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