Kent's energy collaboration

Lessons learnt for good collaboration

• Identify priorities & agree action plan early
• Clear and consistent messages agreed by all
• Work with existing communication channels & ‘trusted professionals’
• Allow sufficient time for consultation on legal & procurement processes
• Be aware of politics
• It is useful to have a local /regional authority officer who can assist communities
• Identify multiple sources of funding to ensure the sustainability of projects
• Face-to-face communication is the best method of collaborating on projects - maintain that communication with your partners
• Building up a long-term relationship between local /regional authorities and community members (over a number of years) leads to fruitful partnerships and long-term, sustainable RE projects

Delivering a Kent-wide housing retrofit programme

MLG model used: development of the Kent & Medway Sustainable Energy Partnership (KMSEP) (project board)

Aim of model: to support residents in Kent and Medway to save energy in their home

Through Coopenergy we have collaborated to:

• Set-up partnership ( incl. 13 local authorities)
• Establish evidence based
• Develop the Warm Homes initiative
• Develop a Kent-wide brand for retrofitting (Warm Homes) through workshops & task groups.
• Oversee delivery of Warm Homes through bi-annual meetings & establishment of a KMSEP Project Board.
• Commissioning of a Warm Homes call centre (jointly- funded).
• Procurement of the KMSEP Retrofitting Framework

A property receiving external wall insulation, in Kent

Successes of the MLG Model

The MLG approach has enabled us to:

• Build a strong local partnership, benefitting from economies of scale
• £1.7m of funding drawn into Kent through joint-bids
• Share costs (call centre funded by partners)
• Deliver on our targets £5.5 mil lifetime savings for residents; 25,000 tons of CO2 saved
• Install 1450 insulation & heating measures in over 1400 homes
• Resident and SME support events held and resources developed

Delivering community-led renewable energy projects

Delivering Kent Environment Strategy – Why Multi-Level Governance

MLG model used: Sheppey Community Energy Trust

Aim of model: to investigate how RE technologies could be installed across the Isle of Sheppey; & to negotiate community benefits with large developers.

Through Coopenergy we have collaborated to:

• Run a series of workshops - to gather information from the local community on what types of renewables they would like to see developed
• Undertaken a detailed study to explore the potential for these chosen technologies (wind, solar and biomass) and shared results at a final workshop
• Brought together KCC, Swale BC and interested members of the community to form a Trust.

By using a MLG approach we aim to:

• Work better, together –deciding what should be delivered in partnership
• Cut inefficiencies;
• Maximise our resources & benefit fromeconomies of scale;
• Deliver better outcomes for Kent residents & businesses;
• Meet our environment & energy targets nationally & internationally;

Through the COOPENERGY project we have sought to determine:

• How well are we delivering the strategy in partnership currently?
• How can we better deliver the strategy in partnership into the future?

Workshops to identify potential renewable energy options with the Isle of Sheppey community

Successes of the

MLG Model

The MLG approach has enabled us to:

• Establish a Trust to realise community RE opportunities across the Isle
• 2 community buildings surveyed for solar PV. One building has received free installation of solar PV (worth £6,000)
• Community energy funding guide developed
• Ongoing discussions with the community and local developers to negotiate RE schemes that have an added community benefit.

Kent's energy collaboration

Reviewing Strategy and delivering joint actions, using an MLG approach

COOPENERGY Final Conference - 3 December 2015

Carolyn McKenzie

Head of Sustainable Business and Communities