Coventry City Council and E.ON have joined forces to achieve ambitious energy outcomes
We have launched a pioneering 15-year Strategic Energy Partnership. Coventry City Council and E.ON have joined forces to achieve ambitious energy outcomes.
Our organisations will collaborate to revolutionise energy usage in Coventry for the benefit of local people, the wider economy and the environment
We have set four strategic themes to define our partnership:
- clean local energy
- jobs and skills
- innovation and scale
- community benefit
Foreword
This partnership will transform the city’s approach to carbon reduction whilst helping people save money and boosting the local economy. This alliance will help us build a cleaner and more sustainable city and drive a new green economy that will bring jobs and skills for generations to come.
Cllr Jim O’Boyle
Councillor, Coventry City Council
This is not about designing a new vision for the future; it’s about getting on and delivering Coventry’s response to the climate crisis – making improvements across the city that
people want and need.Chris Norbury
CEO, E.ON UK
We have joined forces with E.ON to launch a pioneering 15-year partnership, the first of its kind in the UK which will see us collaborate to revolutionise energy use in the city. It is truly innovative approach that will allow us to deliver more for residents and businesses in ways that the Council would not have been able to achieve on its own.
Dr Julie Nugent
CEO, Coventry City Council
Coventry has been our UK home for decades and I am proud our colleagues around the country will be supporting the city’s efforts to decarbonise by delivering reliable energy infrastructure and sustainable customer solutions.
Patrick Lammers
COO-C, E.ON SE
E.ON
E.ON UK, which has been based in Coventry for almost 30 years, shares the Council’s goal of creating a net zero future.
As a part of the international E.ON Group, the team will bring its expertise, knowledge and skills to the Partnership.
By being a single strategic partner, we will realise projects which the Council would otherwise be unable to undertake and create an holistic approach to decarbonise the city.
Council programmes that will interact with the Partnership
One Coventry Plan
The Council has committed to protecting the environment and made climate change one of its key priorities.
The One Coventry Plan lists three distinct but interconnected priorities and two enablers:
- Priority 1: increasing the economic prosperity of the city and region
- Priority 2: improving outcomes and tackling inequalities within our communities
- Priority 3: tackling the causes and consequences of climate change
- Enabler 1: continued financial sustainability of the Council
- Enabler 2: Council’s role as a partner, enabler and leader
Climate change and net zero programmes
The Council’s Draft Climate Change Strategy [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/climatechange] and accompanying Net Zero Route Map (published in early 2023) set out an ambitious vision for the city’s journey to net zero to create a more sustainable and prosperous future for Coventry. The research that went into developing the Net Zero Route Map confirmed that the scale of the challenge Coventry is facing is significant, and despite a 48% drop in carbon emissions between 2000-2022, additional major investment will still be needed to reduce further Coventry’s emissions and reach net zero.
The Route Map outlined that major long-term planning and investment would be required to decarbonise the city through a wide range of environmental and social projects. The SEP, whilst naturally aligned with Priority 3, aims to deliver on all of the One Coventry Plan priorities.
Overview of what we have achieved - September 2023 to March 2024
Since the SEP was launched in September 2023, our teams have been focused on setting up the governance and organisational structures to enable an aligned, collaborative approach to the selection of projects and activities for the years ahead. The SEP has also started working on projects, looking to deliver tangible outcomes as soon as possible.
Through the Strategic Energy Partnership, we have entered into project contracts for the Home Upgrade Grant 2 (HUG2) project, electricity supply contract and the installation of 10 new EV chargers as part of an EV programme.
In progress
- 30 MW Solar PV Farm - Work on-going to secure planning permission
- Council building decarbonisation - Grant secured and Council funding agreed – work to start soon
- Apprenticeship programme - E.ON will recruit five apprentices from Coventry
- Supply chain approach Focus - on getting SEP projects completed by local businesses
- City-wide EV charging strategy - Starting the rollout of consistent EV charging infrastructure across the city
- Solar in schools - Initial reviews to define an approach to support solar in schools
- Fleet and depot decarbonisation - Initial site visit has taken place to outline the scope and opportunities
Approved
- Home Upgrade Grant 2 - Energy efficiency measures in low-income and fuel-poor households
- Energy Company Obligation - E.ON as a supplier to make homes energy efficient and tackle fuel poverty
- Schools programme - Education programme offering workshops in 16 classes across 6 schools
Delivered
- Increased Council & E.ON alignment - Initiate the co-ordination of work between the Council and E.ON teams
- Energy supply contract - Agreement of an energy supply contract from Q4 2024 for the Council
Programmes overview
Delivery activity has been grouped into nine programmes in which projects will sit. These will evolve over the course of the partnership to align to future needs and opportunities.
Activity across the programmes will be joined up to maximise the value of this delivery approach.
- Solar in schools
- Non-Council building decarbonisation
- Electric vehicle charging strategy
- Renewable energy
- Energy security across the city
- Community Benefit
- Council building decarbonisation
- Domestic energy efficiency
- Other enabling projects.
Four strategic themes will drive the partnership
Clean Local Energy
- Increase the volume of locally generated green energy
- Reduce exposure of residents and businesses to global energy market
- Position Coventry as sustainable and investable
Jobs and Skills
- Bolster the local energy sector’s job market
- Develop energy-related skills of the future
- Establish a strong local supply chain whilst promoting of green jobs
- Demonstrate our strong equality diversity and inclusion principles
Innovation and Scale
- Develop a series of scalable, energy innovation projects
- Test new technologies to decarbonise energy, improve resilience, and reduce energy bills
- Contribute to Coventry’s circular economy
Community Benefit
- Support local communities
- Help to reduce fuel poverty in the region
- Collaborate with associations and non-government organisations, as well as directly with individuals
Clean Local Energy
Strategic outcomes
- Coventry’s energy supply increasingly coming from local green sources
- Coventry residents and businesses having reduced exposure to global energy market pressures
- Community energy generation and efficiency schemes encouraged and supported
- Positioning Coventry as a sustainable, energy resilient and investable future city for business and development
- Decarbonising heat across the city
To achieve the objective of increasing the volume of clean, locally generated energy that is consumed within Coventry, we will prioritise projects that align with one or more of the strategic outcomes.
Local renewable energy generation and heat decarbonisation
Energy generation highlights
- Increasing the amount of locally generated energy from renewable sources, primarily from solar photovoltaic installations
- Reducing the volume of energy required by users through energy efficiency measures
- Providing contractual offerings that are designed to make the cost of energy more predictable and plannable, reducing energy market pressures
Heat decarbonisation highlights
- Transitioning the generation of heat towards technology that either reduces or eliminates the use of carbon-based fuels
- Connecting the city via new sources of heat - E.ON expects to utilise 5th generation heat and cooling infrastructure via the use of its custom-built solutions
- Increasing the efficiency and effectiveness for individual heat generation systems, including through the electrification of heat
Jobs and Skills
Strategic outcomes
- Promote, encourage and champion academic and research programmes that inspire and deliver local green skills
- Establish a strong local supply chain whilst promoting recruitment of green jobs
- Recruitment of apprentices
- Demonstrating the application of equality, diversity and inclusion principles (ED&I)
Central to this theme is a commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion principles ensuring that the partnership’s efforts are not only financially and environmentally effective but also contribute to a fair and inclusive society.
Providing hands-on experience for the next generation and partnering with educational institutions
Knowledge and hands-on experience
- Creating working relationships with local schools, colleges, and universities to integrate renewable energy and sustainability topics into their curricula
- Providing students with hands-on experiences through workshops and site visits, focusing on areas such as renewable energy, environmental science, and green technologies
- Equipping students with the knowledge and skills necessary for a sustainable future, supporting students in career planning and recruitment process preparation.
Employment and apprenticeship
- Recruiting and training apprentices while upholding equality, diversity and inclusion principles (ED&I): the partnership will recruit and train at least 25 apprentices in the first 5 years of the partnership with a focus on reaching underrepresented communities
- Work placements fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace: E.ON will launch target work placement programme supporting underrepresented groups with employable skills and experience
- Developing, leveraging, and prioritising local supply chains to provide the best value and contributing to local employment and/or training opportunities.
Innovation and Scale
Strategic outcomes
- Pipeline of pilot scalable energy innovation projects and new technologies to decarbonise energy, improve resilience and help reduce energy bills in Coventry
- Development of a scalable EV charging strategy for the city
- City wide solar energy for public buildings and schools
- Support and promote the city as a living lab
- Contribute to Coventry’s circular economy, recycling and reusing energy and materials
We view the transition towards net zero as a journey that requires innovation, an experimental mindset and a willingness to try new things. The concept of Coventry as a living lab - an environment to test innovative solutions and their outcomes.
Innovating to supply EV charging and solar panels
Single charging ecosystem for electric vehicles
- Providing home charging solutions for the owners of EVs to charge their vehicle(s) anytime, combining best-in-class charging hardware with time-based tariffs
- Enabling business charging for vehicles to be charged at the drivers’ working location - solutions will be provided to both private business and Council fleet
- Developing public charging points allowing broad access to standard, fast and ultra-fast charging for EVs within Coventry.
Solar energy for public buildings and schools
- Introducing photovoltaic solar into both public and private schools and education institutions, reducing the impact of global energy prices causing unplanned budgetary issues
- Making the Council’s building portfolio more sustainable and reducing the level of carbon-based-fuels used by upgrading the energy efficiency and local energy generation
- Focusing on other buildings such as libraries, children’s homes, care homes, and health centres to improve local energy generation.
Community Benefits
Strategic outcomes
- Warmer, more energy efficient homes, helping to reduce fuel poverty across Coventry
- Targeted support and energy advice to the most vulnerable and harder to reach communities
- Commitment to an annual Community Benefit Fund
- Ensuring all voices in the city are heard and no one is left behind.
We will reach out to the most vulnerable and hard-to-reach communities, providing them with energy advice and support. Beyond the commercial and environmental benefits, we will use the partnership to generate social benefits that support the communities of Coventry
Communities will benefit through planning, funding and collaborative action – volunteering and support will be provided
Plan and Fund
- Establishing Community Benefit Plan - mutually beneficial collaboration with local community groups in Coventry to support initiatives that align with our values and objectives will be identified, supported and promoted
- Developing annual Community Benefit Fund which will benefit the environment and community giving priority to organisations that focus on energy, education, environment, jobs, health, and socio-economic development
Volunteering and Support
- Implementing a structured volunteering programme, encouraging individuals from across the city to participate actively in community service and ecological projects
- Promoting energy efficiency support to residents and setting out the range of options available to residents on energy efficiency and potential available funding for them.