West Midlands Local Authority Low Carbon Economy Programme Carbon Management Support from the Carbon Trust

Transcription

1 West Midlands Local Authority Low Carbon Economy Programme Carbon Management Support from the Carbon Trust Programme Summary Prepared for Improvement and Efficiency West Midlands and Sustainability West Midlands by the Carbon Trust July 2012

2 Contents 1 Introduction Carbon Management Light Collaborative Implementation Capacity Building Workshops One to one support Additional capacity on the national schools programme Regional Carbon Management Light Programme Public Sector Carbon Management Support from Carbon Trust Participating authorities Outcomes Carbon saving targets Financial outcomes Collaborative Implementation Capacity Building Collaborative Implementation support from the Carbon Trust Tailoring the programme to the West Midlands Workshop evaluation Overall engagement Renewable Heating technologies, with focus on Biomass Decentralised Energy, Combined Heat & Power and District Heating Lighting Upgrades Electrical energy efficiency within buildings Effective behavioural change workshop One to one support Coventry City Council Wyre Forest District Council Herefordshire Council Staffordshire Authorities Warwickshire County Council Low Carbon Schools Programme Approach Delivery Plan Roll out to all schools... 19

3 1 Introduction The West Midlands Local Authority Low Carbon Economy Programme 1, delivered between March 2011 and March 2012, was aimed at helping local authorities and their partners in the West Midlands to use the low carbon agenda to achieve cost reduction and private and third sector low carbon job creation. The Programme was coordinated by Sustainability West Midlands on behalf of Improvement and Efficiency West Midlands and funded through the Climate Change Skills Fund. As part of this programme the Carbon Trust was commissioned to provide support to local authorities in managing energy consumption and carbon emissions from their own building estate and their service delivery activities. This report aims to summarise the package of support delivered to authorities involved in the programme and evaluate the success of each individual work package. This work was delivered through the activities described below. 1.1 Carbon Management Light A 6-month regional carbon management programme was provided for five Tier 2 Local Authorities with annual energy spends below 1 million. Running this programme within a defined region maximises collaborative learning and creates a lasting network of support. The programme provided technical and change management support to organisations to enable them to produce a 5-year Carbon Management Plan. Participants were supported in creating a robust business case for carbon reduction over the coming years and ensuring the right governance structures are in place to deliver this. The following Local Authorities committed to work with the Carbon Trust on this programme and now have a CTendorsed carbon management plan: Stratford, South Staffordshire, North Warwickshire, Rugby and Worcester City. 1.2 Collaborative Implementation Capacity Building Workshops Five workshops on key technology areas were run between September 2011 and February Workshops were open to all Local Authorities in the West Midlands and included an introduction to the technology/topic area, a map of the implementation process (including performance specifications, design, tendering and implementation), advice on contractual negotiation and practical examples from within the region where available. The workshop topics were as follows: Lighting Upgrades and Controls Renewable Heat Technologies Electrical Energy Efficiency Saving Carbon through Effective Behaviour Change Decentralised Energy, Combined Heat & Power and District Energy 1.3 One to one support The programme included a total of 16 days of consultancy support available to Local Authorities participating in the collaborative implementation programme. Participating authorities were invited to submit applications, and the following authorities and projects were selected for support: Herefordshire Council (lighting audits), 1 Carbon Trust: West Midlands Low Carbon Economy Programme Carbon Management Support 2

4 Staffordshire authorities (County-wide behaviour change strategy), Coventry City Council (building audits and estate strategy review), Wyre Forest District Council (development of Carbon Management Plan projects) and Warwickshire County Council (setting up an Energy Services Company or ESCo). 1.4 Additional capacity on the national schools programme The Collaborative Low Carbon Schools Programme was delivered by the Carbon Trust in 2011/12. The Schools Programme aimed to support carbon reduction and resource efficiency in schools across England. Significant interest was generated amongst West Midlands authorities in participating in the Programme. In the first round of applications, eight West Midlands authorities were successful in gaining a place on the Schools Programme. Through the Low Carbon Economy Programme, additional capacity on the Schools Programme was secured for up to three authorities. In the event this additional capacity was only taken up by Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council. Carbon Trust: West Midlands Low Carbon Economy Programme Carbon Management Support 3

5 2 Regional Carbon Management Light Programme 2.1 Public Sector Carbon Management Support from Carbon Trust Our Public Sector Carbon Management Service enables local authorities to manage and reduce their carbon and energy costs by: Providing technical and strategic support to develop a carbon baseline and cost/ carbon reduction target Offering training and expert guidance on how to embed carbon management across an organisation and make the business case to secure funding The Carbon Management Light programme provided as part of the Low Carbon Economy Programme is a condensed version of the full Public Sector Carbon Management Programme. It was delivered over six months and included: Regional events Facilitation/support with onsite workshops Dedicated Programme Advisors for each participant organisation A range of advice and guidance through on site, telephone and web-based support Access to and training on the Carbon Trust s Carbon Management Toolkit Each participant is expected to identify a Project Lead, who can devote a minimum of 2 days/week to the programme, together with a Project Sponsor who sets the scope and targets, monitors progress and removes obstacles as they arise. The programme follows our tried and tested approach to Carbon Management, developed over the last 8 years: 1 Mobilise 2 Baseline & forecast 3 Identify & quantify 4 Approve Plan 5 Implement the Plan Building the team & setting the scope Measuring baseline and goals Identifying the risks & prioritising actions Designing a cost effective strategy Embedding carbon reduction into daily business 2.2 Participating authorities Participating Authorities are offered Carbon Management support for free, but the Carbon Trust insists on a resource commitment of 2 days per week for the project lead and attendance from project sponsors (who should be at senior management level at least) at the launch event. The project lead is responsible for the completion of the final Carbon Management plan and the project sponsor is responsible for embedding and communicating the new systems and structure into the Authority. The Carbon Trust offered the opportunity to participate in the programme to all Tier 2 authorities in the West Midlands. Prior to being accepted on to the programme the Carbon Trust interviewed the project lead and sponsor to ensure that there was senior level commitment to the project. Some authorities declined the opportunity to participate, but only one Council failed to provide satisfactory evidence to convince the programme board that they had the senior commitment to produce a robust carbon management plan. Carbon Trust: West Midlands Low Carbon Economy Programme Carbon Management Support 4

6 The five authorities accepted on to the programme were South Staffordshire District Council, Worcester City Council, North Warwickshire Borough Council, Stratford upon Avon District Council and Rugby Borough Council. The five authorities were required to meet deadlines at each of the stages outlined above: Mobilise Project lead and sponsor attend kick off meeting. Carbon Management team and reporting structures set up internally. Roles and responsibilities allocated. Baseline and Forecast Organisational carbon footprint determined for scope 1&2 emissions (emissions associated with council premises and the delivery of services). Project lead required to attend workshop, gather emissions data and populate CT baseline tool. Forward projections of cost and carbon determined through further analysis. Identify and quantify Carbon reduction target agreed over 5 year period and projects identified to meet this target. Participants required to work with programme advisors at workshop and then, through onsite support, to identify projects and populate project register using Rapid Assessment of Potential tool. Approve plan meetings held with budget holders to secure budget for project implementation, facilitated by project lead and programme advisor. Five-year finance plan created. Plan signed off by project sponsor and Carbon Trust Implement the plan communication strategy established, budget secured and project lead empowered to deliver. 2.3 Outcomes All five authorities have submitted plans and these have been reviewed by the Carbon Trust. In order to meet the Carbon Trust criteria each participant authority will need to make some amendments and return a final version of their plan. They will be presented with their certificate of participation at the Carbon Trust Alumni event in the autumn. All of the Authorities have established a baseline, set a carbon reduction target and determined a register of projects to achieve this. The key criteria for Carbon Trust sign off in the Quality Assurance process is: Does the authority have a team set up and are they actively engaged with the programme? Is there robust evidence for the establishment of a carbon baseline for the organisation? Has a sufficiently ambitious carbon reduction target been set? Has the authority established a list of carbon reduction projects and identified areas for further investigation? Has the authority completed the evaluation of the projects for inclusion in the plan? Has the authority allocated finance for the project register? The following section summarises the key commitments within each of the plans: Carbon saving targets The following table shows the baseline emissions for each of the participating Authorities. This is the total scope 1&2 carbon emissions from 2010/11. The table also shows the 5-year carbon reduction target (how much the Council is looking to reduce their emissions by over the next 5 years) and the total number of tco2 this equates to. As an example South Staffordshire are looking to reduce their annual CO2 emissions by 25%, or 625 tco2, over the next 5 years, reducing their annual carbon footprint from 2,500tCO2 to 1,875tCO2. Carbon Trust: West Midlands Low Carbon Economy Programme Carbon Management Support 5

7 Authority Baseline emissions (t CO2) Amount baseline will be reduced by after 5 years (%, tco2/yr) South Staffordshire District Council 2,500 25%, 625 Worcester City Council 2,759 25%,690 North Warwickshire District Council 1,691 25%, 423 Stratford upon Avon District Council 4,846 25%, 1212 Rugby Borough Council 3,696 30%, 1109 Total 15, Financial outcomes This total of 4,058 tco2 savings equates to a saving of 518k per annum at today s power and gas prices. This is likely to be closer to 1m when consideration is given to likely price rises over the next 5 years. In other words, together the five Councils will be spending 518k less per year in 2015/16 than they are in 2010/11 (not accounting for energy cost increases). Worcester City Council: The Plan will save the authority over 100,000 a year once all projects have been implemented. 123,000 of investment is required to deliver the plan. North Warwickshire District Council: It is anticipated that North Warwickshire s carbon management plan will deliver cumulative savings to the value of around 505,000 (with recurring annual savings of 171,000 thereafter). In total, the cost of implementing new projects identified through the development of the Plan is around 221,800. Rugby Borough Council: When all these projects are implemented it will result in estimated annual financial savings of around 216,100. Implementing the carbon reduction projects in this plan will cost around 436,700. South Staffordshire District Council: If the total carbon savings identified in the plan are delivered this should result in a minimum financial net saving of 484,700 over the projects lifetimes. To implement the projects defined in this Plan will cost approximately 183,100. Stratford: If all of these projects are implemented the plan will result in estimated annual financial savings of 104,000. To implement the projects defined in this plan will cost approximately 217,200. Carbon Trust: West Midlands Low Carbon Economy Programme Carbon Management Support 6

8 3 Collaborative Implementation Capacity Building 3.1 Collaborative Implementation support from the Carbon Trust The Carbon Trust s approach to Collaborative Implementation support is designed to enable participants to prioritise their carbon reduction initiatives and develop the resource to implement them. The ambition is that the workshops will give participants the knowledge and confidence to develop an on-going plan and supporting budget to effectively maintain assets and reduce energy costs throughout their Local Authority estate. Collaborative Implementation is designed to: Provide practical insight into the applicability of key technologies; Identify common barriers and solutions to implementation ; Introduce innovative funding and project finance options; Provide guidance on procurement and contracting energy efficient equipment; Provide a programme of support for organisational behaviour change, building on Carbon Trust tools and expertise, including our employee engagement tool Empower; and Facilitate public sector participants in networking and sharing best practice. 3.2 Tailoring the programme to the West Midlands The Carbon Trust, in collaboration with Sustainability West Midlands, developed a programme of Collaborative Implementation support workshops that brought together organisations with similar carbon reduction projects and gave them access to leading UK experts in key technology areas. The programme consisted of 5 workshops on key technology areas, starting in September 2011 and completed by February The Carbon Trust carried out some research with local authorities in the West Midlands to determine the most appropriate focus of technology support for the region. Based on feedback from authorities, the following technology areas/topics were prioritised and delivered: Lighting Upgrades and Controls Renewable Heat Technologies Electrical Energy Efficiency Saving Carbon through Effective Behaviour Change Decentralised Energy, Combined Heat & Power and District Energy Through the course of each one-day workshop, participants were supported to produce a detailed implementation plan covering every step of the implementation process, and at the end of the workshop had a clear, detailed action plan to take away that can be used to implement a project within their current register, providing a template for any other projects using the same technology. 3.3 Workshop evaluation Our network of contacts across the region and existing working relationships held by our account managers helped to ensure good attendance at workshops. There were some problems with late drop-outs, possibly due to the high number of workshops being run for this and other strands of the Low Carbon Economy Programme over the same time period. All workshops delivered through this programme received good/excellent feedback. All five collaborative implementation workshops were delivered successfully and the feedback was extremely positive. The workshops have been very good at informing delegates of the advantages, costs and issues Carbon Trust: West Midlands Low Carbon Economy Programme Carbon Management Support 7

9 associated with each of the technologies and the comments from attendees suggest they have gained useful insight and information and will be relaying this to colleagues. It was challenging to get participants to work on their own projects during the workshops, largely because a high proportion of delegates were attending to pick up ideas or confirm their knowledge and did not have specific projects in development Overall engagement Over the series of 5 technology workshops 28 of the 43 West Midlands authorities were represented. In total 62 individuals from LAs attended the events, as well as representatives from fire and emergency services in WM and East Midlands LAs. The following table gives details of the registration and attendance for the 5 events: Workshop Event date Sign ups Attendees % attendance compared to sign up Lighting 07/11/ % Renewable Heat 18/11/ % Electrical energy efficiency 15/12/ % Behaviour change 19/01/ % Decentralised Energy 09/02/ % There was an increased absentee rate in the New Year, which was attributed to the pressures approaching year end. Resources in terms of time to attend events and time to take projects forward appear to be a significant issue with local authorities at present. The high interest and attendance at the behaviour change workshop and lower attendance at the technology workshops probably reflects the lack of investment opportunities for LAs at present. Anecdotally, we were told that authorities are now looking to be more creative in their methods of saving energy as a result of low levels of funding for energy efficiency projects Renewable Heating technologies, with focus on Biomass This session aimed to improve attendees knowledge and understanding of renewable heating options within the Local Authority estate. The session focused on identifying opportunities for retrofit and new build, understanding the regulatory environment for renewable heat and understanding planning constraints around renewable heat. The session was split into the following areas: Heating technology categorisation Doing the basics boiler upgrades and introduction to control technologies Analysis of space heating requirements (demand) and making the case for renewable heat sources Focus on biomass: initial assessment and feasibility - fuel supply options, sourcing and costs, overview of planning and regulatory requirements Implementation support preparing performance specifications, value engineering, building a detailed business case We asked for feedback on each event in terms of overall content and organisation on a scale from Poor to. The great majority of participants gave a rating of either Good or. Carbon Trust: West Midlands Low Carbon Economy Programme Carbon Management Support 8

10 % Poor % Fair % Good % % Good/ Content Organisation In addition we asked for feedback on how well the aims of the workshop had been met using the same scoring system as above. Aims % Poor % Fair % Good % % Good/ 1. Better understanding of renewable technologies 2. Provided you with a detailed action plan that can be used to implement a prospective/existing project 3. Good understanding of the financial incentives for renewable heat technologies and potential sources of finance Decentralised Energy, Combined Heat & Power and District Heating This session was used to develop knowledge and awareness of the potential for decentralised energy within a Local Authority area. The session covered 4 key topic areas: Definition of decentralised energy, market development and detail of implemented schemes Gaining senior support and informing planning policy. Heat mapping and identification and prioritisation of zones for the development of new schemes Creation of governance and delivery structure. Definition of delivery models, leveraging of private sector financing, lessons from other ESCos. The table below shows participant feedback in terms of overall content and organisation on a scale from Poor to. % Poor % Fair % Good % % Good/ Content Organisation We also asked for feedback on how well the aims of the workshop had been met. Aims % Poor % Fair % Good % % Good/ 1. You have a better understanding of DE technologies 2. developed details for a specific project understand Carbon Trust support in this area Carbon Trust: West Midlands Low Carbon Economy Programme Carbon Management Support 9

11 3.3.4 Lighting Upgrades This session looked to identify and deliver opportunities for upgrading lighting within the LA estate. In particular, we looked at the potential application of LED lighting and how to build the business case for the implementation of this technology. The session covered the following areas: Overview of modern lighting technology and controls Specification of a new lighting system, life-cycle costing and value engineering. The argument for prioritising carbon and life-cycle costs over capital cost Supplier identification and the tender process. Preparing the performance specification and engaging with the most appropriate suppliers Worked examples from the Carbon Trust Implementation Solutions programme The table below shows feedback on the event in terms of overall content and organisation. % Poor % Fair % Good % % Good/ Content Organisation In addition we asked for feedback on how well the aims of the workshop had been met. Aims % Poor % Fair % Good % % Good/ 1. You have a better understanding of lighting technologies 2. You have a detailed implementation plan for a lighting project 3. You understand financing opportunities for lighting Electrical energy efficiency within buildings This session was split between opportunities to improve building energy efficiency through the implementation of voltage management and more efficient motors and drives. The session on voltage management included: Understanding voltage management definition of the UK electricity distribution market, EU harmonisation, the principles of voltage management Voltage Management techniques voltage management equipment, modifying incoming electrical supply infrastructure, replacement of electrical equipment Procurement and installation of voltage management technology making the business case, calculation of savings, installation issues, guaranteed savings and contractual obligations. The session on Motors and Variable speed Drives included: Motor efficiency and loading understanding the motor and load variation Carbon Trust: West Midlands Low Carbon Economy Programme Carbon Management Support 10

12 Motor installation and maintenance motor replacement, planned preventive maintenance, motor sizing and optimisation Variable Speed Drives operation, applicability and specification Feedback on the overall content and organisation of the event is shown in the table below. % Poor % Fair % Good % % Good/ Content Organisation The following table shows participant feedback on how well the aims of the workshop had been met. Aims % Poor % Fair % Good % % Good/ 1. You have a better understanding of electrical energy efficiency technologies 2. developed details for a specific EEE project 3. understand Carbon Trust support in this area Effective behavioural change workshop An action plan for a behaviour change campaign was created for each authority through a staged process: Stage 1 planning support and resources, your current situation, your target audience and goal setting, messages and communication channels. - Dispelling myths and arming campaign organisers with the knowledge required to overcome barriers - Use of effective media, with examples - Building a business case for the campaign budget Stage 2 Implementation planning campaign length and launch, assigning roles and responsibilities, gathering promotional materials Stage 3 Check and review measuring the effect of a campaign, carrying out questionnaires, reporting success Stage 4 maintaining awareness maintaining an energy awareness culture, training new employees, competing with other messages. The great majority of participants rated the content and overall organisation of the event as either Good or. % Poor % Fair % Good % % Good/ Content Organisation Carbon Trust: West Midlands Low Carbon Economy Programme Carbon Management Support 11

13 The table below shows how well participants felt the aims of the workshop had been met. Aims % Poor % Fair % Good % % Good/ 1. You have a better understanding of behaviour change science 2. developed details for a specific behaviour change project 3. understand CT support in this area Carbon Trust: West Midlands Low Carbon Economy Programme Carbon Management Support 12

14 4 One to one support The programme included a total of 16 days of consultancy support available to Local Authorities that participated in the collaborative implementation workshop programme. Participating authorities were invited to submit applications including details of the projects they wished to progress. Five projects were selected to receive support: Coventry City Council received support with building audits and an estate strategy review; Wyre Forest District Council received support with the development of projects identified in their Carbon Management Plan; Herefordshire Council received support with lighting efficiency audits; Staffordshire authorities received support with developing a County-wide behaviour change strategy; and Warwickshire County Council received guidance on setting up an Energy Services Company or ESCo. Sixteen days of consultancy support was split between the 5 projects, covering 8 Authorities. Support has been provided in 2 areas: Strategic support to help enable broader Council ambitions. In Warwickshire, we have provided support in setting up a County-wide Energy Services Company (ESCo) and in Staffordshire we have helped to facilitate cross-county working relationships and develop collaboration on behaviour change campaigns Technical support to identify and implement carbon reduction projects. In Herefordshire and Coventry we carried out technical audits at a number of sites providing them with investment grade recommendations so that the Council could go to market immediately. Furthermore, we aimed to put in place a methodology for both Herefordshire and Coventry to identify similar projects at other sites. For example, in Hereford we trained the project lead to carry out a lighting audit and determine potential lighting upgrades. Below we outline the support that has been allocated and the key outcomes. 4.1 Coventry City Council Coventry City Council is currently carrying out a major sustainability and low carbon strategic review of its activities in order to realise energy and CRC savings. The Carbon Trust was appointed by Coventry City Council to carry out a review of the current strategy focussing on three Council owned sites: Spirehouse & Christchurch; Council House; and Whitley Depot. This review and report focused on the following key areas as identified by Coventry City Council: 1. An assessment of the current strategy on carbon reduction at the sites. 2. An evaluation of specific carbon saving projects and approaches at each of the sites. 3. Advice and guidance on project funding and implementation. Key conclusions from the assessment include the following: The strategy as proposed by the Council is endorsed by the Carbon Trust. However it should be recognised that significant investment is required and so cross-party political support for this agenda should be secured as soon as possible. Broadly speaking the projects that have been identified by the City Council, if implemented, will ensure that the Council achieves significant long term costs and carbon savings. In addition the Carbon Trust has identified a number of potential projects for further investigation, particularly in the area of renewable energy. The invest to save strategy identified is fully advocated by the Carbon Trust as the best value financing option for the City Council to achieve its carbon reduction target. Carbon Trust: West Midlands Low Carbon Economy Programme Carbon Management Support 13

15 The site audits identified investment potential of 1,101,900 (including double glazing investment of 600,000) to achieve savings of 70,912 per year, or annual carbon savings of 354 tonnes CO2e. The supporting methodology provided will allow the Council s property team to identify potential investment measures at other sites within their estate to achieve cost savings in the order of 3x those identified above ( 70,912 x 3). 4.2 Wyre Forest District Council Wyre Forest District Council required support with the next stage of their carbon management plan, i.e. beginning to implement the programme, prioritise projects and develop business cases. Some of the Council s projects involve making improvements to Listed Buildings and the Council were looking for guidance on how to take this forward. As a result of the support provided, Wyre Forest District Council now has a list of measures for consideration this year, which if fully implemented, should lead to energy related cost savings to the Council of around 15,000 per year and a reduction in carbon emissions of almost 92 tonnes CO2 per year. These savings equate to approximately 18% of the existing carbon emissions from the buildings affected and almost 5% of Wyre Forest District Council s total carbon footprint. Some of these savings (equating to 1,500/year and 9.4 tonnes CO2/year) relate to heating control adjustments. The opportunity was taken to make these adjustments during the site visits associated with this assignment (and so their implementation is now complete). Many of the more significant projects (e.g. lighting and boiler replacements) have extended payback periods but may be justified as necessary replacement activities, given that much of the existing equipment (particularly lighting), is around 30 years old. Overall, it is estimated that the prioritised measures would cost around 187,000 to implement, giving an overall payback period (on energy savings alone) of 12 years 4.3 Herefordshire Council Herefordshire Council required technical advice on low carbon, energy efficient lighting opportunities, including support with developing robust business cases for submission both internally and to the Salix SEES4 programme. This review and report focused on the following key areas as identified by Herefordshire Council: 1. An assessment of the current lighting installed at the Town Hall and Museum sites. 2. An evaluation of potential lighting upgrades at the Town Hall and Museum sites. 3. An evaluation of specific carbon/energy saving projects and approaches at the St. Thomas Cantilupe School, including lighting. 4. Advice and guidance on project funding and implementation. Key conclusions from the assessment include the following: There is opportunity to upgrade lighting at all of the sites. As the lighting and control strategy varies across the sites, estimates of the available savings are somewhat wide-ranging. The priority investment should be the Library (ground and 1st floor) where the entire lighting design should be revisited for reasons of both energy intensity and lighting standards. In addition the ancillary office buildings that connect to the town hall showed high potential for lighting upgrades. Carbon Trust: West Midlands Low Carbon Economy Programme Carbon Management Support 14

16 A full review of the lighting strategy at the Town Hall should be undertaken as lighting installation and replacement seems to be somewhat inconsistent. The major energy uses at the School are the building heating and lighting and so activity should be focussed on reducing the carbon and cost impact of both. Investment should therefore be focussed on lighting, HVAC controls and building fabric. Consideration should also be given to installing renewable energy at the site. The site audits identified investment potential of 115,240 (including double glazing investment of 55,000) to achieve savings of 12,205 per year, or carbon savings of 56 tonnes CO2e. The supporting methodology provided will allow the Council s property team to identify potential investment measures at other sites within their estate to achieve cost savings in the order of 10x those identified above ( 12,205 x 10). 4.4 Staffordshire Authorities Six Staffordshire authorities required support for development a County-wide partnership communications campaign. Broadly, the objective is awareness raising leading to behavioural change, but each partner authority has specific objectives. The six authorities (Newcastle under Lyme District Council, Lichfield City Council, Cannock Chase District Council, South Staffordshire District Council, East Staffordshire Borough Council and Staffordshire County Council) are planning joint initiatives around behaviour change for staff. A workshop was provided to help sustainability officers and energy managers from the County to: Understand the opportunities for collaborative working across Staffordshire on behaviour change related to carbon reduction Identify common objectives for a collaborative project Develop ideas for what a collaborative project might be, and an action plan for further development of the project Start discussions around implementation, particularly resourcing, funding and delivery It is difficult to quantify cost and carbon savings associated with many of these actions, as they relate to improved coordination. However, we see scope for cost savings from: Sharing of materials and resources Better knowledge of people who can undertake outreach work (avoided costs for local authorities no longer needing to pay staff or consultants to carry out this work) More effective project design, by learning from others experiences and using proven materials (avoided costs from projects having to be re-designed or re-run) Consistent branding and messaging, enabling partners to benefit from shared marketing costs and tie-ins to national campaigns rather than running stand-alone campaigns Energy bill savings for those authorities, organisations and businesses implementing behaviour change programmes based on shared resources. For local authorities that have not yet implemented a behaviour change programme, cost savings of 5-10% could be achievable. Energy bill savings for residents engaged by consistent branding, face to face communication, effective resources and street- or neighbourhood-based schemes Reduced costs of measures and lower energy bills for those participating in Group Discount Schemes Carbon Trust: West Midlands Low Carbon Economy Programme Carbon Management Support 15

17 There is scope for carbon savings from: Authorities, organisations and businesses taking advantage of resources on behaviour change developed by others. For local authorities that have not yet implemented a behaviour change programme, carbon savings of 10-20% could be achievable. Residents taking action based on local delivery of county-wide campaigns Carbon savings for those taking up measures through participation in Group Discount schemes If each local authority in Staffordshire (there are nine in total) reduced its costs for designing and delivering carbon reduction initiatives by 5,000 over the course of the year, this would deliver a 45,000 fund which could potentially be reinvested in wider communication of more effective approaches or some of the more capital intensive projects identified above. 4.5 Warwickshire County Council Warwickshire County Council requested assistance in the development of a County-wide Energy Services Company (ESCo). The Carbon Trust has provided consultancy support on the various structures and options available. A document detailing the proposed governance structures, financing and ownership options to an LA has been prepared and is currently being reviewed by Warwickshire. This has been supplemented with a list of contacts for local authorities that have set up authority-led ESCOs. The in-depth support we have delivered to Coventry, Staffordshire, Herefordshire, Wyre Forest and Warwickshire has helped them to progress their projects and has allowed the officers involved to develop ideas and gain greater clarity regarding their options. We have received the following participant feedback via for the one-to-one support provided: I must say on behalf of everyone that the workshop was a great success thanks to you. I think everyone contributed to your really well delivered and interactive session. The report sent by you was very comprehensive and I am sure that it will be a great tool to use as a framework for a Staffordshire wide behavioural change project. Thanks David, very helpful. The process of working with the Carbon Trust has been extremely beneficial in supporting our estates investment strategy Carbon Trust: West Midlands Low Carbon Economy Programme Carbon Management Support 16

18 5 Low Carbon Schools Programme 5.1 Approach The Collaborative Low Carbon Schools Programme was delivered by the Carbon Trust in 2011/12. The Schools Programme aimed to support carbon reduction and resource efficiency in schools across England. Significant interest was generated amongst West Midlands authorities in participating in the Programme. In the first round of applications, eight West Midlands authorities were successful in gaining a place on the Schools Programme. Through the Low Carbon Economy Programme, additional capacity on the Schools Programme was secured for up to three authorities. In the event this additional capacity was only taken up by Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council. Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council has been one of 43 local authorities participating in the programme in 2011/12. Collaborative Low Carbon Schools has helped Councils to refresh their approach to driving carbon reductions across the schools estate, building on existing experience and demonstrating fast-track practical opportunities for energy savings. This year-long programme is designed to increase capacity and knowledge around energy efficiency in the local authority schools estate. The service enables local authorities and schools to drive implementation of energy saving measures at low cost and with quick payback. The programme covers seven key steps to effective Carbon Management in schools, providing a structured approach and tools to gather and analyse school energy data. By training schools to identify energy saving opportunities, the programme helps make the business case for energy reduction in both the short and long term. 1. Mobilisation 2. Communication & Engagement Plan 3. Define 4. Collect Data Creating a team of local authority & school stakeholders, recruiting pilot schools group, defining required outcomes Developing a plan for communications and engagement throughout the programme Exploring drivers and barriers to carbon reduction in schools and defining areas of focus Collecting and understanding data on current school carbon emissions, setting targets for improvement 5. Develop 6. Develop 7. Roll Out Developing capability of local authorities and schools through on and off site workshops, training, advice and support Creating cost-effective plans to cut emissions and save money, in line with agreed programme outcomes Rollout of the support developed through the Low Carbon Schools Service to the wider schools estate Carbon Trust: West Midlands Low Carbon Economy Programme Carbon Management Support 17

19 5.2 Delivery Plan Throughout the year, Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council developed and then approved a delivery plan for reducing energy in their schools. A target of 10% reduction in carbon emissions in schools was committed to. This could save the authority around 390,000 in schools and around 31,000 in Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) tax. The table below shows Dudley s overall expenditure on schools energy, the total carbon footprint of the schools estate and the expected savings that can be derived from the opportunities identified. Annual energy cost ( ) 2.9M Annual Emissions (tonnes CO2) t CO2 Savings identified through the Programme ( ) 387,023 CRC Savings identified ( ) 31,416 Programme Cost Savings (%) 13.34% Programmes Carbon Savings (tonnes CO2) 2,618 tco2 Carbon Savings % 11.84% The proposed delivery plan will provide a coordinated and dedicated approach across the school estate to help reduce Carbon emissions over 4 or 5 year period. The delivery plan will look at the following carbon reduction measures Out of Hours Electricity Load Active Labelling of lights Lighting switch off Heating Surveys Heating controls AMR data Lighting assessments Full school energy survey The development of this delivery plan was informed by work with 10 pilot schools during the Autumn Term The 10 pilot schools where chosen to cover the primary and secondary estates as well as an equal geographical spread across the authority. The pilot schools are: Belle Vue Primary School Peters Hill Primary School Wallbrook Primary School Tenterfields Primary School Northfield Road Hillcrest Ellowes Hall Leasowes Thorns Community College The Wordsley School Carbon Trust: West Midlands Low Carbon Economy Programme Carbon Management Support 18

20 5.3 Roll out to all schools Using the experience gained and modified from the current pilot Collaborative Low Carbon Schools service Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council will offer a low cost/no cost energy saving programme to schools. The Council will be offering schools the following service: Dedicated support and guidance to the Children s Services department, from a nominated Project lead, with support from a team of relevant officers. Initial launch workshop and overview of the programme. Heating systems workshop carried out at one of the schools. Energy saving measures throughout the academic year to include: - Reduction of out-of-hours electricity - Active labeling of light switches - ICT labeling - ICT power management software - Taking control of heating systems - Use of AMR data (where available) - Lighting assessments Termly review meetings at all pilot schools Final celebration workshop. Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council plans to roll this service out to 20 schools/centres each year, with additional Children s Services buildings to be included over a 5 year period, so that all schools and Children s Services buildings can benefit from this service. Each school will participate over an academic year, although the programme will also focus on achieving longerterm policies and whole school commitment. The programme will work to embed good practice and ongoing energy monitoring and performance assessment in the schools. It is anticipated that the Council will continue to provide a light touch support programme to encourage sharing of best practice and maintain the momentum. Carbon Trust: West Midlands Low Carbon Economy Programme Carbon Management Support 19