How are we performing currently?
The framework below sets out the criteria against which the current status can be assessed. Aspirational objectives are then set to encourage progress towards the vision.
The framework below sets out the criteria against which the current status can be assessed. Aspirational objectives are then set to encourage progress towards the vision.
2021 Assessment
Where are we now and what else do we need to know?
The Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) recently commissioned Regen to produce a comprehensive Dorset Low Carbon Investment Opportunities Evidence Base, which presents a range of opportunities for decarbonising Dorset to help the region deliver on net zero, jobs and green recovery. We have considered the data and projections in this, alongside information published by both Councils in assessing Dorset’s energy demand.
Importantly, electric vehicles and electric heat pumps are around four times more efficient than their petroleum vehicle and gas boiler counterparts. As a result, when combined with high ambitions for domestic and nondomestic energy efficiency, much lower total energy consumption is projected over the coming decades. By 2050, overall energy demand in the scenarios is between 55% and 67% lower than the existing baseline. However, we believe this level of power down is not ambitious enough given the climate and ecological emergency we face, particularly as the higher the demand the more renewable energy is needed to meet it.
Dorset’s current energy needs are estimated to be around 14,000 GWh. After transport, businesses and residential are the county’s two largest sources of GHG emissions, contributing 60% of the total. Energy consumption has decreased steadily over the last decade; total energy demand per person in Dorset is 23 MWh, which is 7% lower than in 2010. Three quarters of this demand is met through fossil fuels, predominantly natural gas for heating and petroleum for vehicles. This energy, and the emissions generated from it, is predominantly used in buildings (heating, lighting, ventilation and cooking) with some additional industrial use. Because of this, this chapter focuses predominantly on buildings with the other areas covered elsewhere.
While newly constructed buildings are more energy efficient, projecting forwards, 80% of buildings will have been built prior to improved standards, so a major priority is decarbonising our existing stock. The UK government has set some high targets for heat pump rollout in the coming decade, aiming for 600,000 installations per year by 2028. If achieved (and there are some doubts – see comments below), this should result in the majority of off-gas properties being electrically heated by the early 2030s, and a significant number of on-gas properties converting to a heat pump. Around 5% of homes in Dorset are heated by oil, LPG or solid fuel, and switching to a heat pump would likely provide long-term benefits to both carbon emissions and heating bills in these properties. Although increasing local manufacturing and population growth will create further demand, with energy efficiency improvements we anticipate industrial emissions will be similar to today (this is in line with the ZCB scenario).
Where are we now and what else do we need to know?
The Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) recently commissioned Regen to produce a comprehensive Dorset Low Carbon Investment Opportunities Evidence Base, which presents a range of opportunities for decarbonising Dorset to help the region deliver on net zero, jobs and green recovery. We have considered the data and projections in this, alongside information published by both Councils in assessing Dorset’s energy demand.
Importantly, electric vehicles and electric heat pumps are around four times more efficient than their petroleum vehicle and gas boiler counterparts. As a result, when combined with high ambitions for domestic and nondomestic energy efficiency, much lower total energy consumption is projected over the coming decades. By 2050, overall energy demand in the scenarios is between 55% and 67% lower than the existing baseline. However, we believe this level of power down is not ambitious enough given the climate and ecological emergency we face, particularly as the higher the demand the more renewable energy is needed to meet it.
Dorset’s current energy needs are estimated to be around 14,000 GWh. After transport, businesses and residential are the county’s two largest sources of GHG emissions, contributing 60% of the total. Energy consumption has decreased steadily over the last decade; total energy demand per person in Dorset is 23 MWh, which is 7% lower than in 2010. Three quarters of this demand is met through fossil fuels, predominantly natural gas for heating and petroleum for vehicles. This energy, and the emissions generated from it, is predominantly used in buildings (heating, lighting, ventilation and cooking) with some additional industrial use. Because of this, this chapter focuses predominantly on buildings with the other areas covered elsewhere.
While newly constructed buildings are more energy efficient, projecting forwards, 80% of buildings will have been built prior to improved standards, so a major priority is decarbonising our existing stock. The UK government has set some high targets for heat pump rollout in the coming decade, aiming for 600,000 installations per year by 2028. If achieved (and there are some doubts – see comments below), this should result in the majority of off-gas properties being electrically heated by the early 2030s, and a significant number of on-gas properties converting to a heat pump. Around 5% of homes in Dorset are heated by oil, LPG or solid fuel, and switching to a heat pump would likely provide long-term benefits to both carbon emissions and heating bills in these properties. Although increasing local manufacturing and population growth will create further demand, with energy efficiency improvements we anticipate industrial emissions will be similar to today (this is in line with the ZCB scenario).
Figure 1. Total energy demand by sector in UK in 2017 (BEIS 2018) from ZCB Rising to the Climate Emergency p39
The target is to reduce the current energy consumption by 60%, as per the scenario in the ZCB report. This includes a 50% reduction in energy use for heating homes through technology and behaviour change. Energy consumption in Dorset reduced by around 7% between 2010 and 2019 (Electricity and Gas (see Figure 2)) due to the installation of more energy-efficient appliances and heating systems and insulation. This shows the scale and urgency of the problem if energy demand is to be reduced by 60% in the next 10 years.
As noted above this chapter focuses on buildings because they account for about 60% of the energy demand (with building energy demand to be cut from 7,885 GWh now to 3,154 GWh by 2030). The Power Up chapter will focus on what Dorset needs to do to provide 100% renewable energy to meet this reduced demand.
As noted above this chapter focuses on buildings because they account for about 60% of the energy demand (with building energy demand to be cut from 7,885 GWh now to 3,154 GWh by 2030). The Power Up chapter will focus on what Dorset needs to do to provide 100% renewable energy to meet this reduced demand.
Figure 2. Dorset Energy Consumption Comparison, 2010 and 2019
A number of the case studies also include installing on-site renewable energy. While this is technically powering up it makes sense, alongside reducing demand through technology and behaviour change, to include these in this chapter to provide a holistic view on buildings in general.
According to Regen, of Dorset’s 400,000 homes, only 5% have an EPC rating of B or better and 66% (around 265,000) are likely to require some form of retrofitting to bring them up to standard. The Government’s Energy White Paper sets the target for existing homes to move from an average EPC D rating to a C by 2035, where practical, cost-effective and affordable (where the energy-efficiency grade is between A and G, with A being the most energy-efficient and G being the worst). Just meeting an EPC of C or above would therefore require improvements to the majority of the 66% of homes that currently fail to meet this standard. The illustration below from the latest Zero Carbon Britain report sets out the typical impacts of specific measures that could be applied.
According to Regen, of Dorset’s 400,000 homes, only 5% have an EPC rating of B or better and 66% (around 265,000) are likely to require some form of retrofitting to bring them up to standard. The Government’s Energy White Paper sets the target for existing homes to move from an average EPC D rating to a C by 2035, where practical, cost-effective and affordable (where the energy-efficiency grade is between A and G, with A being the most energy-efficient and G being the worst). Just meeting an EPC of C or above would therefore require improvements to the majority of the 66% of homes that currently fail to meet this standard. The illustration below from the latest Zero Carbon Britain report sets out the typical impacts of specific measures that could be applied.
Figure 3. Impact of measures to reduce a building’s heat loss and heating demand
Various initiatives are in place to assist with these measures including programmes available through funded organisations such as Healthy Homes Dorset who provide free energy advice and can install insulation and heating systems to qualifying residents. Low Carbon Dorset also provide free technical advice and grant funding for projects (with support for organisations on energy reduction schemes).
The Energy Company Obligation (ECO) is the main scheme for supporting energy efficiency improvements including insulation and some heating improvements in low income and vulnerable households. Advice on energy efficiency measures and available grants to help with energy bills can be found on the website.
National schemes have helped in a small way but have also been problematic and often failed to deliver. The cancellation in March of the UK Government’s flagship £1.5bn green homes grant after just six months being one such example. UK Government action is urgently needed to support the move from gas to electricity to heat homes.
Dorset Council’s CEE Strategy document acknowledges that the encouraging 40% reduction in building emissions since 2005 is largely due to grid decarbonisation with “150 homes a year benefitting from … Dorset Council’s Healthy Homes Scheme”. However, as we can see from the numbers above this is a fraction of the numbers likely to need attention.
Several community-focused schemes such as the Dorset Green Living Project, have been implemented in the last decade, the DGLP was funded by a relatively small National Lottery Grant and took a community-led approach to engaging residents in small groups to develop practical solutions to the climate emergency, including reducing energy usage. Feedback from participants has been positive both in terms of results and the structure of events.
Both Councils’ CEE plans include many positive recommendations for addressing this issue but at the time of writing there is little evidence of any of these being put into effect. Dorset Council has been awarded £19M to upgrade its own properties, focusing on switching heating systems away from fossil fuels to heat pumps, improving energy efficiency through measures like insulation, LED lighting and the installation of solar panels on building roofs. The UK Government’s announcement regarding heat pump grants is welcome, but considering this is available to just 90,000 households, it is clearly insufficient to meet the scale of the challenge in Dorset, let alone across the UK. Elsewhere, we’ll argue for more comprehensive national schemes as part of a Green New Deal, but for this chapter we’ll focus on local actions.
This chapter has focused on operational energy use, but the embedded carbon in the materials used in construction and retrofitting, in particular national and international efforts to decarbonise steel and concrete production and move to low carbon alternatives, such as cross laminated timber, must also be urgently addressed. Opportunities for the use of local construction products, such as straw bales, are covered in the Land Use chapter.
Current assessment
Having considered the current assessment documented above, the report contributors have assessed the county’s current category as:
The Energy Company Obligation (ECO) is the main scheme for supporting energy efficiency improvements including insulation and some heating improvements in low income and vulnerable households. Advice on energy efficiency measures and available grants to help with energy bills can be found on the website.
National schemes have helped in a small way but have also been problematic and often failed to deliver. The cancellation in March of the UK Government’s flagship £1.5bn green homes grant after just six months being one such example. UK Government action is urgently needed to support the move from gas to electricity to heat homes.
Dorset Council’s CEE Strategy document acknowledges that the encouraging 40% reduction in building emissions since 2005 is largely due to grid decarbonisation with “150 homes a year benefitting from … Dorset Council’s Healthy Homes Scheme”. However, as we can see from the numbers above this is a fraction of the numbers likely to need attention.
Several community-focused schemes such as the Dorset Green Living Project, have been implemented in the last decade, the DGLP was funded by a relatively small National Lottery Grant and took a community-led approach to engaging residents in small groups to develop practical solutions to the climate emergency, including reducing energy usage. Feedback from participants has been positive both in terms of results and the structure of events.
Both Councils’ CEE plans include many positive recommendations for addressing this issue but at the time of writing there is little evidence of any of these being put into effect. Dorset Council has been awarded £19M to upgrade its own properties, focusing on switching heating systems away from fossil fuels to heat pumps, improving energy efficiency through measures like insulation, LED lighting and the installation of solar panels on building roofs. The UK Government’s announcement regarding heat pump grants is welcome, but considering this is available to just 90,000 households, it is clearly insufficient to meet the scale of the challenge in Dorset, let alone across the UK. Elsewhere, we’ll argue for more comprehensive national schemes as part of a Green New Deal, but for this chapter we’ll focus on local actions.
This chapter has focused on operational energy use, but the embedded carbon in the materials used in construction and retrofitting, in particular national and international efforts to decarbonise steel and concrete production and move to low carbon alternatives, such as cross laminated timber, must also be urgently addressed. Opportunities for the use of local construction products, such as straw bales, are covered in the Land Use chapter.
Current assessment
Having considered the current assessment documented above, the report contributors have assessed the county’s current category as:
