New local energy system could heat Exeter

The work, commissioned by Exeter City Council, Devon County Council, the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Trust and the University of Exeter, was prepared by engineering consultants Parsons Brinckerhoff.

The system uses combined heat and power (CHP) engines to generate both heat and electricity at neighbourhood energy centres. Electricity is either used where it is generated or exported to the national grid. Heat energy is transferred to hot water which is pumped through a highly insulated network of underground pipes to buildings in the City to provide heating and hot water.

The study included a system with a CHP energy centre at the RD&E’s Wonford hospital and a heat network connected to the University’s St Luke’s campus and adjacent public buildings, the Pyramids swimming pool, the Civic Centre and the City Centre bus station redevelopment site. The potential for connecting heat supplied by the Marsh Barton energy from waste plant was also studied.

A range of different options were tested and the largest of the schemes is likely to cost £20 million to £25 million. A number of options produce good financial returns but these are not sufficiently high to attract private sector investors on their own. The study recommends that this work be taken forward by a public/private partnership. 

Exeter City Council is being advised to sign a formal agreement with the other study partners committing them to take forward the recommendations of the study. The next steps towards building a system will be to produce a business case with which to test the potential for private sector investment and to draw up a structure for a local Energy Services Company.

Cllr Rachel Sutton, Lead Councillor for Sustainable Development and Transport, said:"This study has shown that a district energy network has the potential to supply competitively priced low carbon energy to parts of Exeter and to make use of heat produced during the incineration of our unrecyclable waste. We are pleased to be working in partnership with the University, the RD&E Hospital and Devon County Council and Teignbridge District Council to deliver this network and attract private investment to the city.”

Hugh McCann, Director of Estate Development at the University concluded:“We are delighted to be supporting this city-wide project which will lead to a more sustainable heating solution for Exeter and also benefit the environment.”