Energy Project
The Hanleys Energy Action Team ('HEAT') was set up in 2020 to investigate ways of helping the parish to become carbon neutral through energy efficiency, carbon offset or renewable energy generation schemes. A feasibility study was run in 2020/21 which concluded that, unfortunately, no large-scale schemes would be possible and that reduction in carbon emissions would only be achieved through a large number of parishioners investing in low-carbon heating systems and switching to 100% renewable energy.
​
Accordingly, HEAT is focussing instead on helping people make informed decisions about ways to reduce their energy consumption, and potentially reduce their heating costs, through replacing old heating systems, switching to Green electricity, and better insulation of homes.
​
Home Electricity Usage Surveys
We have two electricity monitors which our volunteers can install for a week in residents’ homes to log their electricity usage over that period. The results are then reviewed and residents advised on ways in which their electricity consumption can be reduced (and money saved!). One person discovered that her usage was already low but, by switching her provider to a green supplier, saved money anyway. On average we have found that switching to a green supplier can save 18-26% on electricity bills.
If you would like to participate in the scheme or just borrow a monitor and do your own review, please email us. The monitors do not interfere with your electric supply, they just measure the flow. Your electricity provider will not be aware that you are using the meter (but will notice if your bills decrease shortly after the exercise!).
The Business Energy Efficiency Programme (BEEP)
The support on offer is twofold – firstly to assess your business premises, products and processes to see what improvements can be made with energy and resource usage and secondly, to provide grants of up to £20,000 (up to 40% of the total cost of the project) to implement the recommendations from the assessment and make your business more energy efficient.​
​
How this programme can help your business:
-
LED Lighting​
-
Heating and Insulation
-
Waste Reduction
-
Heat Recovery
-
Variable Speed Drive Compressors
-
Recycling
-
Renewables and Energy Storage
-
Fast Shutting Warehouse Doors
-
Water Reduction
Is your business eligible?
There are some exceptions, but generally, your business will need to:
​
-
Be based in and trading from Worcestershire, Herefordshire or Telford & Wrekin and Shropshire
-
Have fewer than 250 employees
-
Have a turnover of less than the equivalent of 50 million Euros per annum or a balance sheet of less than 43 million Euros
​
For more information go to: http://www.worcestershiregrowthhub.co.uk/beep/
​
​
Feasibility Study
In 2020 the Hanleys Energy Action Team ('HEAT') was created to run the project and was successful in securing a Rural Communities Energy Fund grant to conduct a feasibility study into carbon reduction/renewable energy generation opportunities in the Parish, including:
-
Better insulation of community buildings
-
Solar panels on community buildings
-
Heat pump heating systems for community buildings
-
Small-scale solar, wind or hydroelectricity generation
-
Community battery storage systems
Following a detailed tendering process, a green energy consultancy, The Sharenergy Cooperative, was appointed to carry out the study. The study involved:
-
Estimating the current energy-related carbon emissions from domestic and commercial properties in the Parish and making recommendations for their reduction.
-
Evaluating the potential for implementing renewable energy technologies in the Parish.
Current Energy-Related Carbon Emissions
An energy usage survey was published online and paper copies distributed to houses in the Parish. Data from the survey, along with existing Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) was used to estimate the average carbon output per household, which is 5.85 tonnes per annum or 2.54t per person per annum. Because the Parish does not have mains gas and has a large number of detached houses and older housing stock, this is almost 70% higher than the UK local authority average of 1.5t/person per annum.
Potential Renewable Energy Technologies
Sharenergy evaluated a broad range of technologies. The majority were discounted as either not being technically viable, or being precluded by current regulation/legislation. A more detailed analysis of three technologies was then undertaken but each was deemed unviable at the current time, partly due to there currently being no spare capacity in the National Grid in our area.
Conclusions
There are no schemes that could be taken forward to implementation and there is no clear path at this time to realise the aspiration of Zero Carbon for the Parish through offsetting our carbon emissions. However, should the grid capacity situation and planning restrictions change in the future, some of the schemes considered may become more viable.
In summary:
1. The Parish does not have the natural resources nor the technical infrastructure to implement renewables energy schemes that will significantly offset its carbon emissions.
2. Significant reductions in carbon emissions will only be possible through a large proportion of
parishioners investing in low carbon heating systems and switching to 100% renewables electricity providers.
3. Without a more radical approach, involving significant external funding or emerging technologies, significant reductions in, or offsets of, energy-related carbon emissions are unlikely to be achieved to meet the Parish Council’s commitment of working towards carbon neutrality by 2025.
Statement from the HEAT team:
“The survey shows that the carbon footprint of the Parish is higher than average and that the current options for decreasing it are limited. These options will depend largely on individual house owners investing in energy efficiency schemes and alternative heating systems.
However, the baseline survey conducted during the study has provided the team with a clear set of metrics against which the Parish’s carbon reduction progress will be measured. There are some options for commercial property owners to install rooftop solar. The team will continue to raise awareness of how local property owners can make improvements and will also actively look for new ideas and developments in technology or regulatory circumstances that may make it possible to progress some of our existing proposals, in particular the ground solar project.”
You can read the study documents here