Consortiwm Awdurdodau Lleol Cymru

CONSORTIWM AWDURDODAU LLEOL CYMRU CONSORTIUM LOCAL AUTHORITIES WALES

CLAW – ENERGY GROUP

Minutes of Meeting held on 12th June 2012 at Ceredigion Council Office, Aeron Room, Aberaeron

Present:

Adrian Williams Cyngor Sir Ynys Môn (Chair) Will Pierce Flintshire County Council Steve Keating Pembrokeshire CC (Minutes) Gerald Israel Rhondda Cynon Taf CBC Andrew Morris Carmarthenshire County Council Robert Jones Denbighshire County Council Ella Schubmehl Denbighshire County Council Dave Moore Carbon Trust Duncan Morgan City and County of Swansea Peter Morgan Torfaen CBC Matthew Lane Blaenau Gwent CBC Gareth Richards Powys County Council Bethan Lloyd Davies Ceredigion County Council Anna Pretious North Wales Police Gareth Thomas Neath Port Talbot Paul Rossiter Caerphilly County Borough Council

ITEM ACTION

1.00 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

Apologies were received from:

Allan Jones Torfaen CBC Ian Hoccom Monmouthshire County Council Chris Jones Bridgend County Borough Council David Lewis Gwynedd Council John Llewellyn City and County of Swansea David Powell Vale of Glamorgan Council Don Cheyne Welsh Government Jonathan Morgan Newport City Council Renia Kotynia Wrexham CBC Neil Jones Conwy CBC

2.00 MINUTES / MATTERS ARISING FROM ENERGY GROUP MEETING HELD ON 6th MARCH 2012 The minutes of the Energy Group meeting held on 6th March 2012 were approved as a true record with one exception: Duncan Morgan requested that under Item 3.00 “Larkin Wrexal” should be amended to “Rexal Senat, Chris Larkin”. The online minutes will be SK amended by SK. ACTION ITEM

3.00 Matters Arising Not on the Agenda

4.00 Carbon Trust Wales (CTW) update

Dave Moore (DM) confirmed to the group that both Steve & Colin have retired. The CTW have re-allocated account managers to the welsh authorities and DM has circulated a new contacts list.

DM informed the group that funding for the Carbon Trust in England has ceased. The Carbon Trust website is in the process of being modified.

CTW funding has been approved by Welsh Government (WG) for 2012/13 albeit at a reduced settlement. The innovations side has had to be cut back as a result. Karen Griffiths will return to the energy efficiency arena.

There may be a WLGA review of the Local Authorities Carbon Management Reports one year from issue to assess progression and see DM/ALL if any further assistance is needed to improve carbon management. AW requested that if DEC data is used for any future review it should be vetted by each LA prior to publication.

DM informed the group that there was now a best practice reports library area within the energy section of the CLAW website. He invited any members with useful CTW funded reports to submit them to SK for listing DM/ALL/SK on the website. It was agreed that any reports forwarded to SK must have been approved for release for the LA concerned. An email to SK confirming that the LA is happy submit the report will suffice. Recent reports added are:  City and County of Swansea -Aide Memoir for Low Carbon Design (DM requested feedback on this);  Ceredigion CC – New Offices District Heating and Biomass RHI Study.

Carbon Trust EMPower provides office based online training for employees. DM confirmed EMPower would be willing to take forward a bespoke CLAW version of the training. DM to investigate the potential for DM CLAW funding to develop the package. The package was confirmed as bi-lingual. There is a demo of the EMPower system on the Carbon Trust Website.

Flintshire already use ‘safety media’ which provide a 20 minute interactive e-learning for the Authority’s employees. Will Pearce will look at WP demonstrating the system at the next meeting.

Leisure Centre energy efficiency training has been successfully provided in 2011/12 and is still available for 2012/13. Contact your CTW manager. ALL

Carbon Trust are currently undertaking a ‘Lighting Pilot Study’ with ACTION ITEM Monmouthshire and a ‘Primary Schools DEC Study’ with Gwynedd. IH/DL/DM/ Reports should be available on the CLAW website in the near future. DM ALL asked the group to contact him with any requirements for assistance with carbon saving case studies.

The CTW ‘SME Breakfast’ sessions are available to all LA’s. The fully funded consultant led sessions are aimed at helping local SME’s with DM/ALL energy efficiency. All that is required is that the LA agrees to provide a suitable venue and invite local SME’s. DM suggested that this information should be sent to all Economic Development Teams. A recent SME Breakfast session in Bridgend attracted 30 SME’s

The forthcoming ‘Strategic Carbon Management’ seminars in late June 2012 is fully booked in South Wales but places are available in North Wales.

5.00 Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC)

The CRC simplification consultation closes on 18th June. Those members that have already responded (WP/SK/DL) reported that they did not see any simplifications in the proposals. The opinion of the presenter at the CRC event held on 28th March in Canolfan Rheidol Aberystwyth was also that there was little simplification for LA’s. It was noted that the Chancellor has commented that unless the CRC scheme can be simplified it will be replaced with an alternative ‘carbon tax’. The group speculated that this could means an increase in the current Climate Change Levy (CCL) applied to utility bills.

WP commented that the consultation proposal to bring passively metered streetlighting back into CRC was very unfair on LA’s.

PR commented that he had experienced numerous errors on suppliers CRC statements. The group concurred.

Dave Moore asked the rhetorical question as to whether it was fair that LA’s are paying CRC tax as well as CCL on utilities bills?

Various systems are being used by LA’s for 2011/12 annual CRC reporting including the EA spreadsheet, TEAM and other M&T software. Duncan Morgan/WP/ML all commented that TEAM produces some discrepancies. Internal auditors have objected to this. Peter Morgan has requested a refund from TEAM for the CRC package. SK commented that small rounding errors were also present in the EA spreadsheet but given that this was the approved version he didn’t consider this critical.

6.00 National Performance Indicator EEF/002

All LA’s expressed concern over the accuracy of this indicator and the way that WG changed the reporting methodology in April 2012.

GR/PR commented that they were concerned that different data sets, degree day data were being used and all LA’s expressed concern over ACTION ITEM the accuracy of internal floor area data.

WP/DL/BLD all reported that their internal policy teams have stated that this indicator will be scrapped for 2012/13.

AM pointed out that some LA’s use EEF/002 to inform their WG Outcome Agreements and so they would still need to collate data for 2012/13.

Those LA’s captured by CRC agreed that it was the best available methodology to allow consistent comparison of carbon emissions.

AW circulated a questionnaire asking for LA’s to enter their data on various issues including budgets, staffing, CAM indicators and DECs. AW has received a limited response and encouraged the group to provide him AW with data so that he could produce a report showing where there were discrepancies/opportunities to improve things/potential for sharing of good practice. Some concerns over the accuracy of CAM data were expressed by the group. AW will attempt to gather the data again.

7.00 Display Energy Certificates (DECs)

The group agreed that due to the recast of the EU Energy Performance in Buildings Directive that DEC’s and AR’s are required to be displayed by 13th January 2013 in all public buildings frequently accessed by the public where the floor area is greater than or equal to 500 m2. This means a significant increase in the number of DECs required to be issued annually by LA’s. The threshold is due to drop still further to 250 m2 GIFA in 2015.

PR stated that this cannot be actioned in house due to current resource constraints. The group agreed that there is the potential for a dedicated DEC surveyor role if LA’s wish to keep the work in house.

SK commented that giving work to consultants can still involve significant time burdens for the LA who will need to provide accurate energy consumption and floor area data to the provider.

DECs and AR’s are a statutory requirement with a fine totalling £1500 per site for failure to produce both documents. However the group agreed that no one had been fined by Trading Standards to date.

AM agreed to liaise with CIBSE to attempt arrange CPD training for DEC assessors in Autumn 2012. AM will circulate details of courses on offer for votes if suitable courses exist in 2012. CLAW have provided 50% funding AM/AW for this in the past and AM will forward last years funding request report to AW. AW to investigate if CLAW will again part fund the training.

PR suggested that the group could consider some CPD training on degree days by Vilnus Vesma.

8.00 Revenue Recovery Companies

Recovery companies BIU and UES have approached some LA energy managers offering the potential for investigations into utilities payments with a view to shared savings from any discrepancies found. Recently BIU ACTION ITEM have approached BLT at Ceredigion and UES have approached WP at Flintshire. WP commented that UES approached Flintshire’s CEO who approved the idea but ultimately investigations came to a dead end with UES seemingly unwilling to go the extra mile.

AP commented that the recovery company had also suggested that they should also act as LA’s energy buyer/broker. AP is considering running the idea by her legal team.

AM commented that the recovery companies specifically target HH pass through charges. WP concurred and stated that they tried this at Flintshire with no result.

9.00 Any Other Business

SK stated that Aqualogic had agreed to undertake water efficiency surveys in schools, produce reports and offer funding for improvements at no cost to Pembrokeshire CC. This work is 100% funded by Welsh Water under the ‘Schools Water Efficiency Project’. SK stated the process to date has been painless although he had only just instructed Aqualogic to proceed to survey stage.

AP has had some significant issues with obtaining the reports and getting any recommended actions implemented.

AW asked for any suggestions for changes to the meeting structure to be ALL forwarded to him.

WP suggested that once or twice yearly perhaps the group could convene at the location of a particularly interesting carbon reduction project for a ALL tour and the meeting. RCT’s hydro turbine project was suggested. All members of the group were asked to forward any projects they feel would fit in with this idea to AW.

DM suggested resurrecting the Action Plan and updating it with fresh work areas.

10.00 Presentation

Presentation by David Hall of Senselogix regarding ‘Energylogix automated energy reduction solution’.

Presentation to be forwarded to AW for publication on the website by SK. AW/SK

WP is working with Senselogix in Flintshire to create a primary school ‘Energy Challenge Dashboard’ to create a league table to motivate schools to reduce energy use.

11.00 Date of Next Meeting

The next meeting has been confirmed as Tuesday 4th September 2012 at 10:30 a.m. at the Aeron Room, Penmorfa, Aberaeron.