Buildings

Council owned buildings produce a quantity of carbon emissions due to the use of energy which burns fossil fuels. Since 2009 a number of programmes have been completed to reduce these emissions from our offices, schools, leisure centres and care facilities. However to achieve carbon neutrality we need to reduce the emissions even further. 

These are some of the ongoing works and projects we have completed:-

• Installed low carbon and renewable energy systems in over 50 of our own buildings including offices, schools and leisure centres. Technologies include solar PV, solar thermal, wind turbines, heat pumps, biomass boilers and combined heat and power.
• Non domestic energy generation systems met approximately 10% of the Council’s energy demand in 2018-19.
• Installed low carbon and renewable energy systems in its own housing since 2009 including solar PV, ground and air source heat pumps and battery storage. There are now over 700 homes with solar PV and the Council was one of the first authorities to trial the combination of air source heat pumps, solar PV and battery storage.
• Invested in innovative technologies such as transpired solar collectors and battery storage.
• Deliver an annual programme of energy efficiency measures, such as building fabric insulation, draught proofing, new boilers, new heating controls, lighting upgrades etc in the Council’s non domestic buildings since 2008.
• Investing and deliver energy efficiency improvements in our own housing through the Welsh Housing Quality Standard and Welsh Government/UK Government schemes such as NEST, Arbed, Warm Homes Fund and Eco (including improvements of private households).
• Rationalised our estate and moved staff to a modern, more energy efficient building at Ewloe.
• Building and renovating fit for future schools through the 21st Century Schools Programme.
• Replacing the Council’s streetlighting with LED lamps which use significantly less electricity.

Future actions

The Council acknowledges that return of services and investment in some areas, e.g. EV charging infrastructure, will increase our demand for energy and therefore further investment around renewable energy generation is necessary within our buildings and assets and land use.

We will: 

• Ensure all Council buildings and schools (excluding housing) are included in a green energy tariff by 2025.
• Further review the rationalisation of our building assets and leases in reflection of our new ways of working.
• Improve the standard of energy efficiency in our existing buildings and engage with building users to encourage positive behaviour change.
• Design and refurbish buildings for carbon neutral / low energy operation, biodiversity net benefit and adaptation to the impacts of climate change.
• Support schools to reduce operation’s emissions.
• Ensure green infrastructure is considered throughout all existing Council assets and future schemes, e.g. allocation of green space, green roofs, habitat creation.
• Continue to carry out flood investigation and alleviation to identify proactive mitigation measures & prevent recurrent flooding.
• Prioritise nature based solutions to flooding remediation proposals.
• Explore feasibility for rainwater harvesting within Council assets, particularly on high water usage sites.