The 2016 SE² Seminar

We would like to thank all our friends who were able to join us last week for our 5th annual seminar.  It was a great evening, looking back over 20 years in the energy efficiency industry and discussing our predictions for the future.
A big thank you to our panelists, Aimee Betts-Charalambous (TechUK), Paula Owen (ecoactiongames) and Neil Cutland (Cutland Consulting) who lead an interesting and lively debate (that surprisingly wasn't all doom and gloom) and motivated a room full of likeminded people to discuss the topic well into the night.    

          

 It's been a busy few months here at SE² 
and so here's a look at what projects we're currently working on:

Researching the cost effectiveness of fuel poverty schemes
SE² and the London Borough of Lewisham are carrying out a research project to look at the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of fuel poverty referral schemes.

There is significant evidence about the link between fuel poverty and health. However, there has been little research into the most effective ways to develop and deliver fuel poverty referral schemes.

“The Health of the Nation” research project will explore many aspects of fuel poverty schemes – from their objectives, to how they target support, to the services they provide, to their use of referral networks, to their costs – to try and tease out factors which make schemes more likely to operate successfully and to deliver value for money. We do not expect to find one answer; rather we hope that the research will illuminate a number of delivery and cost models which can provide useful insights to the sector and help inform future policy development.
We are currently running an online survey for people that manage fuel poverty schemes and would welcome help in spreading the word. The survey is at https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/5K87ZHM and the closing date is 12th October.

Stakeholder engagement at the University of Cambridge
During 2016, we have been working with the University of Cambridge to engage stakeholders with the review of the University's Carbon Management Plan. Creating and implementing an effective carbon management plan takes action and commitment from across the organisation. The University recognised this and brought us in, alongside technical leads AECOM, to help make sure that its revised carbon management plan reflects the needs and priorities of academics, researchers, students and staff across the institution.

From an initial stakeholder mapping and prioritisation workshop, through a series of facilitated workshops, structured interviews and an online survey, we have gathered detailed views from over 120 stakeholders with roles to play in carbon reduction. We have been able to bring together disparate groups of stakeholders and identify shared interests and opportunities to work together; we have also tested a number of ideas for interventions - such as financial incentives and training provision - to understand which are more likely to be supported and delivered across the University.

Evaluating the effectiveness of construction industry training
SE²  is carrying out an evaluation of a series of training activities, guidance and resources produced by the Zero Carbon Hub. The resources explore issues related to energy performance, ventilation and overheating, particularly in new homes, and have been designed with a range of trades and professionals in mind.

We have gathered quantitative data about the numbers of guidance documents downloaded and the attendance rate at training events. More importantly, we have also been exploring the qualitative impact of the resources: what difference have they actually made to practice in design and on site? Through a series of telephone interviews and surveys, we have started to pick out some real changes that have been brought about in business practice by the training and guidance available from the Hub. Too often it feels as though guidance documents spend their lives gathering dust; in this case, we have found clear evidence that the homebuilding supply chain has started to take real steps to address these important issues as a result of the training and guidance they have received.

The ADE Heat conference and awards dinner
We have been the event managers for the Heat Conference since it started in 2012. working with both the Association for Decentralised Energy and the Energy Institute We provide a complete events service, managing the venues, speakers, delegates and sponsors. We are thrilled to be working on this prestigious event again this year, taking place on Wednesday 23rd November. This year’s conference, Heat: from global agreement to local action, examines what a local, devolved future means for the heat sector. You can book your ticket here. 

Please stay in touch. We hope to see you soon!