Park Power – Ground source heat and micro-hydro

Pete McDougall - Saughton Park Development Officer

City of Council – Parks, Greenspace and Cemeteries The Saughton Park - the Garden from the air Saughton Park and Gardens – The park Master Plan Saughton Park and Gardens – the café, stable block courtyard and demonstration gardens Saughton Park and Gardens - the courtyard, restored Chapel and a demonstration garden Saughton Park and Gardens – the new cafe Saughton Park Power – Ground Source Heating (GSH)

What are we doing and how did it come about?

• Greenspace assessment of the potential to use a ground source heat system (GSHS) . It looked feasible with potential for a District Heating System which could include the Park, care home, primary and nursery school, library and sports centre. • To take this further our Council colleagues in Economic Development applied to the Scot Gov LCITP (Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme) fund and got £100k to carry out a detailed feasibility study. • Atkins completed the study as well as an Investment Grade Business Case and Tender Specification drawings. • Atkins concluded that; • the district Heating System was not feasible due to too many physical barriers. • Park buildings looked best for GSH, but footprints still very small. • Two systems required; • 62 kw with gas backup boiler for the Winter Garden. Bore hole with storage. • 2x 12.5 kw for the new Café, offices and community space. Horizontal on football pitch.

• Business Case indicates £7k pa savings against current fossil fuel costs. • Business Case states carbon reduction of 29 tonnes pa or 38 tonnes pa with Micro- Hydro Saughton Park Power – Ground Source Heating (GSH)

Costs, Motivation and Funding

• Overall costs for the Ground Source Heating systems are £320k

• Return on investment is not so good if only considering the cash value. • IRR (Internal Rate of Return) = 1% for the Winter Garden and -8% for the buildings

• Motivation needs to be carbon reduction at present, however in the longer term and as fossil fuel prices rise the business case should improve. • Funding for GSH; • We are not eligible for Low Carbon Trust funding • Now looking at SEEP (Scottish Energy Efficiency Programme) which provides 50% • Combine this with an interest free loan from Salix who provide public sector finance.

If we were doing it all over we would go for air source heating as cheaper all round. Saughton Park Power – Micro-hydro Scheme

What are we doing and how did it come about?

• £250k allocated to Micro-hydro in 2010. Idea to build a Reverse Archimedes Screw micro-hydro on an existing weir on the Water of which runs through the park came from a worker at Garvald Edinburgh and was championed by the Lord Provost who was a Ward Councillor. • HLF Restoration Project came along in 2012 and was a good vehicle to move things forward. • Consultants engaged to update feasibility of Micro-hydro in 2015 • This development work threw up need for a fish pass which pushed up the price to £351k but which included linking it to GSH systems. Output 39 Kw, 94 KwHr pa. • Scot Gov agreed to fund £50k for Design, Planning application, Licence, Tender preparation. • Initially no-one wanted to bid for this work which was re-tendered and ARCUS, Baby-Hydro, Wind Prospect were engaged to put everything together. • Arcus cost estimate (conservative) now at £500k due to imponderables like coffer dams, access roads, reinforcing paths and extra enabling works. It’s all mega machinery and massive works! Saughton Park Power – GSH and Micro-hydro Scheme

Where are we now and what lessons have we learned?

• Micro-hydro funding is now up in the air and Scot Gov have said come back to us when GSH funding is in place. • Funding for GSH still not secured, although application is in with June announcement. • No feed in tariff for publicly funded installations including for example HLF. • Complications for us at the moment: • Risk • Timing and dovetailing with restoration works • Impact on wider project of trying to get both schemes off the ground is diversionary, makes life difficult, is very complex and is time consuming. Lots of time and effort with no guarantees. • Don’t trust initial estimates and allow 100% contingency. • Benefits: • Carbon saving. • Flagship park potential so high profile. • Audience development and attracting new visitors. • Education. • Potential for new ways of working such as using Li battery powered mowers etc • Possible reduced costs for potential tenants such as the café.