Businesses across South Derbyshire are demonstrating tangible benefits in reducing their energy usage, thanks to support from the Accelerator project. The project, delivered by East Midlands Chamber on behalf of participating local authorities, is funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).
The breadth of decarbonisation support from the project is significant and includes:
- Fully funded premises energy audits helping businesses to identify energy efficiency improvements and opportunities to reduce costs
- Growth vouchers towards the cost of specialist consultancy or bespoke training supporting the adoption of energy efficient practices
- Training to boost green business skills, including the one-day certified course on Carbon Literacy taking place on Tuesday, 21st January
- Energy reduction workshops at Toyota Motor Manufacturing offering practical demonstration and shop floor observations with Toyota’s energy specialists, the next of which takes place on Thursday, 13th February
- Access to online sustainability platform Zellar to help showcase the real-time environmental impact of activities and to produce a decarbonisation plan
South Derbyshire businesses already benefitting from the Accelerator project’s decarbonisation support include:
Alpha Construction
Alpha Construction is a civil engineering and building contractor, specialising in the High Voltage Electricity Industry, Renewable Energy and Industrial projects. Located in Hilton, it employs 60 staff and is supported by a network of over 90 subcontractors. It serves a variety of sectors, including Retail & Commercial, Energy, Industrial, Flood Defence and Water, and Material Handling and Waste Management.
With concerns about energy costs in mind, Managing Director Tony Bamford attended the Accelerator project’s Energy Grant Readiness Workshop to tap into a fully funded Energy Audit and development of a Decarbonisation Plan. The business has since been awarded an Energy Grant from South Derbyshire District Council to further support its sustainability goals. The planned changes are projected to save the business up to £6,000 annually in energy costs and reduce carbon emissions by over five tonnes.
Alpha Construction Managing Director Tony Bamford said: “The support from East Midlands Chamber, and in particular our Business Adviser Sonny Lakhani, has been instrumental for us to identify our needs and strengthen the foundations of our business in order to produce a sustainable and manageable strategic Business Development plan for resilience and growth.”
Swadlincote Electrical Supplies
Swadlincote Electrical Supplies is an independent electrical and renewables supplier providing electrical products, installation, and renewable energy systems for a range of customers from trade, commercial, industrial, on-line and retail. It was founded in 2004 by Directors Steve Morley and Andrew Jones and employs seven staff.
Over the past four years electricity costs have nearly tripled, presenting a serious barrier to the business’s profitability and operational efficiency.
The Accelerator project’s Energy Grant Readiness Workshop helped the business establish its carbon baseline and identify areas of improvement. A decarbonisation plan has enabled the business to adopt new techniques and processes, with access to real-time data of energy usage across the business, as well as an interactive monitor showing production and export information.
The business was also successful in applying for a Decarbonation Grant from South Derbyshire District Council, with £7,474 awarded to support the installation of solar panels and an electric vehicle charging station at their premises. The business has calculated annual electricity savings of £2,973, representing a 61% reduction.
Steve Morley said: “Our Business Adviser at East Midlands Chamber, Sonny Lakhani, has gone above and beyond for my business and made time to visit my premises on a few occasions. The face-to-face meetings have been very helpful and overall, I am very pleased with the complete package of support and advice I have received and very grateful for the experience.”
Chameleon School of Construction
Formed in 2010, Swadlincote-based Chameleon School of Construction offers training for the construction and motor vehicle industries from short courses to fully accredited programmes leading to industry-recognised qualifications.
Support from the Accelerator project has enabled the business to benefit from fully funded workshops as well as targeted decarbonisation support. As a result of an energy efficiency grant from South Derbyshire District Council, the business will be able to invest in solar panels, intelligent heating to heat the office more effectively, and the installation of an electric vehicle charger which, collectively, is estimated to save 30% of costs.
Chameleon School of Construction Centre Manager Teresa Swift said: “Our Chamber Business Adviser Sonny Lakhani made everything easier, and he did it in such a supportive manner. I came away from the Accelerator project’s Energy Efficiency workshop with a spreadsheet that enabled me to go through and look at my business and where we might save costs. I think the Accelerator project will definitely help us kickstart a growth period. It has allowed me to grow personally which is also letting the business grow.”
There is now only a limited window to access support as the project ends in March 2024. Businesses interested in signing up are invited to complete the relevant Expression of Interest form by selecting the South Derbyshire District Council link at: www.emc-dnl.co.uk/accelerator.
