Low Carbon Development Programme (2007-2011)

Regen SW's low carbon development programme ran from October 2007 to March 2011. The programme  focused on reducing operational carbon emissions from new buildings by accelerating the deployment of on-site renewable energy and energy efficiency technology on large development sites.

Advice was provided to any site of over 1000 homes and included:

• energy, and low and zero-carbon building policy
• planning and energy
• renewable resource assessment
• building energy modelling
• site-wide solutions, including CHP and district heating
• funding and funding models
• preparing business cases
• energy industry partnering
• energy services companies (ESCos)

The initial phase of the programme supported 5 ambitious new developments which were selected in a competition in 2007/08. The developments chosen were Derriford in Plymouth, Cranbrook East of Exeter, Project Taunton, NW Cheltenham and Whichelstowe in Swindon. Early achievements included the publishing of Element Energy's Energy Strategy for the East of Exeter and the completion of energy studies for Derriford in Plymouth. The programme has seen major steps forward in 2010 and 2011. In 2010 planning approval was granted for a biomass CHP scheme to serve Cranbrook (and the adjacent Skypark commercial development) making the development the largest new build zero carbon development in the UK. Work on the Cranbrook development commenced in March 2011. Also in 2011, the Plymouth District Energy Partnership was formed to take forward low carbon district heating schemes across the City.