Reducing carbon (internally) | Gloucestershire County Council

GCC has a contract with West Mercia Energy (WME) for the supply of electricity and gas. This contract has over 500 electricity supplies and 350 gas, including the GCC estate, schools and road signs / street lighting. Last financial year (2022-2023) 28,947,490 kWh of electricity were consumed and 37,135,189 kWh of gas. In January this year (2024) GCC changed the supply within the WME contract to be 100% renewable, backed by Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin.

GCC successfully made several bids against the Salix revolving fund. This fund is backed by central government and allows local authorities to access an interest free loan to invest in carbon reducing schemes. The first scheme to benefit from this fund was a project to replace street lighting in the county with low energy LED lights to reduce cost and carbon emissions. The savings in energy consumption will then be used to repay the loan. We are now planning to use the Salix fund to install photo voltaic solar panels on several GCC buildings, including libraries, children’s centres, the archive office and coroner’s court. As with the previous scheme, this will result in both a reduction in carbon emissions and cost, which will in turn be used to repay the loan.

GCC has a contract with West Mercia Energy (WME) for the supply of electricity and gas. This contract has over 500 electricity supplies and 350 gas, including the GCC estate, schools and road signs / street lighting. Last financial year (2022-2023) 28,947,490 kWh of electricity were consumed and 37,135,189 kWh of gas. In January this year (2024) GCC changed the supply within the WME contract to be 100% renewable, backed by Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin.

GCC successfully made several bids against the Salix revolving fund. This fund is backed by central government and allows local authorities to access an interest free loan to invest in carbon reducing schemes. The first scheme to benefit from this fund was a project to replace street lighting in the county with low energy LED lights to reduce cost and carbon emissions. The savings in energy consumption will then be used to repay the loan. We are now planning to use the Salix fund to install photo voltaic solar panels on several GCC buildings, including libraries, children’s centres, the archive office and coroner’s court. As with the previous scheme, this will result in both a reduction in carbon emissions and cost, which will in turn be used to repay the loan.

As fleet vehicles are replaced over time, these will be switched to electric vehicles (EVs) wherever feasible and practical to do so. Over the last year 45 EV charge points have been installed for use by GCC staff including at several fire stations and chargers for pool cars at Barbican Way and in the Shire Hall Members car park.

Over the coming year, Gloucestershire Equipment Loan Services (GELS) formally Gloucester Industrial Services (GIS) will be in receipt of 10 new electric vans, replacing 50% of GIS’s vehicles. 10 charge points have been installed at GELS Hempstead base, with plans to replace more vehicles as site capacity expands. There are further EVs for parking enforcement with 8 new EVs being leased in April 2024, using a mix of GCC, street, and commercial chargers, Gloucestershire is a pilot for EVs in parking enforcement.

Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service (GFRS) has made significant steps to reduce carbon missions. Three GFRS vehicles are currently fitted with solar panels, which have already demonstrated benefits in reducing fuel consumption, AdBlue use, and CO2 emissions. In the next year, 10 new front-line fire engines will be ordered, equipped with the latest Euro 6 engines and supplementary solar panels to reduce fuel use and emissions. The fleet team is exploring Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO), with estimates indicating that such a switch would offer up to 92% carbon savings compared to conventional diesel but can be used in Euro 6 diesel vehicles. In summer 2024, 7 new vehicles will be ordered for flexi duty officer vehicles including 4 EVs and 3 plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs).

In addition, 13 to 26 new EV Combi vans will be ordered to support the Business Fire Safety and Community Safety Teams. These vans will be deployed at strategically located sites, aligned to the EV charge point network.

As fleet vehicles are replaced over time, these will be switched to electric vehicles (EVs) wherever feasible and practical to do so. Over the last year 45 EV charge points have been installed for use by GCC staff including at several fire stations and chargers for pool cars at Barbican Way and in the Shire Hall Members car park.

Over the coming year, Gloucestershire Equipment Loan Services (GELS) formally Gloucester Industrial Services (GIS) will be in receipt of 10 new electric vans, replacing 50% of GIS’s vehicles. 10 charge points have been installed at GELS Hempstead base, with plans to replace more vehicles as site capacity expands. There are further EVs for parking enforcement with 8 new EVs being leased in April 2024, using a mix of GCC, street, and commercial chargers, Gloucestershire is a pilot for EVs in parking enforcement.

Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service (GFRS) has made significant steps to reduce carbon missions. Three GFRS vehicles are currently fitted with solar panels, which have already demonstrated benefits in reducing fuel consumption, AdBlue use, and CO2 emissions. In the next year, 10 new front-line fire engines will be ordered, equipped with the latest Euro 6 engines and supplementary solar panels to reduce fuel use and emissions. The fleet team is exploring Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO), with estimates indicating that such a switch would offer up to 92% carbon savings compared to conventional diesel but can be used in Euro 6 diesel vehicles. In summer 2024, 7 new vehicles will be ordered for flexi duty officer vehicles including 4 EVs and 3 plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs).

In addition, 13 to 26 new EV Combi vans will be ordered to support the Business Fire Safety and Community Safety Teams. These vans will be deployed at strategically located sites, aligned to the EV charge point network.

GCC strategic procurement provides advice for commissioners when procuring infrastructure, goods, and services. Strategic procurement is essential for supporting sustainable practices. In the future, services and procurement will reflect considerations from the Climate Change Act.

As part of the Council’s social value scoring on procurements above the threshold set in GCC’s Social Value Policy, currently standing at £214k overall contract value, suppliers choose which TOMs (Themes, Outcomes and Measures) metrics to commit to. One of them relates to "Savings in CO2 emissions on contract", therefore suppliers are incentivised to reduce emissions released through contracts.

Strategic Procurement is currently preparing for the introduction of the Procurement Act 2023 and the implementation of a new Source-2-Pay system. The unit is also working with commissioners to cleanse the GCC contract data and ensure that all contracts are published on the e-procurement system. Contract data is live and constantly changing but this work will help GCC to better estimate the forecast contract spend and pipeline by end of 2025.

The most accurate way to capture carbon emissions will be directly from the suppliers. Currently there is no policy on the inclusion of capturing carbon emissions or their contribution to net zero that strategic procurement can direct contract managers and suppliers to, but the unit is supporting the sustainability team establish supplier views, and a develop policy to capture Scope 3 emissions.

Our ambition is to follow the example set by the NHS where, as of April 2024, it required all suppliers (over £10k excluding VAT) to align with the NHS net zero ambition’. This contractual obligation follows the central government PN06/21 protocol providing alignment for suppliers. The NHS also provided a phased introduction and staggered start dates depending on size of contract for a smooth integration of the new process. This is another element we would look to follow.

GCC strategic procurement provides advice for commissioners when procuring infrastructure, goods, and services. Strategic procurement is essential for supporting sustainable practices. In the future, services and procurement will reflect considerations from the Climate Change Act.

As part of the Council’s social value scoring on procurements above the threshold set in GCC’s Social Value Policy, currently standing at £214k overall contract value, suppliers choose which TOMs (Themes, Outcomes and Measures) metrics to commit to. One of them relates to "Savings in CO2 emissions on contract", therefore suppliers are incentivised to reduce emissions released through contracts.

Strategic Procurement is currently preparing for the introduction of the Procurement Act 2023 and the implementation of a new Source-2-Pay system. The unit is also working with commissioners to cleanse the GCC contract data and ensure that all contracts are published on the e-procurement system. Contract data is live and constantly changing but this work will help GCC to better estimate the forecast contract spend and pipeline by end of 2025.

The most accurate way to capture carbon emissions will be directly from the suppliers. Currently there is no policy on the inclusion of capturing carbon emissions or their contribution to net zero that strategic procurement can direct contract managers and suppliers to, but the unit is supporting the sustainability team establish supplier views, and a develop policy to capture Scope 3 emissions.

Our ambition is to follow the example set by the NHS where, as of April 2024, it required all suppliers (over £10k excluding VAT) to align with the NHS net zero ambition’. This contractual obligation follows the central government PN06/21 protocol providing alignment for suppliers. The NHS also provided a phased introduction and staggered start dates depending on size of contract for a smooth integration of the new process. This is another element we would look to follow.

In the financial year 2023 –24 GCC buildings generated an average of 17 tonnes of refuse waste and 8 tonnes of mixed recycling per month. This is the equivalent of 109 kg CO2e for refuse waste per month and 51 kg CO2e for mixed recycling per month. Over the financial year 2023-24 waste from GCC buildings created approximately 1,935kg CO2e.

Our recycling rate for FY2023-24 was 32%. Recycling rates have had little variation internally, so through the Greener Champions a project has started to ensure the recycling information is clearly displayed at each site. All schools (including GCC managed schools) will need to introduce recycling of most materials by 31st March 2025 in line with DEFRA’s Simpler Recycling legislation. Compost bins are being offered to schools, alongside training for using them by a Master Composter. GCC also plans to provide more training for staff and to ensure contract requirements are being upheld.

Upstream Transport and Distribution

The estimated carbon emissions for the transport of waste under GCC’s control (meaning waste that is managed by the council once it is either deposited by householders at the household
recycling centre (HRC) or delivered by the district councils to one of the county’s waste transfer
and bulking stations) is approximately 557 tonnes CO2e for FY2023/-2024.

This is calculated using data transmitted from the waste vehicles themselves or, where not possible, using estimated standard assumptions to calculate the annual mileage and number of tonnes delivered. This figure does not include any CO2 emissions generated after the waste is delivered to the treatment site, as GCC’s ownership of the waste ends at this point. This estimated figure is for all waste managed by GCC, meaning bulked household residual waste, bulked food waste and recyclables from the HRCs.

In the financial year 2023 –24 GCC buildings generated an average of 17 tonnes of refuse waste and 8 tonnes of mixed recycling per month. This is the equivalent of 109 kg CO2e for refuse waste per month and 51 kg CO2e for mixed recycling per month. Over the financial year 2023-24 waste from GCC buildings created approximately 1,935kg CO2e.

Our recycling rate for FY2023-24 was 32%. Recycling rates have had little variation internally, so through the Greener Champions a project has started to ensure the recycling information is clearly displayed at each site. All schools (including GCC managed schools) will need to introduce recycling of most materials by 31st March 2025 in line with DEFRA’s Simpler Recycling legislation. Compost bins are being offered to schools, alongside training for using them by a Master Composter. GCC also plans to provide more training for staff and to ensure contract requirements are being upheld.

Upstream Transport and Distribution

The estimated carbon emissions for the transport of waste under GCC’s control (meaning waste that is managed by the council once it is either deposited by householders at the household
recycling centre (HRC) or delivered by the district councils to one of the county’s waste transfer
and bulking stations) is approximately 557 tonnes CO2e for FY2023/-2024.

This is calculated using data transmitted from the waste vehicles themselves or, where not possible, using estimated standard assumptions to calculate the annual mileage and number of tonnes delivered. This figure does not include any CO2 emissions generated after the waste is delivered to the treatment site, as GCC’s ownership of the waste ends at this point. This estimated figure is for all waste managed by GCC, meaning bulked household residual waste, bulked food waste and recyclables from the HRCs.

GCC has a business travel policy which encourages employees to consider the financial and environmental costs of travel, with reimbursement of bicycle business mileage. The GCC business travel policy includes reference to the Cycle scheme programme operated by the council, and to the bicycle loan scheme for those not eligible to take part in the Cycle scheme programme. 47,000 miles was undertaken in 9EVs together with one petrol car from the carpool within Shire Hall. Employees are asked to consider if the event or meeting they are attending could be undertaken by telephone or video conference. GCC offer a number of options to facilitate such meetings.

The GCC Think Travel team are currently scoping the production of a staff travel plan which will use Modeshift Stars and the data from the Mobility Ways survey to inform it. The Travel to Work Survey recorded data relating to the way employees commute and their barriers to changing their travel behaviour towards something more sustainable. Some of the key findings were (from 2022, latest available data):

· The average one-way commuter distance of 6.64 miles - The UK average is 10 miles.

· The average travel to site days is 2.5 days - The UK average is 3.5 days.

· 62% of employees commute to the Shire Hall site.

· The survey calculated our average commuter emissions level (ACEL) to be 349kg of CO2e per commuter in tailpipe emissions annually.

The mobility ways survey is also being used to help inform staff travel choices. New provisions such as the Arle Court Transport Hub and further works to the cycle spine between Cheltenham and Gloucester have been completed this year and will have positively impact staff travel as well as on wider travel within the County. GCC is part of the Cycle to Work salary sacrifice scheme, a government initiative that allows staff to get a brand-new bike and safety equipment for commuting to work - tax free. Cycle September saw the county's biggest increase in cycling yet over 1 month flowing through into winter Wheelers.

Furthermore, GCC are creating flexible spaces in several GCC buildings across the county, to help staff work in a more agile way and reduce both commuting and business miles. We’re

currently redesigning our locality hubs across the county to include drop-in spaces which will have a standard GCC set up, so that staff know what to expect and can ‘plug in and work.

The GCC Think Travel team are currently scoping the production of a staff travel plan which will use Modeshift Stars and the data from the Mobility Ways survey to inform it. The Travel to Work Survey recorded data relating to the way employees commute and their barriers to changing their travel behaviour towards something more sustainable. Some of the key findings were (from 2022, latest available data):

· The average one-way commuter distance of 6.64 miles - The UK average is 10 miles.

· The average travel to site days is 2.5 days - The UK average is 3.5 days.

· 62% of employees commute to the Shire Hall site.

· The survey calculated our average commuter emissions level (ACEL) to be 349kg of CO2e per commuter in tailpipe emissions annually.

The mobility ways survey is also being used to help inform staff travel choices. New provisions such as the Arle Court Transport Hub and further works to the cycle spine between Cheltenham and Gloucester have been completed this year and will have positively impact staff travel as well as on wider travel within the County. GCC is part of the Cycle to Work salary sacrifice scheme, a government initiative that allows staff to get a brand-new bike and safety equipment for commuting to work - tax free. Cycle September saw the county's biggest increase in cycling yet over 1 month flowing through into winter Wheelers.

Furthermore, GCC are creating flexible spaces in several GCC buildings across the county, to help staff work in a more agile way and reduce both commuting and business miles. We’re

currently redesigning our locality hubs across the county to include drop-in spaces which will have a standard GCC set up, so that staff know what to expect and can ‘plug in and work.

The council, act as the administering authority of
the Gloucestershire Pension Fund, on behalf of
over 240 employers, and over 60,000 members25.
Most of the fund’s investments are managed
through the Brunel Pension Partnership, which
is a collaboration of 10 Local Government
Pension Funds. The Fund is fully committed to
providing transparent disclosures on investments
including carbon performance, where possible. A
net zero carbon target of 2045 has been set, as
well as interim milestones on carbon reduction
along the pathway to net zero. The Fund’s
carbon performance is compared to the average
investment and for the year ending December
2023, showed a relative carbon efficiency of +30%.

The fund is committed to the requirements of the
Taskforce on Climate Related Financial Disclosures
(TCFD) and intend to publish its first report in 2024,
prior to this being mandatory.

The analysis is based on the position as of 31 December 2023 and is used as the reported
position for 2023-24. The total value of the
Pension Fund at the end of Dec 2023 totalled
£3.28bn, of which the County Council’s (including
GCC Schools) value totalled £1.53bn, which
equates to a 46.6% share of the Fund. The value of
equities and Bond Investment holdings held by the
Fund, where carbon data was available for analysis
totalled £2.135bn. Therefore, the Council’s share of
this totalled £0.995bn are 58,616.47 tCO2e. There
is no carbon information currently available for the
remainder of the investment portfolio, but we are
continuing to work with fund managers and the
Brunel Pension Partnership to broaden this analysis over time.

Investments

GCC manages its surplus cash to generate a return for the authority to support the revenue budget. To manage inflation risk, this includes investing in several pooled strategic funds (£95 million). All these pooled strategic funds, any banks that we
use and our money market funds, which are used
for daily cash liquidity, are signed up to the UN
Principles for Responsible Investment. Excluding
our social housing REIT, (Real Estate Investment
Trust) the funds are also signed up to the UK
Stewardship Code 2020, and the Net-Zero Asset
Managers Initiative. Some of our funds have a very
small exposure to fossil fuel extraction, however all
are active in promoting responsible investing.

Of the £95 million invested in pooled Strategic
funds, £30 million of the value does not currently
have the data available to calculate a carbon
footprint, however the fund is looking at compiling
this data for future years. An additional £10 million
of the total value does not provide carbon data
for the fund invested in, as this fund does not
target any sustainable objectives. The total carbon
footprint of the remaining £55 million is calculated
as 10,871 tCO2e.

Javelin Park

The Gloucestershire Energy from Waste Facility
at Javelin Park is run by FCC (formerly run by
UBB), and as GCC receives an income from the
electricity generated at the facility, some of the
CO2 emissions emitted from the facility need to
be attributed to GCC’s carbon calculations. To
achieve this, the proportion of total profit can be
utilised. Profit for 2023 was not available at the
time of publication (13th November 2024). Profit
proportion for 2022 was calculated at 10.0%.

The emissions are determined using the total
estimated emissions in 2023 from the combustion
of waste at the facility, which were 153,214.28
tonnes of CO2 (other greenhouse gas data are not
currently available). This was countered by 46,449
tonnes due to the electricity generated at Javelin
Park which is deemed as being approximately 50%
renewable27 resulting in net emissions 106,765.28
tonnes of CO2 for 2023. Using publicly available
data, the proportion of the profit was then applied
to the estimated net emissions to determine
GCC’s carbon emission allocation.

The council, act as the administering authority of
the Gloucestershire Pension Fund, on behalf of
over 240 employers, and over 60,000 members25.
Most of the fund’s investments are managed
through the Brunel Pension Partnership, which
is a collaboration of 10 Local Government
Pension Funds. The Fund is fully committed to
providing transparent disclosures on investments
including carbon performance, where possible. A
net zero carbon target of 2045 has been set, as
well as interim milestones on carbon reduction
along the pathway to net zero. The Fund’s
carbon performance is compared to the average
investment and for the year ending December
2023, showed a relative carbon efficiency of +30%.

The fund is committed to the requirements of the
Taskforce on Climate Related Financial Disclosures
(TCFD) and intend to publish its first report in 2024,
prior to this being mandatory.

The analysis is based on the position as of 31 December 2023 and is used as the reported
position for 2023-24. The total value of the
Pension Fund at the end of Dec 2023 totalled
£3.28bn, of which the County Council’s (including
GCC Schools) value totalled £1.53bn, which
equates to a 46.6% share of the Fund. The value of
equities and Bond Investment holdings held by the
Fund, where carbon data was available for analysis
totalled £2.135bn. Therefore, the Council’s share of
this totalled £0.995bn are 58,616.47 tCO2e. There
is no carbon information currently available for the
remainder of the investment portfolio, but we are
continuing to work with fund managers and the
Brunel Pension Partnership to broaden this analysis over time.

Investments

GCC manages its surplus cash to generate a return for the authority to support the revenue budget. To manage inflation risk, this includes investing in several pooled strategic funds (£95 million). All these pooled strategic funds, any banks that we
use and our money market funds, which are used
for daily cash liquidity, are signed up to the UN
Principles for Responsible Investment. Excluding
our social housing REIT, (Real Estate Investment
Trust) the funds are also signed up to the UK
Stewardship Code 2020, and the Net-Zero Asset
Managers Initiative. Some of our funds have a very
small exposure to fossil fuel extraction, however all
are active in promoting responsible investing.

Of the £95 million invested in pooled Strategic
funds, £30 million of the value does not currently
have the data available to calculate a carbon
footprint, however the fund is looking at compiling
this data for future years. An additional £10 million
of the total value does not provide carbon data
for the fund invested in, as this fund does not
target any sustainable objectives. The total carbon
footprint of the remaining £55 million is calculated
as 10,871 tCO2e.

Javelin Park

The Gloucestershire Energy from Waste Facility
at Javelin Park is run by FCC (formerly run by
UBB), and as GCC receives an income from the
electricity generated at the facility, some of the
CO2 emissions emitted from the facility need to
be attributed to GCC’s carbon calculations. To
achieve this, the proportion of total profit can be
utilised. Profit for 2023 was not available at the
time of publication (13th November 2024). Profit
proportion for 2022 was calculated at 10.0%.

The emissions are determined using the total
estimated emissions in 2023 from the combustion
of waste at the facility, which were 153,214.28
tonnes of CO2 (other greenhouse gas data are not
currently available). This was countered by 46,449
tonnes due to the electricity generated at Javelin
Park which is deemed as being approximately 50%
renewable27 resulting in net emissions 106,765.28
tonnes of CO2 for 2023. Using publicly available
data, the proportion of the profit was then applied
to the estimated net emissions to determine
GCC’s carbon emission allocation.

GCC is committed to reducing carbon emissions by 80% by 2030, with any remaining reductions achieved through further cuts or carbon offsetting. Currently, we do not purchase carbon offset credits. For 2023 the cost of UK Green book traded carbon emission was £59/tCO2e for net zero strategy aligned pathway31, and for non-traded £126-£378/tCO2e32.

Insetting is a practice like offsetting but focuses on reducing, removing, and sequestering emissions within our own value chain. It has the potential to keep benefits local, enhance transparency by allowing closer scrutiny of projects, and support the county's overall emission reduction targets. However, insetting is less established than offsetting and can be more complex and costly.

In the financial year 24/25, we are exploring the role of carbon offsetting to achieve net zero and evaluating the feasibility of insetting as an alternative approach.

GCC is committed to reducing carbon emissions by 80% by 2030, with any remaining reductions achieved through further cuts or carbon offsetting. Currently, we do not purchase carbon offset credits. For 2023 the cost of UK Green book traded carbon emission was £59/tCO2e for net zero strategy aligned pathway31, and for non-traded £126-£378/tCO2e32.

Insetting is a practice like offsetting but focuses on reducing, removing, and sequestering emissions within our own value chain. It has the potential to keep benefits local, enhance transparency by allowing closer scrutiny of projects, and support the county's overall emission reduction targets. However, insetting is less established than offsetting and can be more complex and costly.

In the financial year 24/25, we are exploring the role of carbon offsetting to achieve net zero and evaluating the feasibility of insetting as an alternative approach.

Wheatridge School is expanding by constructing a new learning centre that will offer 200 places. This new building will not only comply with Part L2A (2021) of the building regulations but will also strive to exceed these standards by targeting net zero carbon in operation. This initiative aligns with GCC’s declaration of a climate emergency, focusing on high energy efficiency and sustainable design principles.

The new building will be subject to the Part L2A (2021) of the building regulations, so by default will require high levels of energy efficiency to achieve compliance. However, even these requirements will be exceeded by the GCC’s declaration of a climate emergency and targets for all new buildings to be net zero carbon in operation. The building will strive to achieve net zero carbon in operation, relating to both regulated and unregulated emissions. Regulated energy consists of that required for the building operation – heating, hot water generation, lighting etc. Unregulated energy relates to the power consumption of the building operation, including small power usage (i.e. PCs and appliances), as well as catering appliances in the commercial kitchen.

The design principles of ‘net zero carbon in operation’ follow the Department for Education (DfE) design brief and associated technical annexes. Whilst the project is not directly funded by the DfE, the annexes will be used as the starting point for the design solutions, and as a proven means of targeting the ‘net zero’ standard. The building assessment will be made using the CIBSE TM54 assessment – Evaluating operational energy use at the design stage. This will be an ongoing process throughout the design stage, including engagement with the end users where feasible to understand the building usage. The embodied carbon in construction will be considered from an early stage to limit the impact of the construction stage on the environment. Consideration will be given to alternative materials and low carbon construction methods. Key sustainability features include:

Highly efficient building fabric, with insulation exceeding building regulations.
Modern construction techniques and building form factor to maximise ‘air tightness’.
Heating and hot water generation via air source heat pumps.
LED lighting throughout with automatic controls and daylight sensors.
Low flow sanitary fittings to minimise water consumption.
On‐site electricity generation via photovoltaic (PV) panels.
Ecological enhancement.

Wheatridge School is expanding by constructing a new learning centre that will offer 200 places. This new building will not only comply with Part L2A (2021) of the building regulations but will also strive to exceed these standards by targeting net zero carbon in operation. This initiative aligns with GCC’s declaration of a climate emergency, focusing on high energy efficiency and sustainable design principles.

The new building will be subject to the Part L2A (2021) of the building regulations, so by default will require high levels of energy efficiency to achieve compliance. However, even these requirements will be exceeded by the GCC’s declaration of a climate emergency and targets for all new buildings to be net zero carbon in operation. The building will strive to achieve net zero carbon in operation, relating to both regulated and unregulated emissions. Regulated energy consists of that required for the building operation – heating, hot water generation, lighting etc. Unregulated energy relates to the power consumption of the building operation, including small power usage (i.e. PCs and appliances), as well as catering appliances in the commercial kitchen.

The design principles of ‘net zero carbon in operation’ follow the Department for Education (DfE) design brief and associated technical annexes. Whilst the project is not directly funded by the DfE, the annexes will be used as the starting point for the design solutions, and as a proven means of targeting the ‘net zero’ standard. The building assessment will be made using the CIBSE TM54 assessment – Evaluating operational energy use at the design stage. This will be an ongoing process throughout the design stage, including engagement with the end users where feasible to understand the building usage. The embodied carbon in construction will be considered from an early stage to limit the impact of the construction stage on the environment. Consideration will be given to alternative materials and low carbon construction methods. Key sustainability features include:

Highly efficient building fabric, with insulation exceeding building regulations.
Modern construction techniques and building form factor to maximise ‘air tightness’.
Heating and hot water generation via air source heat pumps.
LED lighting throughout with automatic controls and daylight sensors.
Low flow sanitary fittings to minimise water consumption.
On‐site electricity generation via photovoltaic (PV) panels.
Ecological enhancement.