The heat network will bring benefits to everyone – from the residents of Exeter to the business community, the environment and beyond.
Investment: We’re investing over £110m into Exeter’s net zero infrastructure – supporting the city’s leading role in the fight against climate change.
Carbon reduction: Over 13,000 tonnes of carbon emissions a year will be saved with a heat network.
Cleaner air: Improving air quality by reducing the use of fossil fuels to heat buildings. The more users switch, the greater the reduction in emissions of pollutants, making our air cleaner.
Boosting the local economy: High quality apprenticeships and jobs will be created in the supply-chain during the construction and operational phases, providing new skills in Exeter and the wider heat network industry.
Forward planning: Helping local organisations and businesses in Exeter achieve their net zero goals as they decarbonise their operations, knowing their energy costs are predictable and their supply is resilient.
Attracting business: Giving Exeter a secure, reliable local heating source makes it more attractive to employers and to inward investors, while keeping the costs of meeting sustainability requirements lower in Exeter than elsewhere.
Contribution to net zero
National and local decarbonisation
The UK is at the forefront of transitioning towards low carbon energy, with the Government setting a statutory target of net zero carbon by 2050.
A key part of the Government’s net zero carbon strategy is the decarbonisation of heat. For businesses and organisations in Exeter which use gas to heat their buildings, this will mean moving from gas boilers to lower carbon or net-zero forms of heating over the coming years.
Exeter City Council has declared its intention to achieve net zero by 2030 – 20 years ahead of the national target. Connection of public sector buildings to heat networks is identified in the Net Zero Exeter 2030 Plan as one way to help achieve this target.
Exeter Energy Network
Exeter Energy Network (EEN) is a Low-to-Zero Carbon (LZC) heat network being developed in central Exeter. Businesses and organisations will be able to connect to the EEN to decarbonise their heating, along with many other benefits for the city.
Exeter Energy Limited has been established to construct and operate the EEN – a heat network that will deliver renewable heat from a single Energy Centre to the buildings in and around the centre of Exeter through large underground pipes.
Exeter Energy Limited is backed by 1Energy Group, a team of experts in heat networks with decades of experience, including delivering and operating over 50 projects in the UK.
The Exeter Energy Network will offer customers in Exeter the most cost effective Low-to-Zero carbon heating solution currently available. Construction of the network is due to begin in 2024.
The Exeter Energy Network will have the largest high temperature Water Source Heat Pumps anywhere in the UK. In the South West and across Europe, successful similar schemes have been running for over a decade using similar technology.
Employment
Apprenticeships
We are planning to work with local providers to offer apprenticeships during the construction phase of the project.
Other jobs will be created during the operational phase. We are working closely with Exeter College and other stakeholders to ensure we maximise opportunities for local job creation.
Local jobs
We will need to deploy some specialist technical support but where possible, the project commits to local suppliers. We will be holding supply-chain events and we are exploring job fairs. In the meantime, if you’re interested in supplying services you can let us know about them via email Exeter@1energy.uk.
We will publicise the construction and procurement programme once more details are finalised.
