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.

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.

Current Energy-Related Carbon Emissions: An energy usage survey was published online and paper copies distributed to houses in the Parish. The average carbon output per household 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.

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.

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.