2. November 2024
Council Non-domestic buildings
- The Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS) 3b funding granted in 2023 to deliver heat decarbonisation projects for both the Royal Albert Memorial Museum (RAMM) and the Riverside Leisure Centre has proven unviable. Due to challenges at both sites and the immovable grant funding spend deadline, the project cannot proceed. PSDS Phase 4 is currently open for bids with changes made to the grant criteria and application process, presenting significant differences to previous rounds. As a result, there is only opportunity to submit a viable PSDS funding application for the Riverside Leisure Centre. The installation of an individual heat pump scheme at Riverside, would present a strong grant application, allowing the Council to utilise information and understanding gained during the PSDS 3b exercise and deliver a revised project meeting all essential criteria, including having a DNO connection offer and design to RIBA stage 3.
- Low Carbon Skills Fund application to fund asset decarbonisation plans submitted in early 2024 but was unsuccessful.
- Work on the Royal Albert Memorial Museum (RAMM) using Museum Estate & Development (MEND) funding (£498,000) awarded in 2023 is complete. The MEND grant, matched by an existing capital programme budget, provides vital funds to address the maintenance backlog of the RAMM roof and included installation of a permanent access system to the roof, upgrades to the roofs’ insulation and the re-decoration of damaged ceilings. To support further funding bids and decarbonisation measures, this work, a full decarbonisation plan for RAMM is being developed.
- An additional 16kWp PV has been installed on RAMM in 2024.
- Solar survey funded and underway.
- Energy storage under review and if financially viable will be included in new solar install programme (dependent on building condition)
- Awaiting decision on making a Heritage England funding bid for the historic Guildhall
- Continue to look for funding to improve energy efficiency of all buildings
Council-owned housing
- 773 properties fully retrofitted so far, with a further 153 to be completed by end of March 2025.
- Retrofitting measures include:
- Removal of failed cavity wall insulation
- Removal of historic debris and rubble left behind when previous insulation was installed
- Roofs and roofline repairs and renewals
- Installation of new thermally efficient and low-carbon cavity wall insulation
- New loft insulation
- New renewable Solar PV systems
- New highly efficient replacement heating systems where required
- Smart heating controls fitted
- Windows and Doors replacements
- Smart meters installed
- Monitoring and management support for tenants
- New tenant energy efficiency booklets published and distributed
- Average SAP Score Pre Work - 63
- Average SAP Score Post Work - 95
- Average Annual Energy Bill Savings Per Property - £45 (33% reduction)
- Average of 93.7% carbon reduction for completed properties
- Housing currently evaluating the opportunities for a bid under Social Housing Decarbonisation Funding Wave 3 – submission likely to be required in October/November 2024.
Transport
- Staff travel survey carried out in July 2024 to inform Green Travel Plan and 23/24 Carbon Footprint calculations
- Green Travel Plan being reviewed by the Director of People
- 18x (16.5%) electric vehicles (including 3x electric Refuse Collection Vehicles (eRCVs)), and 4x (3.7%) petrol hybrid vehicles in active fleet of 109 vehicles in 2022/23
- Currently investigating possibility of bringing back electric pool cars (ECC previously had 2x Leaf cars until 2020) to reduce grey fleet mileage
- A report has been commissioned and is currently underway to produce a decarbonisation plan for the Waterways team, this will cover all aspects of the service including the fleet of boats
Procurement
- Active promotion of Green Accord accreditation scheme through networking groups and on LinkedIn page
- Sustainable Supplier event being run by Net Zero team to be held on 28th Invites existing and prospective suppliers to hear about how to be a sustainable supplier, and 1:1 advice on how to become accredited with the Green Accord.
- Implementation of tighter emissions reporting requirements for contracts over £25,000. First tender with new requirements ongoing
F gases and waste
- Discussions to be held with Corporate Property and Housing to ensure maintenance contracts include f-gas losses
Renewable energy
- The City Council has secured £100k from the South West Net Zero Hub, Local Net Zero Fund created to support South West Local Authorities to deliver on net zero. The grants is to be used to investigate opportunities, unlock barriers and get stalled projects moving. The City Council’s grant will fund an evaluation of solar opportunities across 13 City Council assets and develop a business case for new solar sites. A solar survey has been completed, as well as structural surveys and DNO feasibility to bring together a business case to install solar PV on a number of roofs owned by the City Council. This will support the decarbonisation of City Council owned buildings, to provide energy independence and to reduce energy bills.
- The team are working with the City Council’s Communications team in informing members of the public in how much solar is generated from our 3.4mw solar estate. Communications include infographics that show solar generation over time. The Climate Emergency webpages are routinely updated with solar generation data.
- The Water Lane Smart Grid and Storage Project is a demonstrator to all and recent site visits have been hosted at the solar farm for outside organisations and members to share learning about EV charging, eRVCs, self-supply and storage. The scheme has also received interest from industry bodies and the SW Catapult Hub as an example of innovation and leadership.
Land use change – afforestation
- Planning has acquired the EXACOM add-on, which will enable us to manage and report on BNG across the city, from initial planning through to long-term monitoring. However, full utilisation of the system is contingent on filling the vacant Ecologist position, as this role will be essential in managing and interpreting the data. We anticipate this capacity will support the reporting requirements leading up to 2026 and beyond. In the interim, project officers have been instructed to mark relevant BNG applications in our Uniform system to ensure that data is collected consistently, providing a foundational dataset for future analysis. For clarity, the software does not support BNG requests on retrospective applications, as regulations currently exclude these.
Overall Organisational Change
- 256 members of staff and Councillors have undertaken Carbon Literacy training delivered by 2 members of Net Zero Team.
- 122 members of staff and Councillors ‘certified’ as Carbon Literacy so far.
- Carbon Literacy training to be delivered to all staff working at Materials Reclamation Facility in Nov/Dec 2024.
- The Net Zero Ambassadors have been reassessed following the staff restructure, and some of the Ambassadors leaving the organisation. The Ambassadors role has been reviewed to provide them with more focus and a direct opportunity to reduce carbon emissions within their own service.
- New Environmental Policy underway, which is required for contracts we bid for, but to also provide some consistency across the organisation.
- Review of committee reports and accountability to ensure all Council decisions are informed by an analysis of whether they would help or hinder the delivery of the Net Zero ambition for the council and the city is ongoing
- Staff members’ Carbon Literacy pledges to be shared in staff newsletters
- Organisational Carbon Descent Report to be presented to Scrutiny Committee in January2025 to determine what resources would be required to achieve net zero measures
- Active engagement with external networks – Devon Climate Emergency Response Group, Devon Climate Emergency Tactical Group, University of Exeter Green Future’s Community of Practice Scope 3 group