Councils win funds to explore low carbon and low cost heating
Brighton & Hove and Adur Council, along with the Shoreham Harbour Regeneration Partnership, have secured more than £40,000 of funding to look at low carbon and renewable energy heating systems that would benefit hundreds of householders in Shoreham, Hove and Portslade.
Work will now begin on a feasibility study that will look into the practical possibilities of providing a heat network for the Shoreham Harbour Regeneration Area. Heat networks, or district heating schemes, supply heat from a central source directly to homes and businesses through a network of pipes carrying hot water.
Homes and businesses in Southwick, Fishersgate, Hove and Portslsade could benefit from a district heating network, which would provide residents with a low carbon and a renewable energy source to heat their homes at low cost. The study will draw up a 'heat map' to identify demand and look at potential energy sources. It will also assess the potential for opportunities to provide district heating in new planned developments within the Shoreham Harbour regeneration area.
Councillor Pete West, chair of Brighton & Hove's environment, transport and sustainability committee, said: “This money will enable us to look at the nuts and bolts of how to provide a heating network to communities. It is really exciting as the potential for district heating systems are that people have access to much lower heating bills together with a reduction in carbon emissions. It's a great example of how a successful partnership can work together to produce great benefits for residents.”
Councillor Keith Dollemore, Cabinet Member for Environment at Adur Council, said: “I welcome this as a great opportunity, using funding from central government, to explore the economic and practicality of developing a district heating scheme which should benefit the environment.”
Through the planning process and Shoreham Harbour Regeneration Partnership, Brighton & Hove and Adur Councils have been working together to identify and develop cost effective heat distribution networks that would deliver energy efficiency and community benefits. The successful bid was submitted by the councils on behalf of the Partnership. The funding is from the Heat Networks Delivery Unit in the Department of Energy & Climate Change.
Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Davey said: “Recovering wasted heat from industrial plants or landfill sites means we can heat our homes and businesses more efficiently, as well as helping to drive down energy bills.
“Improving the way we heat our buildings and helping local authorities fund innovative and more efficient ways of supplying lower carbon heat will also reduce our dependency on costly, imported gas.”
Following the feasibility study further funding will be required to work up a detailed project.
Link to the government announcement