Catrin Maby, Director
From strategy to practical action: the work of a regional energy
agency
What is Severn Wye Energy What is Severn Wye Energy Agency?Agency?
SAVE Energy AgencySAVE Energy Agency independent non-profit companyindependent non-profit company aims: sustainable energy and aims: sustainable energy and
affordable warmthaffordable warmth in South West of UK / S. Wales:in South West of UK / S. Wales:
Gloucestershire, South Gloucestershire, South Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, MonmouthshireMonmouthshire
Our approachOur approach
coherent message from coherent message from strategic to strategic to practicalpractical
integrated approach to efficiency & integrated approach to efficiency & renewablesrenewables
independent: independent: - technology neutral- technology neutral
- no profit motive- no profit motive developing partnerships and crossing developing partnerships and crossing
sectorssectors
Important issuesImportant issues
engaging others by finding the engaging others by finding the common agendacommon agenda
local to global as well as global to local to global as well as global to locallocal
social inclusionsocial inclusion demystification of everyday demystification of everyday
technologytechnology
Delivering Regional Delivering Regional Economic StrategyEconomic Strategy
renewables is important emerging renewables is important emerging environmental technology sectorenvironmental technology sector
energy efficiency improves environmental energy efficiency improves environmental performance & business efficiency performance & business efficiency
new local jobs in sustainable energynew local jobs in sustainable energy practical pathways for cross-cutting principle of practical pathways for cross-cutting principle of
sustainable developmentsustainable development
Delivering Regional Delivering Regional Renewable Energy StrategyRenewable Energy Strategy
Local Local RRenewable Energy Action enewable Energy Action Plans:Plans:
understanding local role in Strategyunderstanding local role in Strategy agreeing county level targets with agreeing county level targets with
county and districtcounty and district seeking suitable sitesseeking suitable sites
Delivering Regional Delivering Regional Housing StrategyHousing Strategy
achieving good quality homes:achieving good quality homes:- lower running cost - lower running cost - less risk of damp from condensation - less risk of damp from condensation
supporting sustainable supporting sustainable communities:communities:- reducing environmental impact- reducing environmental impact
- alleviating fuel poverty, good for:- alleviating fuel poverty, good for: * health* health * social inclusion* social inclusion
LocalLocal c climate change limate change strategystrategy
primary focus is carbon emission primary focus is carbon emission reductionreduction
energy sources and efficiency, energy sources and efficiency, buildings, transportation, wastebuildings, transportation, waste
stakeholder and public consultationstakeholder and public consultation working group to oversee working group to oversee
implementationimplementation
Multi-authority affordable Multi-authority affordable warmth strategywarmth strategy
Partnership of 8 local authorities and 2 health authorities
Raising profile of Raising profile of sustainable energy in sustainable energy in
other strategiesother strategies
land use planning land use planning health: reducing health inequalitieshealth: reducing health inequalities education: citizenship, science, education: citizenship, science,
geographygeography community planscommunity plans
Practical action:Practical action:Energy Efficiency Advice Energy Efficiency Advice
CentreCentre
free and impartial free and impartial adviceadvice
15,000 households a 15,000 households a yearyear
partners include:partners include:
local authoritieslocal authorities
housing associations housing associations social servicessocial services
pensions service pensions service
Raising awarenessRaising awareness of of energy efficiencyenergy efficiency
homes behaving badly….
………….. and .. and homes behaving wellhomes behaving well
Competitions with energy efficient products as prizes
Raising awareness:Raising awareness:cooking with the suncooking with the sun
Competition at festival to design solar cooker and cook full English breakfast
Practical action: Practical action: adult basic skills adult basic skills
educationeducationRaising awareness of energy efficiency with people not reached by mainstream methods.
Materials for adult education in literacy, numeracy and English as second language.
Practical action:Practical action: sustainable village shop sustainable village shop
Brockweir and Brockweir and Hewelsfield Village Hewelsfield Village Shop and caféShop and café
• local produce local produce • local and local and
environmentally environmentally friendly building friendly building materialsmaterials
• PV roofPV roof• heat pumpheat pump
Practical action:Practical action:biomass at organic farm biomass at organic farm
shopshop
Cirencester farm Cirencester farm shopshop
• Shop and café Shop and café • organic local organic local
produceproduce• wood chip boilerwood chip boiler
Practical action:Practical action:renewables at renewables at
environmental education environmental education centrecentre
The Wilderness The Wilderness CentreCentre
• residential courses residential courses and day visitsand day visits
• many schools attendmany schools attend• PV roofPV roof• wood pellet boiler wood pellet boiler
Practical action:Practical action:working holistically with working holistically with
schoolsschools
identifying practical identifying practical and behavioural and behavioural actions in school actions in school buildingsbuildings
taking the message taking the message homehome
integrating integrating sustainable energy sustainable energy into existing into existing curriculumcurriculum
Practical action:Practical action:working holistically with working holistically with
prisonsprisons energy plan for prison buildingsenergy plan for prison buildings advice on energy savings for advice on energy savings for
prisoners’ familiesprisoners’ families educational programmes for longer educational programmes for longer
term prisonersterm prisoners energy efficiency in resettlement energy efficiency in resettlement
housinghousing
Multi- authority/multi-Multi- authority/multi-agency agency
energy efficiency energy efficiency partnershippartnership
home energy home energy efficiency advice and efficiency advice and measuresmeasures
7 local authorities, 7 local authorities, fuel company, health fuel company, health authority and social authority and social services services
over 8,000 over 8,000 households advisedhouseholds advised
measures installed measures installed value over 3 million value over 3 million euroseuros
External agency working External agency working with statutory authorities: with statutory authorities:
lessons learnedlessons learned
energy is cross-cutting issue, so engage energy is cross-cutting issue, so engage across departmentsacross departments
budgets always tight so help to realise budgets always tight so help to realise benefits of funds leveragebenefits of funds leverage
compensate for inherent lack of flexibility compensate for inherent lack of flexibility with own quick responsewith own quick response
help new staff into role, include in training help new staff into role, include in training etcetc
encourage to use sustainable energy as encourage to use sustainable energy as career positivecareer positive
Forging successful Forging successful partnerships:partnerships:
lessons learned from all lessons learned from all other sectorsother sectors
counsellor: counsellor: listen and understand listen and understand detective: detective: find relevance everywherefind relevance everywhereresearcher: researcher: think outside the boxthink outside the boxentrepreneur: entrepreneur: all events are an opportunityall events are an opportunityPR expert: PR expert: seek good news storiesseek good news storiessocial worker: social worker: help projects to cope without help projects to cope without
youyousalesperson:salesperson: sell ideas, and close sale sell ideas, and close sale
with smilewith smileteacher:teacher: make it easy, fun and rewarding make it easy, fun and rewarding
Happy partnership Happy partnership celebrating achievementscelebrating achievements