Surveys
Technical advice and walk round surveys to help you identify cost effective carbon reduction projects.
Once you have requested a Survey, an accredited independent consultant will visit your organisation and work with you to:
- Review your energy usage
- Identify energy-saving opportunities
- Define practical ‘next steps’
Some recommendations will involve no capital outlay whatsoever. Where capital expenditure is necessary, our consultant will work with you to calculate the payback period.
Apply online. After we receive your application, we’ll give you a call to discuss our eligibility criteria and what we need from you.
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Design advice
We offer 3 main types of free building design advice to support you in developing a low carbon solution:
Design advice - consultancy
We’re able to offer free or subsidised consultancy throughout a project - depending on its size and potential carbon savings.
Strategic design advice
We can offer help at the planning stages of major building and renovation projects to support:
- Detailed scope of works development
- Design team selection
- Feasibility studies
Buildings with Vision - Building Design Advice services (PDF)
Advice on how to procure an energy-efficient building (up to 2,500m2), including: choice of technologies, commissioning and maintenance. The guide also contains useful information for anyone procuring or adapting a building of any size.
Note – we are happy to work with you on projects covering more than one building with the same specification to ensure that best practice is built into the project from the start. Our consultant will help you to maximise opportunities for specifying energy efficient plant and fabric.
To apply for any form of design advice:
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Carbon Management
What is involved?
The service provides technical and change management guidance to help identify practical carbon and cost savings.
The aim is to reduce emissions under the control of the organisation, so for local authorities, this includes buildings, vehicle fleets, street lighting, and waste, while for universities it would include sports halls, swimming pools and so on.
Participating organisations are guided through a structured process that:
- builds a team
- measures the cost and carbon footprint
- identifies projects, and
- creates a case for action to the executive
Direct consultant support is provided through regional workshops, teleconferences, webinars and national events. The service takes the form of a 5 step process.
The 5 step process
We have partnered 270 organisations across the UK through this service to date.
How is Carbon Management different?
Your organisation may already have reduced its carbon emissions. So why undertake carbon management? If this is the case, and you are not sure whether carbon management is for you, consider the following:
- Is consideration for carbon reduction embedded across your organisation?
- Has your organisation recorded its £ savings through energy reduction so far?
- Is there a list of future short, medium, and long term measures to save energy?
- Does your organisation know how much money these measures will save?
If the answer to any of the above is "no", you should seriously consider applying to be on the next round of the carbon management service.
How to apply
The service starts in April each year. It will require a minimum commitment of 2 days a week for 10-months. If you would like your organisation to be considered for the next phase, please email publicsector@carbontrust.co.uk, and include your:
- title, forename and surname
- position and organisation
- telephone number
- annual energy bill (single monetary figure for all utility costs and fuel bills), and what this bill includes.
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Local authorities
Local authorities have a leading responsibility in combating climate change:
- coordinating adaptation (NI188)
- stimulating area-wide reduction (NI186), and
- mitigating operational emissions (NI185)
The Carbon Reduction Commitment and the Energy Performance in Buildings Directive amplify the responsibility local authorities have to reduce emissions. The carbon management service structures that response.
(Also includes: Police, Fire and Rescue Services, Housing Associations, National Parks)
Higher education institutions
Carbon is a vital issue for university senior management. Given their intellectual leadership role, universities are expected to lead the UK's 80% carbon emissions reduction by 2050. By proactively managing carbon emissions, they can also benefit by preparing for regulation like the Carbon Reduction Commitment and HEFCE’s carbon and sustainability strategy.
NHS Trusts
The NHS represents 3% of total UK carbon emissions with an annual energy bill of over £500m. This contributes to the largest capital spend programme in Europe. Government will inevitably require significant energy savings.
The Department of Health and the NHS Sustainable Development Unit are working on carbon reduction policies and targets for just this purpose. By managing their emissions, NHS Trusts can prepare for regulation like the Carbon Reduction Commitment and the Energy Performance in Buildings directive.
Government departments
The central government estate in England is responsible for approximately 3.8 MtCO2e per annum, an estimated 18% of public sector emissions. From Whitehall departments to prisons, we help central government organisations show leadership on tackling climate change by helping to reduce carbon emissions from their estate and operations. By meeting and exceeding carbon budgets and Sustainable Operations on the Government Estate (SOGE) targets, departments can also save money.
(Also includes: Prisons, the Armed Forces, Non-Departmental Government Bodies, Museums, Galleries etc.)
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