Wales & West Utilities has launched the Energy Systems Toolkit to support local authorities and community groups as they plan their journey to Net Zero.
The toolkit, which has been developed in conjunction with independent consultancy Delta-EE, is a practical resource designed to offer organisations the opportunity to design an affordable and reliable future energy system to reach Net Zero. It combines Wales & West Utilities innovative whole systems simulator, the 2050 Energy Pathfinder, with supporting guidance documentation and an in-depth Net Zero and Energy knowledge base.
The Energy Systems Toolkit is a technoeconomic model that has been developed in response to feedback from customers, local authorities and community groups who are all looking to make informed choices on the future of energy. It has been designed to be an accessible tool that simulates carbon emissions, bill costs and local supply availability, allowing organisations to assess the impact of their Net Zero plans.
The Net Zero and Energy knowledge base is designed to support upskilling and capability building across experts and non-experts through a detailed guide to the UK’s existing energy system and technologies involved in the transition to Net Zero.
Combined, the Energy Systems Toolkit provides support from initial capability building, scoping and initial development to later stages of stakeholder engagement and public consultation.
Matt Hindle, Wales & West Utilities Head of Net Zero and Sustainability, said:
We know that local authorities and organisations are at different stages of their own journey to Net Zero and this toolkit is designed to support everyone, no matter what their experience is.
No matter where an organisation is in planning or implementing their strategy, it will allow stakeholders the opportunity to explore the actions they can take to help their area meet Net Zero targets, whilst providing useful information to guide them.
We’re pleased to have developed such an innovative tool to help stakeholders in their future energy planning. We know there are challenges to meeting Net Zero targets, but this practical toolkit will prove an invaluable resource to experts and non-experts alike.
Tessa Clark, Head of Consulting Delivery at Delta-EE, added:
Local authorities and community organisations have a really important role to play in helping to reach Net Zero, but Net Zero planning isn’t easy. We were therefore really pleased to support Wales & West Utilities in developing this toolkit, which contains a variety of resources to support these organisations. The content and format of the toolkit was informed by the needs of a range of organisations we spoke to, and feedback from potential users has been very positive. We hope that many other organisations access the toolkit and find it a useful resource.
Wales & West Utilities is the company that look after the pipes that keep the gas flowing to heat the homes and power businesses of 7.5m people across Wales and south west England. They operate the gas emergency service, connect new homes and businesses, and upgrade the gas network so it’s safe today and fit for the future.
The company is also committed to playing its part in getting to Net Zero carbon emissions by 2050. It has 49 power stations connected to its network to support renewables like wind and solar power, while 20 green gas sites inject enough decarbonised green gas to power approx. 180,000 homes, Additionally, the company’s network supplies bus garages in three locations across the south west of England, fuelling CNG buses that improve air quality and reduce carbon emissions from public transport.