Supporting our communities to achieve Net Zero
SSEN Distribution is supporting local authorities and communities to understand their local electricity grid and develop their plans for decarbonising and reaching Net Zero.
What is Local Area Energy Planning?
As the UK increases its uptake of low carbon transport and heating, communities find themselves in the driving seat to help plan the infrastructure that will facilitate Net Zero at a local level.
Local Area Energy Plans (LAEPs) set out the changes and resources needed locally to achieve this in a specific timeframe. Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategies (LHEES) are a more targeted version, which Scottish councils are mandated to complete by the end of 2023.
The development of these plans, led by local authorities, can involve a wide range of stakeholders: community energy organisations, Net Zero Hubs, residents, and industry. You can find out more on the LAEP approach via the Energy Systems Catapult website here, and information on LHEES is available from the Scottish Government here.
How we can help
SSEN Distribution has committed to providing support to local authorities in our licence areas to develop a coordinated and effective delivery strategy for Whole System and Net Zero initiatives that interact with our network.
Our dedicated team will co-create solutions with the local authorities in our licence areas by providing regular input, network analysis, and whole system thinking to their energy planning.
The next step of our support will be facilitated through our new Local Energy Net Zero Accelerator (LENZA) tool.
LENZA
This geospatial planning software, powered by Advanced Infrastructure’s LAEP+ infrastructure, provides data on network constraints, empowering planners to make better informed decisions about where to install new energy assets in their local areas.
LENZA has been developed over the past three years and trialled with three local authorities through the RESOP Project. This engagement has been welcomed, with many local authorities seeing potential benefits in utilisation of the tool to develop their LAEPs. In this next phase, we will move beyond showcasing the tool to working with more local authorities more closely; this will both enhance our use of LENZA and improve their knowledge and skills base such that they can use LENZA within their own organisations.
This tool will drive forward SSEN Distribution’s longer-term strategic investment by supporting the needs case for network reinforcement or upgrades that will power local ambition.