Renewable energy

Along with increasing energy efficiency and reducing energy demand, the Council is also working to increase the amount of renewable and low carbon energy it produces. The Council is looking at this related to its own estate and buildings, as well as supporting renewable energy generation on a larger scale.  

Solar panels  

Many of the Council’s estate already have solar photovoltaic (PV) panels installed on them, including the Crematorium, Leisure World and Shrub End Depot. The Council will review options for installing solar PV on other assets going forward so that we can use greener energy in our buildings. 

A low carbon heat network 

The Council is also constructing an innovative low carbon heat network in collaboration with  Colchester Amphora Energy Ltd(CAEL), an energy company owned by the Council, for use in the new Northern Gateway development. The heat network will provide low carbon heating for residential, commercial and leisure purposes and is expected to be completed and operational by 2024/2025. The system works by extracting heat from water stored in rocks (known as aquifers) and using this to heat buildings.