An energy efficiency project for businesses run by a partnership of the University of Derby, and Derby City and Derbyshire County councils – and receiving investment from EU funding allocated to the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership – has been shortlisted for an award.
The D2 Energy Efficiency (or D2EE) Low Carbon Project helps small and medium-sized businesses in Derby and Derbyshire become more energy efficient, through grants and expert guidance. It works with firms to lower their energy costs, reduce the amount of ‘greenhouse gas’ emissions they produce and to improve employees’ working conditions.
Now Derby City and Derbyshire County councils have been jointly nominated as finalists in the category of ‘Regional Council or Local Authority Body of the Year’, in the 2018 East Midlands Regional Energy Efficiency Awards, for D2EE’s work.
The £4.6million D2EE project is half-funded through European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) funding; which comes via the wider £250m in European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) allocated to the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership.
D2N2 is the private sector-led partnership of business, local authorities, skills and training providers, and community and voluntary services providers which works to grow the economy, jobs and business start-ups across its area of Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.
D2EE is also funded by the University of Derby, and Derby City and Derbyshire County councils, and businesses.
Since its launch in February 2017, the D2EE project team have:
- carried out 200 energy audits
- awarded grants worth a total of £415,500 to 62 businesses, across Derby and Derbyshire.
It’s estimated the energy efficiency steps taken by businesses using the D2EE grants will save at least 1.7million kilowatt hours, reduce emissions by 663 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents (a unit of measurement which quantifies the amount of carbon emissions saved), and save £160,000 in energy and associated costs.
The saving of 1.7million kilowatt hours is, in real terms, enough energy to power an estimated 107 average homes for around a year.
D2EE is currently working with over 200 SME businesses. It has to date worked with firms including carpet store T Nutt & Sons Ltd of Clay Cross, Penny Hydraulics Ltd of Clowne, medical equipment supplier Sumed International (UK) of Hadfield; and hydraulic equipment specialist TidyCo, cleaning products firm Aquaclean Industrial Ltd, and furniture supplier Baldwin & Moore Ltd in Derby. A picture of LED equipment installed at TidyCo’s site is shown above.
David Nutt of T Nutt & Sons Ltd said: “It was very easy working with the D2EE team. We couldn’t fault the process and the advice given about how to invest in improvements. They suggested a number of ways that we could save energy, some of which we hadn’t thought of.”
The winners of the 2018 East Midlands Regional Energy Efficiency Awards will be announced at a finalists’ dinner next Wednesday (April 18), at the Radisson Blu Hotel, East Midlands Airport.
For more information about the D2EE project see web link www.derby.gov.uk/environment-and-planning/climate-change-and-energy-management/d2ee/
The D2EE project has received funding from the England European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is the Managing Authority for ERDF. Established by the European Union ERDF funds help local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support innovation, businesses, create jobs and local community regenerations. For more information visit www.gov.uk/european-growth-funding
Further information on how D2N2 is using its EU funding allocation to grow its area’s economy can be found at web link www.d2n2lep.org/EUFunding
Media wanting further information about the D2N2 LEP can contact D2N2 Communications Manager Sean Kirby on 0115 957 8749 or email: sean.kirby@d2n2lep.org
