Local Net Zero Hubs - making net zero projects happen

Michael Gallagher, Head of Midlands Net Zero Hub, outlines how the UK-wide initiative is supporting local authorities to achieve climate targets.

Created by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero in 2018, the five Local Net Zero Hubs provide free strategic and technical support to local authorities, public sector organisations, and community groups in England to develop net zero projects. The Hubs take net zero projects from the earliest stages of feasibility to investment and delivery.

The Hubs’ objectives in providing this support are to: 

• Increase the number, quality, and scale of local net zero projects. 
• Enable local areas to attract private or public finance for decarbonisation projects. 
• Raise awareness of the opportunity for, and benefits of, local investment. 
• Support regional co-ordination and collaboration between local partners and share local learning.

The Hubs also work to deliver national projects locally, through programmes developed and funded by the Department including: 

• Supporting community-led renewable energy, energy demand reduction, and energy supply projects through the Community Energy Fund. 
• Domestic retrofit programmes such as the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, the Home Upgrade Grant, and the Local Authority Delivery scheme. These schemes fund energy efficiency improvements including insulation, draught proofing, upgraded heating systems, solar panels, and heat pumps in low income and social homes. 
• The Public Sector Decarbonisation Fund, helping local authorities to make their own buildings easier, greener, and cheaper to heat and power. 
• The Local Energy Advice Demonstrator programme, piloting innovative ways of providing energy advice to hard-to-reach communities and for local people who live in hard-to-treat homes.

Each Local Net Zero Hub also delivers key innovative projects in their region

Greater South East Net Zero Hub

• Exploration of a place-based Net Zero Delivery Vehicle as a replicable solution to increase the flow of capital into net zero projects and address the lack of development and financial capacity of local authorities.
• Partnering with Innovate UK KTN to use their Innovation Exchange process to develop solutions for public sector transport decarbonisation, including fleets, large engine vehicles and car parks.  
• Developing a regional training network to upskill and upscale the energy-efficiency workforce to lower the carbon emissions of the 10 million homes in the region, making them cheaper to heat and creating net zero job and business opportunities.

Midlands Net Zero Hub

• Managing national skills training schemes which have delivered more than 25,000 courses to upskill professionals in retrofit, energy efficiency, and low-carbon heating.
• Leading regional retrofit consortia which have delivered energy efficiency improvements to more than 10,000 homes through grant-funded schemes.
• Assisting local authorities to decarbonise their fleet through the Electrification of Council Depots Guide and funding competition.

North East and Yorkshire Net Zero Hub

• Local Area Energy Planning, developing data-driven and evidence-led projections of future local energy demand alongside cost effective proposals to meet that demand.
• Deployment of alternative sources of heat, including a major study looking at unlocking geothermal technology at scale in the UK and projects looking to harness heat from agricultural and food waste and from redundant energy infrastructure such as mines.
• Working to create a Community Energy Ecosystem in the region, where local groups with an interest in generating clean heat and energy locally can come together to share best practice and shape local and national support offer, alongside training, subsidised energy audits and funding programmes.

North West Net Zero Hub

• Supporting businesses to understand heat decarbonisation options including support for installation of commercial heat pumps.
• Supporting homeowners, schools and other public organisations to invest in solar power.
• Assisting the Net Zero North West Cluster Plan, which identifies a £30bn investment opportunity anchored by the Hynet Track 1 Industrial Cluster.
• Supporting skills and supply chain development and best practice and procurement of local government and social housing programmes of over £300m.
• Building a project pipeline of £196m of public building heat decarbonisation plans.
• Supporting advanced heat zoning and anchor projects for district heating schemes in city centres and industrial parks.

South West Net Zero Hub

• Delivering a £1m Capacity and Development Fund to support local councils towards meeting local net zero ambitions. 
• Developing a domestic low carbon retrofit finance solution for Able-To-Pay householders.
• A major research project on green skills and supply chain development.
• Supporting councils to develop innovative mechanisms for power purchase that promotes the growth of local renewable energy generation.
• If you would like support to make your local authority’s net zero projects happen, get in touch with your Local Net Zero Hub. Find out more about the Local Net Zero Hubs programme.