Through an EU-funded scheme, we used the National Re:fit Programme to make guaranteed energy-efficiency savings and improve the condition of its schools and corporate buildings across the county.
We secured £20 million of investment for energy-saving retrofits and renewable energy to schools, council land and buildings. The improvements will pay for themselves through the energy savings made.
We commissioned Local Partnerships in May 2014 to develop an energy performance contracting programme to provide guaranteed energy savings. Following analysis carried out for us by the National Re:fit team, a mini-competition was run and service provider Bouygues appointed in early August 2014.
As part of this project’s scope, we included the delivery of a 12 MW large-scale solar park in Soham, northeast of Cambridge. This project is supported by our successful bid in the Department of Energy and Climate Change’s Contracts for Difference (CfD) renewable auction, which has pre-set financial terms for the energy generated. The Council was the only local authority to be successful under CfD. It is only one of two solar farms to be supported via CfD.
The site has been operational since 2016 and generates 13 million kWh per year (based on average of last 3 years). This is equivalent to more than half of all the electricity used by the Council for its buildings, street lighting and other assets
