Around 80% of local authorities in the UK have declare a climate emergency and targets of achieving Net Zero before 2050, yet few have a clear plan on not clear how to get there, what needs to be done in what order, or which technologies and infrastructure to invest in.

Local Area Energy Planning (LAEP) is a data-driven, whole system approach – that considers how to decarbonise the entire energy system at least cost across electricity, gas, heat and transport, down the supply chains from energy generation to distribution and consumption in homes and businesses, and across systems – the physical, digital, market and policy systems.

Bridgend Country Borough Council were one of the first local places in the country to to collaborate on a LAEP – focused initially on the decarbonisation of heat.

Working with BCBC, Wales and West Utilities and other key local stakeholders we developed a street-by-street LAEP unique to the area – that found decarbonisation of heat could be achieved at a cost premium of just 15% above the cost of decarbonising electricity alone.

The LAEP delivered future local energy scenarios; insights and evidence to help develop of a pipeline of innovation projects to transform the energy system to zero carbon over time; and identified opportunities and risks to help support more open dialogue, future engagement and investment in building retrofit, heat, gas and electricity networks.

Bridgend returned in 2021 to collaborate of extending the LAEP to include transport, energy storage and hydrogen.

Local Energy Asset Representation (LEAR) is a modelling tool developed by Energy Systems Catapult. It pulls together local information on energy demand, generation, storage and distribution assets, social factors like fuel poverty and characteristics like building design types and local geography, using geospatial data analysis and aspects of machine learning. It enables planners and innovators to strategically decide how they might deploy and grow low carbon businesses.

The York & North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership (YNY LEP) needed  a LEAR to support their vision for achieving net zero emissions by 2050 and milestone of 78% reduction by 2035. Locally, five local authorities have declared a climate emergency setting challenging decarbonisation targets up to twenty years ahead of that target. YNY LEP area covers well over 8,000 km2 and has a population of around 825,000 people.

YNY LEP requested their LEAR provide an understanding of the building stock in the local area by geographic location, including analysis of:

• Types of dwellings including building fabric
• Types of heating systems
• Annual and peak energy demands
• Potential for domestic on-roof solar PV and off-street parking for electric vehicle charging
• An assessment of energy networks that serve them including capacity and embedded generation.

The LEAR also provided information on the levels of employment and deprivation correlating to the building by building assessment in each area.

The Energy Revolution Integration Service was created by Energy Systems Catapult to play a central role in the Innovate UK’s £102.5 million Prospering from the Energy Revolution (PFER) programme – running from 2018-2023.

ERIS delivered a legacy of insights, tools, learning and thought leadership for industry, government and regulators to support the successful testing of innovative approaches to developing Smart Local Energy Systems (SLES) to help local communities reach Net Zero targets.

ERIS delivered significant value to the PfER programme, including:

• Tools, Guidance and Data for local places developing Smart Local Energy Systems, including the delivery of cross-project engagement activities, knowledge and data-sharing platforms.
• Net Zero Go was developed as a key digital platform to support local authorities in developing plans and projects for their local area that support Net Zero ambitions.
• Guidance on creating a Local Area Energy Plan that is now being adopted as the industry standard. Plus three LEAPS were funded in
• Local Energy Asset Representations were delivered in 27 locations.
• Net Zero Knowledge Library with over 650 articles, 30 case studies and six tools and guides.
• Digital innovators that ESC supported are already starting to win commercial contracts for digital products and services that they have developed: Icebreaker One, Advanced Infrastructure Technology Ltd and Open Climate Fix.