Engaging Gateshead with Zero Carbon Heat
Lead Participant:
THE BOROUGH COUNCIL OF GATESHEAD
Abstract
'Engaging Gateshead with Zero Carbon Heat
Gateshead Council has successfully delivered our award-winning District Energy Scheme, heat network and other energy efficiency schemes, focussing on council owned or public sector owned assets, including high-rise social housing.
The Climate Change Committee have forecast heat networks need to increase from 2% of heat to 18-20% of the heat market by 2050\.
As we develop our ambition to heat 15,000 homes through heat networks resident engagement and 'buy-in' is paramount. Firstly, so they actively seek to have their homes connected and secondly, they have awareness and understanding to use their new systems accurately and efficiently. We recognise the need to engage with residents who are unable to connect to a heat network and educating them on their options to heat their homes through a net-zero solution. To date, we have not had resource to carry out user engagement in decarbonisation projects.
We are currently extending our heat network, to connect 550 existing low-rise social housing properties within two estates in Gateshead, to prove the theory and capability of connecting existing low-rise housing to heat networks, and believe we are the first in the UK to be doing so.
Furthermore, we have the opportunity to in-fill many privately owned properties when we carry out these connections, providing a net-zero heat solution for a locality. To ensure the success of the project, engagement with residents is key, hence the requirement for this project.
This project would provide the evidence base and resource for this approach to be rolled out across the borough of Gateshead, taking the same approach and working towards our larger target of 15,000 homes to be connected to the heat network. Our model could be replicated nationally, and our learning and experience from this would contribute to best practice.
The project would be split across three areas:
Customer engagement -- work with psychologists at Northumbria University and a communications agency, to understand and manage effective communication and engagement methods with households through a variety of methods to deliver the best outcomes,
Financial/legal support - advice and development of required structures and legal agreements to develop investor packs and engagement with suppliers to scale at pace,
Supply chain support -- work with a training consultant to review current skills and identify opportunities to scope resources required, for training and upskilling the local workforce to deliver the heat network pipeline
Gateshead Council has successfully delivered our award-winning District Energy Scheme, heat network and other energy efficiency schemes, focussing on council owned or public sector owned assets, including high-rise social housing.
The Climate Change Committee have forecast heat networks need to increase from 2% of heat to 18-20% of the heat market by 2050\.
As we develop our ambition to heat 15,000 homes through heat networks resident engagement and 'buy-in' is paramount. Firstly, so they actively seek to have their homes connected and secondly, they have awareness and understanding to use their new systems accurately and efficiently. We recognise the need to engage with residents who are unable to connect to a heat network and educating them on their options to heat their homes through a net-zero solution. To date, we have not had resource to carry out user engagement in decarbonisation projects.
We are currently extending our heat network, to connect 550 existing low-rise social housing properties within two estates in Gateshead, to prove the theory and capability of connecting existing low-rise housing to heat networks, and believe we are the first in the UK to be doing so.
Furthermore, we have the opportunity to in-fill many privately owned properties when we carry out these connections, providing a net-zero heat solution for a locality. To ensure the success of the project, engagement with residents is key, hence the requirement for this project.
This project would provide the evidence base and resource for this approach to be rolled out across the borough of Gateshead, taking the same approach and working towards our larger target of 15,000 homes to be connected to the heat network. Our model could be replicated nationally, and our learning and experience from this would contribute to best practice.
The project would be split across three areas:
Customer engagement -- work with psychologists at Northumbria University and a communications agency, to understand and manage effective communication and engagement methods with households through a variety of methods to deliver the best outcomes,
Financial/legal support - advice and development of required structures and legal agreements to develop investor packs and engagement with suppliers to scale at pace,
Supply chain support -- work with a training consultant to review current skills and identify opportunities to scope resources required, for training and upskilling the local workforce to deliver the heat network pipeline
Lead Participant | Project Cost | Grant Offer |
|---|---|---|
| THE BOROUGH COUNCIL OF GATESHEAD | £240,870 | £ 240,870 |
Participant |
||
| UNIVERSITY OF NORTHUMBRIA AT NEWCASTLE | £32,294 | £ 32,294 |
| INNOVATE UK | ||
| GATESHEAD COUNCIL |
People |
ORCID iD |
| Belinda Humphrey (Project Manager) |