CARBON REDUCTION INITIATIVES
Digital tools can improve funding bid success rates
Chris Brown, Public Sector lead at IES, ‘a global innovator in integrated performance-based analysis for the built environment’, discusses the need for NHS Trusts to be able to provide comprehensive data on current performance, and good evidence of the need for funding, when seeking monies for heat decarbonisation and energy efficiency measures. One of the ways they can do this – he explains – is via the use of the appropriate ‘digital tools’.
As a result of its energy-intensive nature, the healthcare sector is a significant contributor to emissions. NHS emissions alone are currently responsible for 4% of England’s total carbon footprint, and the operation of NHS facilities accounts for up to 15% of the total carbon emissions profile. The energy crisis has also led to crippling energy bills for many NHS Trusts, with some facing an extra spend of up to £2 m per month when fuel prices surged. As a result, efforts to improve energy efficiency are not only fundamental to reducing the impact of healthcare on the environment, but also to reducing the burden of operational costs on the NHS. Recognising the need to decarbonise and drive down energy bills, the NHS has pledged to be Net Zero by 2045, meaning that time is ticking for Trusts to implement measures. However, to get here significant improvements will need to be made across all areas, including how buildings are constructed, retrofitted, and operated, to increase energy efficiency.
Net Zero Building Standard To aid this, the NHS Net Zero Building Standard was published in February 2023 to provide technical guidance to support the development of sustainable, energy- efficient healthcare facilities. The Standard applies to all future building works and
upgrades from 1 October 2023 which require sign-off for funding. To create tangible change, Trusts will need to unlock funding support. Whilst it’s widely known that public sector funding can be relatively scarce, there’s a vital need to make use of the schemes that are available to secure the means to meet targets. Fortunately, there are funds that healthcare providers can bid for to aid the challenge of decarbonising their building stock. One of these is the Heat Networks Efficiency Scheme, which supports performance improvements to existing district heating and communal heating projects. The next funding round closed on 10 November, and there are three further rounds scheduled until May 2024. However, the sooner that healthcare providers make a start on improving efficiency, the sooner the results, and savings, will be seen. Another way to unlock funding is
through the Public Sector Low Carbon Skills Fund, which provides grants for organisations to access the expert advice and skills required to create a heat decarbonisation plan. Phase 4 of the funding has now closed, but those who successfully secured funding through the scheme will need to complete the activity by March 2024, meaning that careful planning is necessary to ensure
that the money is spent wisely. The Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme provides grants to fund heat decarbonisation and energy efficiency measures as part of the wider aim of reducing emissions from public sector buildings. Applications for Phase 3C of the scheme opened back in October, so the clock is ticking for healthcare providers to gather the data required.
Bidding processes The application processes for the above schemes vary, and can be complex and time-consuming. As a result, time constraints and a lack of direction mean that organisations are putting in high-level bids and not successfully securing funding. Applications are being rejected due to a lack of detail and evidence, with vague plans failing to prove that the funding will be well spent and create significant improvements. The more detail, data, and evidence, that
NHS Trusts can provide, the higher their chances of a successful bid. With a vital need to accelerate the journey to Net Zero, putting in the time at the application stage will be of significant benefit further down the line. One way to create a more robust bid is to utilise digital tools to remove the guesswork and provide more accurate, detailed information around how the
Using the ‘digital twin’, different scenarios and improvements can be tested, such as heat pumps, lighting changes, and differing levels of insulation.
A digital twin can be created of a building or an entire healthcare estate, and used to gain insights into how a building is performing.
January 2024 Health Estate Journal 67
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