What is the Local Net Zero Fund?
The Local Net Zero Fund (LNZF) is a £1 million grant fund for local authorities to increase the number, scale and quality of net zero projects in the region.
The fund was created by the Hub to support local authorities in the region to deliver on net zero. The grants will be used to investigate opportunities, unlock barriers and get stalled projects moving.
Councils in receipt of funding are listed below. They will have 12 months to deliver their funded works.
The fund is now closed to applications.
The LNZ Fund is made up of three grant pots:
Local Capacity Grant
Up to £25,000 for flexible support to a range of net zero initiatives prioritised by the fund, ultimately leading to the development of a capital net zero project.
Project Development Grant
Up to £100,000 for stalled net zero capital projects that have already established a business case and technical feasibility. A key requirement is that the grant is likely to lead to the project achieving capital delivery.
Strategic Development Grant
Up to £100,000 for knowledge, understanding collaboration and regional capacity building, and to help unlock a key barrier or opportunity. In addition to the grant, the Hub will provide up to 20 days project development support.
Local Capacity Grant Awards
Listed below are the successful projects who received funding grants for projects up to the value of £25,000
Objective: Complete energy assessments for heritage buildings to inform detailed decarbonisation plans
Award: £25,000
Complete energy assessments for 15 “difficult to decarbonise” heritage buildings in the Council’s corporate estate, resulting in detailed bespoke plans for each building. The plans will utilise multiple technologies which consider the building as a whole.
Objective: Appoint legal expertise to move solar installations on PFI sites forward.
Award: £25,000
Appoint legal expertise to explore if solar PV can be installed on council-owned buildings operating under PFI contracts which are considered to be feasible for installation but legal requirements have prevented the projects from progressing. The project will look at waste and recycling sites, as well as schools operating under PFI contracts, with successful outcomes from the project leading to potential installs of over 2MW capacity.
Objective: An engagement programme on retrofit measures with residents
Award: £75,000
Retrofit engagement officers will be employed to deliver engagement work and expand the existing online platform “The Retrofit Centre”, which has ambitions to be a one-stop service with pathways to home assessments, detailed advice and retrofit coordination. The engagement work will focus on residents whose households are below EPC C and are able to self-finance retrofit measures.
Objective: Encourage uptake of solar PV by residents
Award: £25,000
A targeted campaign using socio-demographic data and other datasets (such as EPC ratings, carbon emissions and solar generation potential) to encourage uptake of solar PV by residents, building on the successful Solar Together scheme. This will focus on the “able-to-pay” residents and will utilise a number of different engagement methods to maximise effectiveness.
Objective: Inform a business case development of a site of Specific Historic Interest, Mount Edgcumbe Country Park
Award: £20,379
Decarbonisation of Mount Edgecumbe Country Park, a site of Specific Historic Interest, including Grade I and II listed structures. The work will inform the technical and business case development for switching the heating system to a combination of heat pump and solar PV, which has been identified as the best option for the site in previous studies. Including:
- Fully graded energy audit for optimal configuration
- Green investment/ funding exploration
Objective: Complete studies to inform investment-ready proposals for decarbonisation of Brixham harbour and fishmarket
Award: £20,000
Explore decarbonisation options for Brixham Harbour infrastructure and the adjacent fish market, as well as explore borehole sampling at Torquay Pavilion. Studies to explore boreholes and sea water cooling to reduce the energy demands of the site will be completed to inform the development of investment-ready propositions for the site.
Objective: Analyse data to inform EV purchasing and chargepoint installation
Award: £25,000
Analysis of data from existing telematics devices installed in the Council’s fleet vehicles. This analysis will then be used to inform future EV purchasing plans and installation of EV charging infrastructure to optimise the number of chargepoints and EVs purchased.
Project Development Grant Awards
Listed below are the successful projects who received funding grants for projects up to the value of £100,000
Objective: Progress three redundant landfill sites to investment-readiness for Solar PV installation
Award: £97,296
Work to include:
- Commercial options appraisal (including assessment of revenue streams via Power Purchase Agreements and grid flexibility services).
- Detailed financial modelling of costs, including land remediation, grid connection and planning application.
- Assessment of financing packages (e.g. community investment), including contractual arrangements.
- Planning pre-application submission.
- Funding route determination.
An investment “playbook” will also be produced to be shared with other Local Authorities.
Objective: Develop a detailed approach to creating a Net Zero estate
Award: £47,330
Further build on a costed retrofit opportunity for Charminster Highways Depot to develop a detailed approach to make the site a Net Zero estate. Project will take this approach to investment and procurement-readiness. Establish proof of concept with the aim of informing the Council’s strategic approach for the wider estate.
Objective: Complete technical investigation for solar PV installation on council-owned buildings
Award: £100,000
Complete further technical investigation on council-owned buildings for which the business case and feasibility for Solar PV has been established. To include building condition surveys; electrical surveys; engineering designs for Private Wire installs; legal and procurement support; Project Management support; and System Performance Assessment.
Objective: Incorporate further Net Zero solutions to the development of a community facility.
Award: £60,299
Expand the Net Zero solutions being incorporated to the development of the Five Acres leisure, sports and community facility. The grant will also fund the exploration of the feasibility of a smart Local Energy System as well as alternative financing models for the Net Zero elements of the development.
Objective: Resolve issues and continue work to install ground-mounted Solar PV arrays across council-owned land
Award: £51,957
To continue work to install ground-mounted Solar PV arrays across council-owned land in Bridgwater. The project aims to resolve grid connection issues; assess financing options; and prepare for procurement of a partner to deliver the scheme.
Strategic Development Grant Awards
Listed below are the successful projects who received funding grants for projects up to the value of £100,000
Objective: Inform an investment decision on the roll out of slurry covers across the Council’s dairy farms and assess the opportunities for Cornwall Council to use and produce biomethane as part of their operations.
Award: £93,700
Cornwall Council will build an evidence base to inform investment into the scale-up of biomethane in Cornwall. With the help of partners Bennamann and the International Fugitive Emissions Abatement Association (IFEAA), the project will look at developping support for dairy farmers to install slurry covers and technologies needed to produce biomethane. Cornwall Council will also review its operations to identify potential for biomethane use and production and will attempt to develop a delivery model and seek potential investments supporting it.
Objective: Create an investable decarbonisation plan for an industrial estate and form a replicable business model
Award: £99,851
Create a decarbonisation plan for Heathfield industrial estate, including options assessment for renewables & district heating, financial modelling, and investment grade audits for businesses on site. The project will identify a pathway of viable investment opportunities with the intention of forming a replicable business model for industrial estates of this size (estates which are considered too small for national schemes such as the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund)
Objective: Produce a green hydrogen routemap
Award: £100,000
Produce a green hydrogen routemap for North Devon and Torridge to de–risk future investment, supporting the transition towards a greener, more socio-economically prosperous future for the region. Aiming to maximise benefits from future large-scale energy projects, including the Celtic Sea Floating Offshore Wind proposals, the routemap will explore longer-term and shorter-term pilot production opportunities, offtakes including zero emission maritime propulsion, and will explore phased skills needs. It will undertake an analysis of environmental considerations and develop a draft Planning policy.
Investment readiness support
Alongside the LNZF, the Hub is offering a free Net Zero Investment Readiness Assessment Service. Local and combined authorities in receipt of a Project Development Grant in our region can access this service.
Local and combined authorities can apply for relevant projects (or project portfolios) to be assessed by the Hub team, who will review project finances and any outstanding work required for external investment. This will include:
- Assessment of any further technical and due diligence works required
- Commercial business case review
- Cashflow analysis
- Benchmarking against external funder requirements
This process should provide a helpful roadmap for local authority projects seeking external financing options. It can also act as a critical friend financial audit for council net zero projects progressing through a more traditional internally funded route.
Contact us
For enquiries about the Local Net Zero Fund please contact: LNZCDF@westofengland-ca.gov.uk
For enquiries about the Net Zero Investment Readiness Assessment Service please fill out the contact form on our website.
