has been done already so we are not starting from scratch. However, with the costs of energy efficiency technologies falling rapidly, highly efficient LEDs have reduced in cost by 85 per cent over the last five years, there are new opportunities to explore. Together with changes to feed in tariffs, the renewable heat incentive and other advances we need to review all our options, especially where the pay- back period for retrofit measures has reduced significantly. The finished product will serve as a demonstration of what can be achieved with this type of business premises. With the refurbishment of Penns Place we have an excellent opportunity to put energy issues at the heart of renovations. We will look to install measures to improve insulation, lighting, heat and other energy controls. Staff will participate in a renewed drive to reduce energy usage. The installation of solar PV and solar HW will be considered in order to control expenditure and reduce carbon emissions further. We will also explore the feasibility of a combined heating system in conjunction with the Taro Centre. To assist with this potential scheme we will seek funding from DECC’s Renewable Heat Fund to explore the options for district heat systems across East Hampshire.
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Planning for sustainable development Sustainable buildings are much easier to create from their inception. Unfortunately the construction industry is generally slow to change and needs encouragement to adopt new ideas. Change that requires investment in skills or finance is often resisted. The adoption of better more efficient building standards will inevitably require prescription. The government is determined to improve the quality of new homes and has mandated that all new homes completed in 2016 must be zero carbon. As East Hampshire is obliged to accept thousands of new houses, EHDC has an obligation to its residents and the environment to demand the highest sustainability and energy efficiency standards. In order to encourage the construction industry the energy centre will offer a novel cost sharing partnership. Developers will focus their resources on improving the fabric of new buildings and ensure that designs maximise the amount of south facing roof space. EHDC, through the energy centre, will finance the renewable energy element of the code for sustainable homes. News homes built in this way will become part of the Urban Solar Farm and potential renewable heat project. The Planning Policy team will draft a Supplementary Planning Document on energy to alleviate any doubt in our determination to pursue the sustainable homes agenda. The policy will confirm our expectations in terms of sustainability requirements, the incorporation of smart demand management technology, renewable heat and power, and district heating schemes for larger developments. Planning and Building Control teams will receive training updates on current sustainable building standards, renewable energy and demand management technology, and will be empowered to seek the best possible outcomes from new developments and alterations to existing buildings.
Improving the energy efficiency of privately owned buildings Improving the quality of privately owned properties, domestic and commercial, is key to reducing overall demand for energy, improving the sustainability and security of energy supplies and reducing bills. However, convincing property owners to make improvements is not easy. In marketing terms it is proving difficult to move on from innovators and early adopters - now reaping the benefits, to engage the early majority or mass market. While the government is not yet ready to legislate for mandatory energy efficiency standards in private properties, persuasion, persistence and incentives – usually financial, alongside rising energy prices seem to be having some effect. Unless energy prices rise dramatically this will remain a very resource intensive process with each household or business requiring individual attention over a significant period of time. There is no direct financial benefit to the council in pursuing this agenda as the financial return on investment of time and resource accrues to the occupier, the property owner and the company carrying-out improvement works. Costs are amplified by a conversion rate from interest to completion currently running at about 25%. None-the-less, as the Corporate Strategy makes clear, we have a duty of care towards our natural environment. Reducing demand for fossil fuel derived energy is key to that obligation. Until a mandatory standard is imposed, we will continue to spend time persuading residents and businesses that energy efficiency improvements are in their best interests. To help finance this operation and provide additional incentives for householders, we will continue to engage enthusiastically with government schemes like the Low Carbon Community Challenge, Local Energy Assessment Fund and the Green Deal. The energy centre will develop a comprehensive picture of the building stock across the district, including age, construction type and use. We will combine this data with a heat map showing energy use across the district. Together this information will enable us to target our resources more effectively. We will reinvest a proportion of EHDC’s energy generation profits into energy efficiency programmes.
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Whitehill & Bordon Carbon reduction and energy saving is at the centre of plans to redevelop this former military town, the Whitehill & Bordon project will continue to provide a focus for demand management activity. The project encompasses new developments, retro fit of existing housing stock, renewable energy generation, transport and green economic development.
Future projects Behaviour change campaign In isolation, improving the fabric of a build and installing smart technology may not reduce energy consumption. Human factors play a significant role in demand management. Failure to use thermostats and smart technology effectively will not produce the desired demand reduction. Equally there are well known economic reactions to technology changes that might negate any gains made.
Community engagement Strong networks and partnerships will enable us to reach far more residents and businesses than we can on our own. There is a wealth of knowledge and experience within the community that can be drawn on as we implement this strategy. Community ‘green’ groups like Energy Alton have already shown willingness to take a lead locally. They have proved to be professional, committed and very successful.
Recent research on the ‘Warm Front’ a government initiative to offer more efficient heating to some of the poorest households found that energy consumption increased because families chose to keep the house warmer when the cost was no longer prohibitive.3 There is also the possibility that savings made on lower energy consumption are spent on goods and services that themselves increase carbon emissions
Existing groups will be encouraged and supported, not least in seeking funds from Government schemes. They will be considered alongside commercial organisations when we are contracting energy related services and will be properly recompensed for the services they provide. Where none currently exist, new groups will be encouraged and given support and advice to get established. The Communities team will integrate energy efficiency awareness into their work signposting energy centre services. We will provide information and presentations for Social Community groups like the Women’s Institute and the Rotary Club; and for Communities of interest – Patient groups, Residents’ Associations, Churches and charities like Age Concern and Alton Buckle who can help us reach vulnerable individuals and families, providing help and advice to residents on reducing their energy bills.
Energy Strategy 2014-2019
We will look at academic research and international best practice to design an effective communication campaign focused on the proficient use of technology and mitigating counter productive, often unconscious, responses to cost reductions to achieve a genuine reduction in the amount of energy used. This project may include recycling promotions currently managed by Recycle for Hampshire. www.shu.ac.uk/research/cresr/sites/shu.ac.uk/files/warmfront-health-impact-eval.pdf
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Economic development ES5 Stimulate business opportunities and job creation arising from the green economy This strategy will enable work to promote and support a strong green economy within the District, maximising the opportunities afforded by this growing sector. East Hampshire will build a reputation for developing talent in this industry sector, supporting green industries to locate in East Hampshire and access research, funding and new markets. Whether through renewable energy projects large or small, or, new energy saving products and initiatives, the energy centre will provide help and advice to communities and businesses wanting to invest in this sector. It will support the council, community groups and businesses to start new energy projects or grow a green business in East Hampshire creating new jobs and economic growth. The energy centre advice team will support businesses seeking to become more energy efficient and reduce operating costs. It will also provide advise on on-site heat and power generation. We will enable local people to maximise their ability to participate in the green economy providing a skilled workforce to support growing businesses. The energy centre will work in partnership with education providers and local businesses to deliver specialist tertiary education, CPD courses and apprenticeships in green sector skills from carbon accounting and qualifications in retrofit energy efficiency measures, to biomass boiler engineering. We will encourage and facilitate training to become Green Deal and Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) accredited assessors and installers bringing the benefits of participation in government schemes to local companies. We will support the wider availability of vocational courses and qualifications in sustainable trades and professions; and, find creative ways to support local participation in the energy sector supply chain. The energy centre will develop and deliver a green economic development strategy, designing a package of inward investment support to attract new start-up companies and encourage existing business to relocate in East Hampshire. The strategy will consider facilities, planning issues, skills, market access and funding.
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Energy Strategy 2014-2019
Future Projects Green Technology Incubator New smart technologies and energy efficiency advances hold the potential to radically reduce the costs of running an electricity system by reducing peaks in demand. In the UK large industrial users have already been directed to reduce operations at peak times to prevent the electricity supply breaking down. Smart electricity technologies integrate sophisticated digital and communication technologies into devices such as meters, thermostats, appliances and lights and enable real-time adjustments in how much electricity is being used. In the US these technologies have been shown to be capable of delivering a staggering 90% reduction in the peak time electricity price. We will establish a Green technology incubator in Whitehill and Bordon to encourage companies working on smart technology and transformative energy projects to come to East Hampshire. This centre for research, development and high tech engineering will support innovations like high-tech batteries, which can store solar-generated electricity and enable it to be used when the sun isn’t shining; and products with reduced resource intensity (the amount of resource (e.g. water, energy, or materials) needed for the production, consumption and disposal of the product). Being networked within a collaborative incubator community has proven benefits in the product development process, enabling entrepreneurs and innovators to take their ideas from the laboratory stage to a commercial proposition ready for the market.
Engagement plan Communicating this strategy and our vision of an optimistic low carbon future to residents and business; staff, contractors and suppliers; overlaying with neighbouring authorities and central government will be essential to our success. We will need to build new relationships and new partnerships with the public, private and third sector. It will require a focused communications plan. In the short-term the energy centre will need: • An internal staff engagement programme. Critical to building corporate ownership of the strategy, it will include workshops to develop individual Service led objective setting, implementation plans and new reporting metrics to monitor progress. • A stakeholder engagement plan. Critical to leveraging resources and building confidence and credibility, it will include a: Government Relations Strategy Community Engagement Plan Regional Partners Strategy • A network strategy to give direction and focus to developing a supportive, professional knowledge network. In the medium term the energy centre will use the knowledge gained through its relationships and networks to inform the development of an effective behaviour change campaign.
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Prerequisites for success Implementing this strategy will require strong leadership as we enter unchartered territory. To successfully deliver this strategy we will need to provide commitment and support, regulation and incentives; and, most importantly, the whole scale commitment of the council and our staff.
Good governance Ownership of the strategy must be wholehearted. EHDC must ensure that responsibility for delivery is accepted at the highest level with rigorous monitoring procedures to track performance. Commitment must be long-term and resourced beyond 2019. Advice is currently being sought to provide a suitable governance structure for the energy centre, which will complement similar activities within other EHDC services.
Working in partnership Many of the challenges and opportunities we face in East Hampshire are the same across the county and indeed the rest of the UK. We will work alongside or in partnership with others to ensure a ‘joined up’ approach across the County and beyond, consolidating resources to deliver this strategy efficiently. We will work in partnership with other local authorities, communities, third sector organisations, academics, central Government and business, to ensure that our policies are built on sure foundations; benefit from the research and experience of others; and, attract investment.
The Energy Strategy will become an important part of EHDC’s operational and commercial focus. It is recommended that energy expertise be added to the NonExecutive Board.
Leadership There is significant reputation risk involved if we fall short in our own commitment to match our environmental positioning with action. In particular, ensuring that environmental sustainability holds equal weight alongside other considerations whether we are developing policy, managing service provision or making investment decisions. This strategy will require real commitment, thinking creatively to find responsible investment opportunities that provide a good return on investment and improve environmental sustainability when more conventional, environmentally questionable yet more immediately profitable options may be available. Leadership will be required across all portfolios to demonstration best practice in everything we do. For example ensuring that the properties in our own estate and investment portfolio undergo a retrofit programme to make them as energy efficient as possible; ensuring that all new properties are built to high levels of sustainability; improving our understanding of the council’s building stock so that energy efficiency and behaviour change campaigns can be properly targeted. Developing an ‘environmentally accountable’ strand to the EHDC brand.
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Improving People’s Lives
Next steps and timescales This strategy establishes a foundation for the council to progress more detailed work, including the preparation of an implementation plan before March 2015. For the shortterm the strategy will enable the following workstreams to be taken forward to March 2015 to progress all five components:
Objectives
Workstream
Hampshire’s energy centre
• Shortlist governance structure options
Energy generation and supply
• Heat Fund bid submitted to DECC
Energy demand management
• Review current reporting arrangements on EHDC estate
Economic development
• Continued delivery of Green Deal Communities
Engagement strategy
• Workshops with Service Managers and Councillors to prepare implementation plan
• Prepare outline specification
• Prepare short-medium term project pipeline with supporting business cases
• Review refurbishment plans for Penns Place
• Utilise existing networks to promote the strategy and seek input from the energy industry and East Hampshire businesses
• Peer review with stakeholders • Develop Energy Network in East Hampshire
Resources Successful delivery of this strategy will result in overall lower costs as expenditure on energy falls and income from energy generation rises. In the short term some additional funds will be needed to deliver on the next steps, including the preparation of the Energy Strategy Implementation Plan with councillors and staff. To complete this task a project manager will be appointed to enable a more detailed consultation and engagement across East Hampshire. From 2015 investment will be needed to achieve the objectives in the strategy but this will be based on individual business cases.
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Annex A: Strategy at a glance Why we need an energy strategy In East Hampshire like all communities across the country we are faced with rising energy prices that hit low income families the hardest and impact on transport, food public services and the cost of goods. Most of our energy is imported and supply is getting less secure due to international conflict, fluctuating prices and a national grid that at times cannot cope with demand. We need to protect our communities and countryside from the effects of climate change and use our natural assets to generate cleaner energy.
Delivering the council’s vision for the future We are robust guardians of our ‘natural capital’ providing leadership and inspiration to others in our ability to balance our responsibility to generate income, while reducing harmful emissions and protecting our local and global environment. Therefore it is a feature of our economic development strategy to promote and support a strong green economy within the district maximising the opportunities afforded by this growing sector. The strategy • East Hampshire District Council will become a renewable energy company.
Implementation We will create the East Hampshire Energy Centre an agency to deliver renewable energy projects on behalf of EHDC and be the principle driver of this strategy providing a core of specialist expertise and experience to connect with universities, schools, business, communities, the Government and the public. We plan to create urban solar farms bringing solar PV to many of the new houses planned for East Hampshire, support the retrofit of solar PV including on EHDC buildings, and promote other local energy schemes including biomass, solar thermal, waste heat and district heating systems EHDC will supply energy and other utilities to homes and businesses , promote the use of electric and hybrid vehicles and strategies to reduce carbon emissions from transport. We will drive down carbon emissions from the EHDC buildings and services aiming to become carbon neutral. Supplementary planning guidance on energy will signal our challenging sustainable homes agenda to developers. We will continue to promote energy saving improvement of existing houses and buildings to homeowners, private and social landlords, companies, support community projects and the town initiative in Whitehill & Bordon.
• East Hampshire will become an exemplar in energy demand management.
This strategy will enable work to promote and support a strong green economy within the district, maximising the opportunities afforded by this growing sector. East Hampshire will build a reputation for developing talent in this industry sector, supporting green industries to locate in East Hampshire and access research, funding and new markets.
• East Hampshire District Council will be at the centre of developments in the energy sector.
Engagement
• We will set clear and measurable targets to monitor progress
Communicating this strategy and our vision of an optimistic low carbon future to residents and business; staff, contractors and suppliers; overlaying with neighbouring authorities and central government will be essential to our success. We will need to build new relationships and new partnerships with the public, private and third sector. It will require a focused communications plan.
• East Hampshire will become a natural home for Green industries.
We will work in partnership with other local authorities, communities, third sector organisations, academics, central Government and business, to ensure that our policies are built on sure foundations; benefit from the research and experience of others; and attract investment.
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Skills and training
Economic Development
Energy advice
Green Business Development Strategy
Generation partnerships Energy efficiency Green Deal supply chain Green tech incubator Inward investment
New build Urban Solar Farm
Housing Association / Public Housing EHDC property
Energy Strategy
Energy generation and supply
EV Network
EV charging points
Future projects
Renewable heat strategy
Policy statements (SPD) Heating oil project MUSCo
District Heating Utility provision
Domestic Green Deal Business
Behaviour change campaign Penns Place refurbishment Energy demand management
EHDC estate
Map and survey all EHDC property Establish rolling retrofit programme
EHDC operations and services
Workshops and target setting Delivery plans and implementation
Map East Hampshire’s building stock
Build district heat map
Smart metres programme
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Annex B: Outline business case Potential benefits from investing in solar energy projects Private investors in solar PV gain from three income streams. Payment per Kilowatt hour generated under the Feed in Tariff scheme (currently 14.38ppKWh), payment for electricity exported to the national grid – usually deemed to be 50% at a rate of 4.77p per KWh, and the value of ‘free electricity ‘that does not have to be paid for at the going rate typically 15ppKWh. A 4kw system on a south facing roof might generate 3400KWhs per annum resulting in Generation income of £490, export income of £81 and saving on electricity bills of £255 per annum total £826. Installation costs have halved over the last four years. If installation costs £7000 pay back would be under 9 years and the rate of return 11%. The Feed-In-Tariffs is guaranteed by energy companies for 20 years. Once the capital is paid off returns will increase. Saving on lower electricity bills will rise with fuel price inflation and export income will rise with inflation. Commercial investors have achieved business success by renting roof space from homeowners and installing solar PV. The homeowner receives free electricity whilst the investor receives the FIT. Each installation requires a roof agreement that in effect leases the air space above the roof to the company for a 20 year term.
Many local authorities have already installed solar pv on public buildings, council houses and schools. Eastleigh Borough Council has 1343 PV panels installed on various sites around the Borough, which generate around 355,760 kWh of electricity. To put this into context the average home uses 3,300 kWh per year so these schemes are expected to generate enough electricity to power around 108 homes for a year. By producing energy in this renewable form, the scheme will avoid producing approximately 187,485 kg of CO2 per year. EHDC plans to work with developers to install solar PV on a proportion of the estimated 500-700 homes due to be built each year in the district to 2028. If a target of 10% of the total was achieved and assuming 4KW per house for every 500 houses this would generate capacity of 200KW or 170,000KWhs per annum. Potential income would be £17000 per annum plus the value of the electricity generated. The incentive for householders would be cheaper electricity. This type of investment is commonplace for business but untried by local authorities as yet. EHDC will be leading the way. Each stage of the investment plan will be supported by a business case and evidence that demonstrates value for money for the council taxpayer. The West Solent Solar Cooperative near Lymington has recently installed 9,400 panels on the site of an old gravel pit. It cost £2.6m and will earn 8.5% ROI. Feed-in-tarifs have since changed but benefits both financial and environmental are still high.
Stefano Ember / Shutterstock.com
Larger returns can be achieved by creating solar farms on available land or larger scale installations on factory roofs or other large buildings such as barns or schools. Payback via the FIT is at a lower rate however the installation cost per kilowatt is lower than for small-scale projects. Rates of return are therefore similar. In general buildings that use a lot of electricity such as a sports centre will give better investment returns.
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Installation of charging points for electric vehicles East Hampshire has significantly higher carbon emissions than the rest of the UK and higher than the majority of councils in Hampshire. This is in part due to the rural nature of the district, which has the 9th highest rate of car ownership in the UK. We already support strategies and plans to reduce car journeys through improved public transport, car sharing, housing development that reduces the need for short car journeys and favours cycling and walking. Now we want to see an increase in the use of electric vehicles and plan to fund the installation of car charging points across the district. The introduction of plug-in electric vehicles in the United Kingdom is actively supported by the British government, which, as of November 2013, has pledged £400 million to support the deployment of plug-in vehicles in the five years to March 2015. Since 2010 more than 13,000 plug-in electric vehicles have been registered in the UK up until June 2014 including all-electric cars, commercial vans and plug-in hybrids. As of November 2013, Britain has around 5,000 public charging points of which only 200 are quick chargers.1 Once built electric vehicles have lower carbon emissions than petrol and diesel motors and lower fuel costs. Savings could be £800 per annum (10,000 miles) plus there is no vehicle excise duty to pay. The cost of initial purchase is higher in part due to the cost of the batteries however a government subsidy of up to £5000 off the purchase price is available. This is an industry that is only just beginning hence the higher capital cost and subsidisation to increase market interest. In the last 12 months more manufacturers have released models and prices have reduced. However a significant drawback until battery technology improves is that the range is typically 60 miles. Furthermore there are insufficient car charging points available especially offering the rapid charge.2 By installing additional charging points at cost and offering electricity at cost EHDC will encourage EV car ownership in East Hampshire. It must be said that much of our electricity is still produced from fossil fuels so EV carbon emissions are lower than for petrol or diesel cars but not by much. We therefore need to combine this project with renewable energy supply. Where this is possible we can considerably reduce carbon emissions. 4 We will also ensure that all new buildings are equipped with external charging points as standard.
http://www.nextgreencar.com/electric-cars/car-costs.php http://shrinkthatfootprint.com/wp-content/ uploads/2013/02/Shades-of-Green-Full-Report.pdf 4
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Annex C: Current energy baseline District-wide carbon emissions By breaking down the district’s emissions between industry and commerce, households and transport it is possible to see where the significant opportunities for reducing emissions lie. Graph 1 indicates that a significant proportion of the district’s emissions arise from road transportation. This can be explained by the rural nature of East Hampshire and its relatively affluent population. Looking at the indices of multiple deprivation, residents of East Hampshire are amongst 10% of the UK’s least deprived areas. In general, more affluent communities enjoy greater levels of consumption and therefore their associated carbon emissions are higher (e.g. through increased levels of car ownership and domestic energy consumption).
The other areas that stand out as significantly contributing to East Hampshire’s emissions relate to domestic electricity and gas use required to heat our homes and run our electrical appliances. Also, just over 25% of East Hampshire’s emissions are associated with industrial and commercial electricity and gas use. This sector provides a significant opportunity to reduce the energy use linked to business operations whilst reducing business running costs and generating an additional source of income through the production and management of renewable energy.
East Hampshire district wide emissions (ktCO2) – 2010 5 16%
0%
14%
5% 6% 1%
Industry and Commercial Electricity Industry and Commercial Gas Industrial and Commercial Other Fuels Agricultural Combustion Domestic Electricity Domestic Gas
22%
26%
36%
Domestic 'Other Fuels'
15%
Road Transport (A roads) Road Transport (Minor roads) Road Transport Other
5% 16%
39%
www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-authorityemissions-estimates
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Energy Strategy 2014-2019
Emissions from council services As a council, we have a significant opportunity to reduce the emissions of the district. We have direct control over our buildings and services and therefore it is important to look at the emissions profile across all operations of the council. All emissions resulting from council services are collected and reported upon. The emissions figures in Graph 2 cover all of East Hampshire’s own operations and outsourced services. It is clear that the majority of emissions are as a result of running the council’s offices, leisure centres and other buildings. These emissions (covered by Scope 1 & 2 reporting) are from gas heating for buildings and swimming pools and electricity for lighting, computers and other electrical appliances. A very small proportion (1.4%) relates to council owned transport (post car, pool car and environmental services vehicles).
The other significant area of energy use relates to ‘Scope 3’ emissions. These include business travel (9.6%) and outsourced services (90.4%) such as the joint waste contract with Winchester City Council and the jointly run services with Havant Borough Council It is important that this strategy covers reductions in energy use across all council services to ensure that the scale of impact required is achieved. In the case of Scope 3 emissions this will involve working closely with council service providers and collaboration with shared service operators such as Winchester City Council, Hampshire County Council, Portsmouth and Southampton and Veolia Environmental Services in relation to Project Integra.
Graph 2: EHDC Own Operations Emissions (tCO2e)
871 25%
1312 37%
Scope 1 (Heating, building & transport) Scope 2 (Electricity)
Scope 3 (Outsourced services & business travel 1332 38%
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How does East Hampshire compare with other councils? Significant variations in demographics, density, land use and other factors exist across the UK and therefore it can be problematic to directly compare East Hampshire’s emissions against other Local Authorities in the Country. However, if you divide the total emissions of the district by its population, it is possible to calculate the per capita emissions for the area. The per capita emissions for East Hampshire are 7.4tCO2 per annum. This figure is significantly higher than other local authorities across the UK; ranking East Hampshire in the bottom half of the country.
Our emissions, in comparison to other councils in Hampshire, are relatively high and above Hampshire’s average of 6.2tCO2 per capita. As Graph 3 suggests, this can be put down to emissions relating to transport and households, which are the highest in Hampshire. As referred to earlier, this can be partly explained by high levels of emissions associated with car ownership and domestic energy consumption. East Hampshire has the 9th highest level of car ownership in the UK, with over 88% of households running a car or van6.
tCO2 per capita
Graph 3: Hampshire Emissions across sectors (tCO2 per capita) 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
Road Transport Domestic Industry and Commercial
Local Authority
www.racfoundation.org
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Annex D: Progress to date PART ONE: ONGOING PROJECTS
Multi Utilities Service Company (MUSCo)
Whitehill & Bordon Green Town
The creation of a Service Company is currently being explored by EHDC to offer an alternative utilities solution for new development, which could see an increase in locally lead utilities investment, which could promote renewable energy solutions.
The regeneration of Whitehill & Bordon is about creating a prosperous thriving town in a beautiful natural environment where people choose to live and work because it offers them great opportunities and a great quality of life. This is our vision to create Hampshire’s Green Town. The Whitehill & Bordon Project is the top priority for EHDC. Plans for regeneration of the town include up to 4,000 new homes, about 5,500 new jobs, a new town centre with shops, leisure activities and new education facilities, a relief road which will ease congestion on the A325 and provide access to the whole development and 150 hectares of green space made more accessible for residents. The development is expected to be phased over a period of around 20 years with final delivery planned for 2035. Carbon reduction and energy saving is at the centre of plans to redevelop the former military town and encompasses new developments, retro fit of existing housing stock, renewable energy generation, transport and green economic development. The low carbon aspirations for the new development the existing town, combined with targets to reduce dependency on the car, promoting more sustainable methods of travel demonstrates the council’s desire to transform policy into practice and create sustainable communities across the district. To date the council has supported over 1,000 retrofits on homes in Whitehill & Bordon.
Energy Strategy 2014-2019
Green Deal Communities The Green Deal is a national programme supported by the UK Government, which enables householders to access funding to improve their lives by reducing carbon emissions and saving money on energy bills. The type and number of energy efficient installations householders can access, such as loft and cavity wall insulation is dependent on the completion of an energy efficiency assessment of their home. The assessment provides a tailored set of energy efficient measures, which the householder could choose to install. To promote the take up of this programme, the Green Deal Communities Fund was established to provide additional cash incentive to make it easier to fund the works. The Green Deal Communities Project in partnership with Solent Green Deal will enable 1,000 householders to benefit from the cash back incentive by March 2015. The council is keen to see this programme continue into future years, but this is subject to further funding being available.
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PART TWO: COMMUNITY INITIATIVES Insulate Hampshire Insulate Hampshire was a partnership across Hampshire to increase insulation in existing houses. The original offer for Hampshire householders was £99 for loft insulation and £75 for cavity wall insulation (based on an average three bedroom property and subject to survey). There was also the option for loft top up for those residents with existing insulation, but which did not meet current building regulations. Subsequent negotiations with Scottish Power resulted in the ‘Winter Warmer’ promotion, offering free insulation for a limited period. This free offer was then extended to the end of the scheme in November 2012. The scheme was project managed by Hampshire County Council (HCC) and delivered in partnership with all Hampshire local authorities. The managing agent was Yorkshire Energy with funding from Scottish Power. At the end of installations of the core scheme on 30th November 2012, over 28,000 households had completed a stage one assessment. Over 18,600 insulation measures had been installed in over 13,900 homes across Hampshire, cumulating to over £92m in fuel bill savings and over 381,000tonnes CO2 saved over the lifespan of the cavity and loft insulation for Hampshire residents. Looking at the first 12 months after installation these figures equate to over £2.3m in fuel savings and over 9,500tonnes CO2 . In addition, over £5.6million in Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) funding (over £5.5m from Scottish Power) has been invested in Hampshire as a result of Insulate Hampshire. One element, the Community DIY project was particularly successful in East Hampshire supported by Energy Alton. 526 households benefited saving £27,150 in the first year and £1.086m over the lifetime of the measures. These results exceeded those for all other districts in Hampshire.
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Community Initiatives In recent years several Greening Groups were established across the district committed to supporting sustainable communities. The East Hampshire Environmental Network has linked council members with business and community interests. Greening Alton and Holybourne made a successful bid to the DECC Local Environment Assessment Fund in 2012 and as Energy Alton embarked on several projects including running a high street energy centre, carrying out domestic and commercial energy surveys, a free thermal imaging programme, renewable energy workshops and insulation of demonstration solid wall houses. Energy Alton with Insulate Hampshire and Yorkshire Energy ran a highly successful DIY home insulation programme for more than 500 householders. This success led to an offer of a free solar PV system on a community building. Energy Alton chose Alton Town Library. Negotiations and planning took over 12 months resulting in a 10KW system that was commissioned in September 2013. In this groundbreaking project the feed in tariff payments are shared between HCC and Energy Alton for 15 years. Energy Alton has won national recognition and awards for its work. They are now supporting the Green Deal Communities project and continue to work towards the aims and objectives of this strategy.
PART THREE: EHDC ESTATE East Hampshire District Council has been working on reducing energy use and adapting to climate change for many years. In July 2007 the council signed the Nottingham declaration acknowledging the increasing impact that climate change will have on East Hampshire’s communities in the 21st century and committing the council to tackling the causes and effects of climate change across the district. In 2011 EHDC agreed a Climate Change Action Plan jointly with Havant Borough Council setting out specific actions to reduce carbon emissions across the district, increase local renewable energy provision and create a low carbon economy. A review of the three year Climate Change Action Plan 2011-2014 took place in February 2013. In summary there has been progress but not enough to meet the original targets. In particular EHDC needs to have clear targets for energy saving, for increasing renewable energy and other performance areas for each year of the plan. In 2008 The council adopted a report from the Carbon Trust that recommended a range of energy saving measures that if implemented would make savings of 13%. Measures completed include: • North Block Boilers replacement - optimising and compensating system introduced. • North block roof insulation. • LED lighting on PIR sensors. • T5 lighting & Council Chamber reduction with data report to show old for new energy usage. • Timers onto water dispensers, coffee machines & photocopiers. • Reduce urinal flushing by PIR sensors & Sani Sleeves introduced. • Replace old toilet cisterns with 6 litre version.
Energy Strategy 2014-2019
A further report to EHDC from the Energy Saving Trust in 2010 review progress and made recommendations for the future. The council was rated good for services and community leadership and fair for strategy. To bring performance under the strategy heading EST recommended: • Re-establish a cross-service energy/climate change group with significant resources and clear corporate support for action. This group should meet regularly, include senior representatives and have a work plan against which progress is monitored. There should also be a system for ensuring that information is cascaded down to the relevant officers; • Introduce energy training to staff in areas of council operation deemed to have most significant impact on energy use and ensure that frontline staff who visit tenants are aware of issues associated with poor energy efficiency and are either able to provide advice there and then, or refer the tenants to the Energy Saving Trust advice centre. Key recommendations in relation to the council‘s services include: • Consider implementing an area based insulation scheme as an effective way of delivering significant carbon reductions in their area; • Adopt targets to increase the minimum and average SAP rating of all private housing; • Proactively engage with private sector landlords to increase their uptake of energy efficiency measures, with financial support from the authority. Community leadership, key recommendations include: • Developing a communications strategy to lead the community to take action on climate change. • Engage with the council‘s Local Strategic Partnership to set targets and a timescale to reduce car dependency across the locality.
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