Issue - items at meetings - Renewable energy potential - report of the Scrutiny Panel

Report of the Strategic Director Resources

48.1 The Chairman Councillor Morgan welcomed Dr Adrian Smith, researcher on sustainable energy systems at Sussex University and Chairman of the Scrutiny Panel on Renewable Energy Potential. The Scrutiny Panel also comprised Councillors Morgan, West and Watkins.

48.2 Dr Smith said he was pleased to have chaired the Scrutiny Panel, which gave the opportunity to promote renewable energy locally and to take a closer look at policy and innovation and community energy projects.

48.3 The Panel held four public witness sessions hearing evidence from 25 people as detailed in the report. It investigated the status and potential of renewable energy and considered the role the Council could adopt on city-scale projects and programmes over the short and medium term. It did not focus on large schemes such as offshore wind farms; or wave and tidal technologies for which in any case Brighton & Hove is not well placed. Energy efficiency and reduction in energy demand, though clearly linked, were also beyond the Panel’s remit.

48.4    Transitional technologies such as combined heat and power and district heating schemes were investigated. National and local policies also helped inform the report.

48.5    Dr Smith highlighted the six main lessons identified:

1)     Reliable technologies do exist for a range of diverse situations. Therefore policies and activities need to be tailored for different technical and business models.

2)     There are several developments happening in the City for example at least 10 planning-driven exemplars for both newbuilds and refurbishments

3)     Renewable energy is not an end in itself but also a means to other goals including;

a)     Economic development – local finance stays local, with a multiplier effect

b)     Tackling fuel poverty

c)      Underpinning energy security – energy prices likely to rise affect business competitiveness and household wellbeing

d)     Providing a focus for apprenticeships and skills development – linked with a finding of the Environmental Industries scrutiny review

e)     Helping deliver sustainability goals by cutting the carbon footprint, helping reduce climate change; and potentially reducing food waste.

f)        Developing the City’s reputation for sustainability

4)     There were new opportunities in the energy market such as feed-in tariffs and others, which would then attract further development and help retain investment locally. The national picture is fast-moving. Other areas are ahead of Brighton & Hove so the city needs to ‘step up’ and promote more learning, if it wishes to commit to renewable energy.

5)     Renewable energy opportunities need a wide range of skills which do exist within different parts of the Council and across organisations but which need coordination. Since renewable energy is not the core business of one individual, expertise seems fragmented. For example laudable solar photovoltaic schemes in council housing could be extended to social landlords and the private sector; and a policy on this would be helpful.

6)     Effective leadership plays a large part in actioning policies. The City does have entrepeneurs, investors, advocates and community groups but they need coordinating, supporting and empowering.

48.6    Dr Smith outlined the scrutiny recommendations as set out in the report. At Recommendation 2 he pointed out that renewable energy was not part of ‘everyday business’ for landowners and landlords. The heat mapping in Recommendation 7 would indicate the sources of major heat demand and where for example energy from food waste could be suitable.  The City’s vision about renewable energy was key, as referred to in Recommendation 12. At Recommendation 13 he stressed that energy companies were indeed getting interested in rolling out alternative energy programmes. Community groups could well become an integral part in a broad package for sustainable energy in the future.

48.7    Dr Smith thanked the Panel Members, people who gave evidence and the scrutiny team; and commended the report for ECSOSC to endorse.

48.8    Members noted the short timescale for local authorities to take up financial incentives and the need for a ‘step change’ if alternative energy was to be taken seriously. Recommendation 1 was for the Strategic Director Place to publish in 3 months time the council’s investment plans for sustainable and renewable energy.

48.9    There was discussion on the potential in the City for energy from food waste, for instance from restaurants.

48.10  Answering questions Dr Smith said there was no single answer to whether one technology or another was more effective for newbuild and/or retro-fitting. Solar photovoltaic cells were suitable in many instances – not only on south-facing roofs of new buildings, for example. Various technologies could provide large quantities of renewable energy and each could be tailored to the circumstances. Therefore coordination of knowledge and skills were essential. Leadership was needed to harness local enthusiasm, enable local opportunities to be taken and to work with developers.

48. 11Location-specific factors and maximising financial returns were both important. However the aftermath of the 1970s energy crisis had shown that European countries that had kept up investment in alternative energy technologies such as wind and solar power were now benefiting in terms of sustainability and job creation.

48.12  Dr Smith said there was cross-party support for sustainable energy and national policy was moving in the ‘right direction’ but there was still a question of scale and timing.

48.13 On behalf of the Committee the ECSOSC Chairman thanked the Panel for their work on an interesting and important subject and for producing a landmark report.

48.14  The Committee agreed the outcomes of the scrutiny review and asked for the Executive reply to be reported back to ECSOSC. Members wished for a monitoring report 6 months after the actions have been agreed.

48.15  RESOLVED that

1) the scrutiny panel report be endorsed

2) the report be referred to the Council’s Executive, the appropriate partner organisations and to full Council

3) the Council’s investment plans relating to recommendation 1 be reported to Members

4)  a six-month monitoring report be requested back to ECSOSC