Northstowe: an exemplar of sustainability

Area of expertise: sustainable development

In response to these challenges, Camco Advisory Services Ltd (CAS) spent three years providing strategic and technical advice to public sector agencies and the Northstowe project promoters to inform the innovative models behind getting this low carbon development off the ground.

Getting the project off the ground

The business plan for investment in site-wide renewable energy, e.g. biomass CHP and district heating, was developed by CAS and included mechanisms for commercial delivery. This has helped secure indicative funding of £2.5m, potentially underwriting the significant development risk in investment in primary infrastructure.

Having secured funding, CAS then developed the detailed strategy to take the project into development.

Special Purpose Vehicle

CAS worked with Renewables East to develop an innovative approach to channeling investment into the project and to providing project development expertise to reduce risk for both the land owner and the project promoter. It is intended that development of a site-wide renewable energy scheme will be led by a new Special Purpose Vehicle which will be created by Renewables East and supported by Cambridgeshire Horizons, to lever expertise from across the region and exploit the economies of scale that can come from tackling a portfolio of projects together.

The benefits derived

By ring fencing seed funding for development activities and early stage infrastructure, CAS dramatically improved the viability of the project and produced a development model that will recycle financial benefit for the community for years to come if it is realised.The strategy will deliver over 50% emission savings, equivalent to 500,000 tonnes CO2 over 25 years.

Northstowe clients:

• Cambridgeshire Horizons, Renewables East, South Cambridgeshire District Council
• Picture courtesy of Renewables East / Portland Design Conceptual illustration of bioenergy centre integrated into landscape

Statistic:

• 9,500 homes 50% Emission savings
• 500,000 tonnes CO2 saved over 25 years

Related services

EPLabel

We can give you our free software to help you produce and manage your building portfolio’s DEC.

Low carbon buildings

Low carbon building solutions for the refurbishment of existing properties and development of new-builds.

Related sectors

Property and infrastructure

For new buildings, there is a substantial energy performance gap experienced by clients between the energy use predicted by designers and the metered energy use for operation over a year.

Public sector

How can the public sector both realise significant reductions in energy cost and carbon emissions from its own operations?

Related projects

North London retrofit potential

Verco was commissioned on behalf of six North London boroughs to develop an area based retrofit action plan. This is one of the most thorough pieces of analysis on Green Deal opportunities, including the range of risks, values and delivery options for Local Authorities.

Affinity Sutton (FutureFit)

FutureFit is Affinity Sutton’s flagship project that aims to provide unique insights into how the Green Deal could work in social housing. Verco helped to show how low carbon activities can be mainstreamed to deliver significant energy and CO2 savings.

The Energy Bill Revolution

This mainstream campaign was commissioned by Transform UK, the Co-operative Group and Consumer Focus. Verco provided comprehensive analysis on Green Deal/ ECO opportunities and fuel poverty alleviation potential across the UK.

Whole house low carbon refurbishment

We investigated the potential for whole house low carbon refurbishment to deliver 80% carbon reductions in existing homes. The work involves identifying the whole package of carbon reduction measures that are required, the cost per house of installing all these measures, the key barriers to a whole house approach and the main policy instruments for delivery. Our research fed into the UK Government’s ‘Heat and Energy Saving Strategy’.

The Existing Homes Alliance

We helped establish the Existing Homes Alliance, which sets out the action required from businesses, housing and environmental organisations and government to put the UK housing stock on the road to deep cuts in carbon emissions and energy bills.

Zero Carbon House

The Zero Carbon House is a low energy demonstration project to show how renewable energy can create a unique living experience on a remote island in a severe climate. A holistic approach has been taken to eliminating household carbon emissions that would normally result from heating and powering the home, running the family car and growing and transporting food.

Zero Carbon Development

Delivering low and zero carbon growth

Winton Estate

Expansion of pioneering biomass heating syste

Stratford City

Stratford City is a £4bn mixed use regeneration project in Newham, East London on derelict former railway lands. Camco Advisory Services Ltd (CAS) worked alongside the design team to develop a sustainable energy strategy that responds to public policy aspirations whilst being technically and commercially viable. This work fed directly into detailed planning negotiations on energy performance for the development. Planning permission was granted in September 2004.

One Gallions

We helped Crest Nicholson BioRegional Quintain to secure this site in east London as part of the Mayor’s competition to build a flagship Zero Carbon development.

One Brighton

A Sustainable One Planet Living® Community

Wembley City

The £2bn redevelopment of land around the stadium is a flagship project for London and formed an important part of the London 2012 bid. We initially developed a Site Wide Energy Strategy to fulfill the requirements of the s106 planning agreement with the London Borough of Brent which has subsequently been approved.

Middlehaven

Camco Advisory Services Ltd (CAS) helped BioRegional Quintain Ltd (BQL) to secure and develop this English Partnerships site in the North East. The team responded to a development brief that set stringent energy standards by proposing an exemplar highly sustainable community based on principles of Zero Carbon, Zero Waste and efficient use of water and materials.

London Energy Partnership - Energy Action Areas

Camco Advisory Services Ltd (CAS) was commissioned by the Greater London Authority, on behalf of the London Energy Partnership, to define and develop the concept of ‘Energy Action Areas’ for London. These were then translated into a workable programme of action to deliver results on the ground. We proposed that a series of pilot Energy Action Areas should be centered on large scale regeneration projects where there was momentum building upon and large scale energy infrastructure being established.

Heart of East Greenwich

Camco Advisory Services Ltd (CAS) worked in collaboration with BioRegional Consulting on a project for English Partnerships, now the Homes & Communities Agency investigating appropriate sustainability standards for a number of their developments, including the carbon neutral Heart of East Greenwich scheme.

Bath Western Riverside

Integrated sustainability in the South West