Presentation in the Knowledge, Skills and Experience Theatre at EMEX, The Energy Management Exhibition on 23 November 2017

1. 1
Energy
Luke Richardson
Environmental Partnership Manager
Virgin Trains East Coast
Take opportunities to gain buy-in to your
projects

2. 2
Aims
1. Not to provide a “how to write a business case”
2. To share my experience in what happened in the lead up to a successful project bid
3. To share my conclusions
Key Themes
• Conclusions
• Understand your organisation
• Know the limits
• Make friends
• Give others responsibility
• New rules are new chances
• When to change your plan

3. 3
Conclusions First!
• You can’t do things on your own!
• You can do sustainability anywhere
• Other people can be your champions (don’t forget to credit them)
• Know when to bid and when to start – work back
• Use other people’s money
 Capital funds can be hidden in other projects
 Use to match further funding
• Use your colleagues to spread the word
• Link with other projects

4. 4
Operational Context
Knowing your organisation:
– Legislation
– Systems of work
– Funding criteria
There’s a limited budget for
environmental improvements
Building Services
• Must Repair & Maintain
• Must be “decent”
– Kitchen
– Bathrooms
– Heating System
– Boiler
– Fabric (Roof, Windows etc)
• Leaseholder engagement
• Tenancy agreement

5. 5
Operational Context
What I did…
• Started 6 months before the
deadline.
• Asked surveyors what they've
noticed
• Used available data to develop
ideas
• Costed and discussed options
with team leader and contracts
manager
• Protected the existing 100k
environmental budget line
• Cross funded with boiler
replacement money to bring
more value
• Used a local supplier to attract
ECO money
• Invited charity for assisted
connections (gas) to boost the
funding pot

6. 6
Operational Context
Winterscale Court
• Modernisation of a block of flats
under Tenants Choice (Decent
Homes Standard)
• Economy of scale, minimise
disruption
• All moved from Electricity to
gas heating
• Carbon and financial savings
• Cheaper bills for tenants

7. 7
Limitations
Understanding Limitations
• Re-assess your approach
• Gain buy in from others in the
organisation
Improvements done as an
exception
Facilities management
• Disposal/acquisitions
• Legionella
• Fire Risk
• Asbestos management
• Health and safety
• Condition surveys
• Strong compliance focus

8. 8
Limitations
What I did…
• Read (a lot) looking for trends
and overlap
– Asbestos inspections
• Loft assessments
– Legionella inspections
• Point of use heating
– Fire risk assessments
• New Doors
– Condition Reports
• Failing elements
• Training and briefings
• Used wider team to tell others
about good practice
• Prioritised most common
recommendations for
progression
• Met with Business Managers
• Identified top three
recommendations for each
building
• Asked the Headteacher to
present to governors

9. 9
Limitations
Pickering Infant School
• Improved DEC rating 4 years
running
• Boiler replacement
• Reroof
• New doors
• Point of use heaters
• Presented to governors on solar
• Loft insulation
– Local framework

10. 10
Partnerships
Developing Partnerships
Tapping in to existing partnerships
and developing new ones
Need to do more with less, we
can’t commit resource
Economic Growth and Strategic
Housing
• Developing new housing
• Housing regeneration
• Affordable Warmth Strategy
• Classic LA strategy
• Passive participation
• Turn up and be told what’s
happening

11. 11
Partnerships
What I did…
Affordable Warmth Charter
• Invited Speakers
• Encouraged workshops
• Actively sought joint working
• Collected “pledges”
• Discussed the council’s ideas to
add value
• More partners, more ideas
• Made sure I had access to the
contact book
• Put people in touch with people
• Combined Authority
opportunities
– Innovation funding
– European funding (for now)
• Public health
• Fire Service
– Safe and Well

12. 12
Partnerships
Castleford EWI
• Bid written with tips from
contacts in other local
authorities
• Worked with framework
contractor to identify potential
issues
• Identified local champion to
rally support
• Notified local doctors surgery’s
about the schemes

13. 13
Empowerment and Ad-Hoc Teams
Empowering Others
• Using others in your team
• Using Champions
• Right people, Right time
Message isn’t getting through
New Projects
• Developing new attractions for
visitors
• Refurbishment of buildings
• Improving energy efficiency
• ESOS obligations
• Friday sit down

14. 14
Empowerment and Ad-Hoc Teams
What I did…
• Identified measurements and
equipment needed
• Talked to electrical engineers
– On site presence
– Technical knowledge
– Culture of getting things
done
• Metering interesting, explains
other issues
• Trusted people to be
professional
• Checked in regularly
– Data collection
– Thanks!
• Reward (even the introverts)

15. 15
Empowerment and Ad-Hoc Teams
Leisure Complex Refurbishment
• Highlighted key areas for
improvement in the building
• Had conversations around best
solutions
– Centre Manager
– Operations Director
– New Projects director
• Brought figures from case
studies to the table
• Left decisions to executive’s

16. 16
New Legislation
• EPBD – Display Energy
Certificates
• Energy Performance Certificates
• ESOS
• Green Deal
• Energy Company Obligation
• Energy Savings Opportunity
Scheme
• Minimum Energy Efficiency
Standards
• Smart Meters
• Reinvigorate your campaigns
• Revisit your business cases
• Explore options found in data
• Bring in new recruits
• Up skill existing team members

17. 17
Knowing when to refocus or halt your efforts.
Hierarchy of persuasion
• Climate Change
• Carbon
• Air Quality
• Resource Efficiency
• Utility costs
• Money
• Customer engagement
• Efficiency of scale
• Cost efficient timing
• Planned approaches
• Grant money (don’t forget to
factor in your form filling time)
• Cost of doing nothing!

18. 18
Clear Path to success
• North Yorkshire Council (3
Months)
– Team
– Property Team
– Assistant Director (Finance)
• York Council (2 Months)
– Team
– Head of Building Services
– Assistant Director (Housing)
• Wakefield Council (3-6 months)
– Team
– Finance & Legal Sign Off
– Portfolio holder - Economic
Growth and Housing
– Combined Authority
(Finance ) sign off
• Flamingo Land (1 week)
– New projects Director
– CEO sign off

19. 19
Questions?