Net Zero Caerphilly Whole System Decision Support Toolkit (NetZeroCaer)

This project will carry out a feasibility assessment, developing a prototype Decision Making, Collaborative Working and Engagement Toolkit to overcome the non-technical barriers faced in placed-based whole system net zero initiatives. It will examine non-technical barriers surrounding multiple energy vectors: generation (solar, wind, biomass), network (heat, hydrogen, electricity) and demand (space heating, cooling, transport, and power), which are relevant to and appropriate for our study area, i.e., Nelson in Caerphilly County Borough Council (CCBC). The council has identified the opportunities (in their Decarbonisation Action Plan and Decarbonisation Strategy) to decarbonise this area through multiple green energy sources to meet the local energy demand, which includes anchor loads in the form of council owned assets (buildings, fleet) and a nearby business park.

This toolkit will account for decarbonisation of deprived areas of CCBC, while bringing co-benefits of investments in the area in the form of addressing fuel poverty, creating green local jobs, improved air quality, lower energy bills. Because of considering a whole system net zero approach, we have identified a number of non-technical barriers such as financing such projects through a combination of public private investments; knowledge and skills required for long-term sustainability of such initiatives; buy-in from a variety of end users (public, domestic, commercial); understanding the key stakeholders to be involved at different stages of design and implementation; interaction between the existing networks and the proposed new ones covering different energy vectors; and finally, de-risking for future private sector investments.

Standard approaches offer options appraisal but are not able to consider the local context on decarbonisation options and timing of availability through different energy networks. We will consider the whole network in a local area including gas, electricity and heat networks but also considering local factors such as geography and ethical water consumption.

This approach will allow informed decision making by the local authority and support behaviour and will provide a powerful tool for other local authorities. By supporting local authority investment, it will enable the local authority to act as an anchor for innovation leverage private sector investment in low carbon energy.

Through this project, taking a whole system approach, we will develop a decision making, engagement and communication toolkit that enables local councils and energy consumers to make informed decisions for decarbonisation by reducing uncertainty. The developed toolkit will be applicable to the wider area for scaling-up or replicating in other areas where similar opportunities/challenges persist.