2026
RENEW312 - Managing EPCs at stock-retaining authorities - 090626
A member authority is interested in understanding how stock-retaining authorities are managing their EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) requirements.
A member authority is interested in understanding how stock-retaining authorities are managing their EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) requirements.
In particular, they would welcome insight into:
⦁ Whether EPC assessments are carried out in-house or via external contractors.
⦁ If using contractors, how authorities are procuring and managing these services.
⦁ What success rates you are achieving in terms of access, completion, and maintaining valid EPCs across your stock.
⦁ Any challenges you’ve encountered, for example, tenant engagement, data quality and scheduling appointments and how you’ve addressed them.
⦁ Whether you have adopted any particular approaches that have improved compliance or efficiency.
Any experiences, models, or lessons learned would be extremely helpful as it reviews its own arrangements.
RENEW311 - Solar PV maintenance at stock-retaining authorities - 090626
A stock-retaining member authority retrofitted solar PV systems in 2014 across 98 properties. The meters used are able to send readings back to our monitoring platform over the mobile phone network. These systems have no battery unlike more recent systems installed as part of new build programmes. The authority is now reviewing its approach to ongoing maintenance, including planned inverter replacements and meter upgrades.
A stock-retaining member authority retrofitted solar PV systems in 2014 across 98 properties. The meters used are able to send readings back to our monitoring platform over the mobile phone network. These systems have no battery unlike more recent systems installed as part of new build programmes. The authority is now reviewing its approach to ongoing maintenance, including planned inverter replacements and meter upgrades.
A particular concern is its current meter monitoring setup, which operates on the 2G network (installed 2014). Once 2G is switched off, the authority will no longer be able to obtain remote automatic meter readings, which in turn will prevent it from generating FiT income easily. The authority is therefore exploring options for upgrading these meters and would be interested to know whether other authorities are making similar plans or have already begun this process.
More broadly, they are keen to understand how other authorities are managing long-term PV maintenance. For example:
⦁ At what point are you scheduling inverter replacements (e.g., at year 10, on failure, or based on performance monitoring of power produced)?
⦁ Are you undertaking periodic inspections of the systems or cleaning cycles of the panels, and if so, at what intervals?
⦁ Have you adopted a proactive or reactive maintenance model for PV assets installed around the same period, or more recently? They are also interested in how other authorities engage with tenants regarding their PV systems. Specifically:
⦁ How do you explain the benefits of the panels to tenants, particularly around reducing electricity bills and encouraging daytime usage (there are no batteries on these systems)?
⦁ Do you provide written guidance, home visits, or digital resources to help tenants understand how to get the most from their system?
⦁ How frequently do you communicate with tenants about the panels — for example, at installation only, annually, or when maintenance is due?
⦁ Have you found any approaches that improve tenant understanding or maximise the benefit they receive?
Any insights, experiences, or planned approaches would be greatly appreciated as the authority shapes its own strategy.
RENEW309 - Climate Impact Assessments - 050626
They are keen to hear from authorities that have a system in place for assessing climate impacts for council projects. They are particularly interested in responses to the below questions:
They are keen to hear from authorities that have a system in place for assessing climate impacts for council projects. They are particularly interested in responses to the below questions:
⦁ How is your assessment structured?
⦁ Do other council officers have to come to you for the assessment? Or do you have a matrix or guide that they work from when completing council reports?
⦁ Do you have to show how you are mitigating the climate impacts?
⦁ How is climate impact considered when reporting to your senior leadership team on service delivery or projects?
RENEW308 - Managing Operational/Pool EV Fleet Charging - 120526
A member authority is looking to understand how other councils are managing their operational/pool EV fleet charging. They are particularly interested in response to the below questions:
⦁ Do your authority have a general strategy for charging their operational/pool EV fleet, especially regarding the share of depot, off-site, on-street and home charging? If so, would you be able to share the strategy?
⦁ How does your authority manage on-site operational/pool EV fleet charging to maximise charging at small sites?
A member authority is looking to understand how other councils are managing their operational/pool EV fleet charging. They are particularly interested in response to the below questions:
⦁ Do your authority have a general strategy for charging their operational/pool EV fleet, especially regarding the share of depot, off-site, on-street and home charging? If so, would you be able to share the strategy?
⦁ How does your authority manage on-site operational/pool EV fleet charging to maximise charging at small sites?
RENEW307 - HSE Guidance on hot water storage in social housing (Air Source Heat Pumps) - 230426
A member authority is interested in hearing from local authorities on how they have approached HSE requirements for hot water storage, when it comes to installing Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHPs) in social housing.
The authority’s compliance team interpret HSE guidance HSG274 Part 2 (2024), section 2.6 as applying to ASHPs and hot water storage cylinders in individual social housing homes.
In practice, this would require ASHPs to regularly produce high hot‑water temperatures (around 65°C) to manage legionella risk. They are concerned this would:
- Reduce the effectiveness of space heating
- Significantly impact system efficiency (SCOP)
- Make individual ASHP installations uneconomical in social housing under current market conditions
Weekly legionella/pasteurisation cycles have been judged as inadequate under this interpretation, and DHW storage at circa 45°C has been deemed unacceptable.
Have APSE Energy members encountered this issue?
If so:
- How has HSG274 Part 2 been interpreted in your organisation?
- What approach (technical or policy‑based) have you agreed with compliance teams or HSE?
- Has this affected ASHP viability or deployment in social housing?
RENEW306 - Partnership with solar panels companies - 310326
A council is considering moving to partnership with a private sector solar pv company who fit panels for private residents as part of the council’s work to meet a net zero target in the area. The council will recommend the company and support with publicity but will make no financial contribution.
They are interested to know if others have been involved in similar partnerships and if so how they judged the quality of the company they entered the partnership with.
RENEW305 - Agrivoltaic projects - 260326
A local authority is keen to understand if any other member authorities are supporting any Agrivoltaic projects and if so would they be happy to share learning?
More information on Agrivoltaic can be found by clicking the link below
RENEW304 - AMOC collapse modelling - 190326
A member authority has done some basic modelling around climate adaptation in their local area. They have looked at two scenarios, the current assumption scenario and the AMOC collapse scenario. They would like to hear from authorities who have looked at the AMOC collapse modelling as the results for adaptation are very different to conventional extreme weather adaptation
RENEW303 - Calculating financial savings from energy efficiency - 100326
This authority is interested in hearing from local authorities that have undertaken work to calculate the financial savings/estimated savings made across their stock from energy efficiency measures.
If a template or tool (e.g. an excel spreadsheet) was used to calculate and present this data, they would be grateful if this could be shared.
RENEW302 - Cost-benefit analysis comparing climate adaptation or mitigation actions with the costs of inaction - 090326
A member authority is interested in hearing from any councils that have undertaken cost–benefit analysis comparing proactive climate adaptation or mitigation actions with the costs of inaction?
For example, work that shows “it would have cost £X to clear or maintain a gulley / culvert / drainage asset, but because this wasn’t done, the council ultimately spent £Y responding to localised flooding (repairs, emergency response, insurance claims, staff time, etc.)”.
They are particularly interested in examples such as flooding, overheating, surface water, highways, green infrastructure, asset maintenance, nature-based solutions, and how you quantified avoided costs, service disruption, or wider social impacts.
Any reports, methodologies, or lessons learned would be really helpful.
RENEW301 - Energy manager job description - 230226
This authority is looking to appoint an energy manager and is having difficulty finding the right person.
They are interested to see examples of other local authorities’ job descriptions and person specifications for similar roles.
RENEW300 - Solar Canopies in Town Centre Car Parks Utilising Wood - 180226
An authority is seeking examples from local authorities that have delivered solar canopy schemes in town centre car parks, including details on delivery approach and funding. The council is particularly interested in schemes using timber (rather than steel) canopy structures in ground-level, open car parks to support town centre regeneration.
The proposal would incorporate SuDS and enhanced green space, provide power for EV charging points, and allow any surplus energy to be used by nearby council-owned buildings. The indicative scale is 50–100 spaces within an existing town centre car park.
RENEW299 - Backwash Water Recovery - 170226
An authority would be interested to know whether any other local authorities have implemented backwash water recovery systems.
RENEW298 - Mine Heat Recovery Networks - 170226
An authority would be interested to hear from any local authorities that have implemented mine heat recovery networks to provide energy for leisure centres. This is an option currently under consideration by the council.
Promoting excellence in public services
APSE (Association for Public Service Excellence) is a not for profit unincorporated association working with over 300 councils throughout the UK. Promoting excellence in public services, APSE is the foremost specialist in local authority frontline services, hosting a network for frontline service providers in areas such as waste and refuse collection, parks and environmental services, cemeteries and crematorium, environmental health, leisure, school meals, cleaning, housing and building maintenance.
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