Our approach
We recognise that clients need to minimise risk, avoid needless expenditure, and keep extra work under control.
To that end, we advise our clients to follow a step-by-step approach for any decarbonisation projects. The emphasis is on risk-reduction and avoiding wasting money on dead-ends or expensive mistakes.
Each step qualifies the risk entailed in the next step, so that clients can make properly informed investment decisions as a potential project is developed.
The net effect of this process is that there is no requirement for a major capital commitment until there is technical confidence that the installation(s) will work as intended and reasonable confidence that the financial outcome will be as expected (bearing in mind that nobody can be certain of the future).
We usually manage all these steps on a client’s behalf, recognising that otherwise this is all additional extra work for the staff, as well as being specialised in its nature.
Step 1. Initial Assessment
The first step is to identify the broad potential for worthwhile projects on a given estate. This is free of charge because until done we cannot reliably advise whether it’s worth spending any money at all on further investigative work. It usually includes:
- An initial meeting and site visit to learn how the estate works, the client’s strategic intent, development plans, key concerns, and any practical considerations that would have a bearing on the suitability of different installations across the estate.
- Advice on financing options, including possible grants or subsidies.
The outcome of Step 1 is that we can advise any client, with confidence, what technology options should be considered in more detail, and what the cost of that feasibility work will be.
Step 2. Strategy, Scoping & Cost/Benefit Analysis
Step 1 may have identified a range of potential options, or just one or two. Step 2 goes into much more detail and includes these tasks:
- Determining the appropriate decarbonisation strategy.
- Defining the outline technical scope, cost versus net benefit, and potential programme for a range of project options, and how they all knit together: i.e. the decarbonisation plan.
- Advising on the detailed financial impact of the various financing options: e.g. self-financing, 3rd-party loans, government or local authority grants.
- Supporting grant applications where applicable, where these are available to help offset the capital outlay in advance of the project.
- Determine next steps.
Results are presented in a concise report, intended to be suitable for use by governing bodies or board members and estate management staff alike. The content at this stage always assumes no prior knowledge of low-carbon technologies, to ensure no reader will be left behind in the ensuing discussion. The report includes an executive summary and recommendations.
The cost of this work varies according to scale but usually proves to be less than 1% of the potential project costs on a given estate.
Step 3. Technical Confirmation / Project Definition.
For each project arising from Step 2 there will usually be some issues that require further investigation before the client and ReEnergise staff can be sure that the intended project is going to prove successful. For example, we are always keen to promote the installation of ground source heat pumps (GSHP), where suitable, because GSHPs are a route to zero-carbon heat generation. However, ground conditions matter and need to be established in advance of committing to an installation contract: that requires a more specialised survey.
This is the business of Step 3. The specific tasks are:
- Resolve any technical issues arising from Step 2 and confirm design concepts.
- Further develop the project programme.
- Provide technical support to any planning applications required.
- Continue to support project financing bids, if applicable.
The fee is typically between 1-5% of the total anticipated capital outlay, all depending on the technical risk and complexity of the project. For example, Step 3 for a GSHP project is more extensive than for a biomass project.
Step 4. Project Tendering.
We always recommend running a competitive tender unless there is a clear reason not to do so. In most instances the client’s own procurement rules will require it anyway. The Step 4 specific tasks are:
- Identify the shortlist of potential tenderers.
- Draw up the requirement specification in sufficient detail for the tender exercise.
- Draw up draft installer contract(s) to be included in the tender pack. ReEnergise can provide contract templates if required, or work with standard formats such as IET or JCT. The approach needs to be agreed prior to launching the tender exercise, so that bidding companies are clear what they are pricing against.
- Organise the tender exercise & assess the various bids. The outcome of this assessment represents the final decision point to proceed or not.
- Confirm the project financing arrangements with providers, where applicable.
- Continue to support the planning application process when required.
- Support the negotiation of the final drafts of the installation contract(s) through to the point of sign-off.
The fee is typically 2-3% of the total anticipated capital outlay.
Step 5. Project Delivery.
This step is the major capital commitment within the project. It starts when the installation contracts are signed. Specific tasks are:
- Get all required contracts signed between client and installers: there could be several.
- Manage the programme to time, cost and quality, including any contract variations. There are always issues with major projects and low-carbon installations are no exception: the PM is there to resolve them on behalf of the client.
- Witness commissioning.
- Support the client in securing the correct government subsidies post commissioning, where applicable; or justifying grant expenditure.
The fee is typically 4-6% of the total capital outlay for the project.
Post-delivery Quality Assurance
We want to be sure that each project is delivered successfully, but also that each client is getting the correct benefits from it. When a new and probably unfamiliar technology is introduced there are usually some procedural or operating details to be ironed out.
To that end there will always be proper client familiarisation and training; but also, about 6 months after each installation has been commissioned we will call a site meeting for the client, installers, and any other relevant agencies involved. This is additional to the servicing and maintenance regime that will have been put in place as part of the original installation.
This is an opportunity for the client to be completely candid about any issues that have arisen, so that they can be rectified, and so that we can all learn lessons from each job done.
We would expect any faults to be covered by warranty – either parts or workmanship – but by being proactive about this, faults are likely to be resolved that much more quickly.
We don’t charge a fee for this exercise.
Our full range of services
We don’t just do low-carbon energy schemes. We’re keen to help clients make savings on energy in any way possible. Our full range of current services at a glance is below. If there is something else you need done, and you don’t see it below, get in touch – we’re adaptable:
Consultancy
- Estate decarbonisation plans.
- Energy usage benchmarking.
- Energy usage monitoring and management.
- Energy plant asset mapping and condition surveys.
- Project scoping and cost/benefit analysis.
- Technical feasibility studies.
- Energy efficiency and management training, especially for administrators.
- Advice on UK and EU energy legislation.
- Compliance with energy-related legislation: e.g. EPCs, ESOS, TM44.
- Planning advice and applications.
- Drafting business case proposals for Board approval.
- Energy supply tax and allowances reviews (for schools).
- Advice on financing, grants, and subsidies.
Installation projects & programmes
- Multi-project programme management.
- Technical scoping and project budgeting.
- Design concepts & designs for low-carbon schemes.
- Tender management and installer selection.
- Installation project management.
- Commissioning.
- Subsidy application and justification.
As far as we are aware, no other company that offers this range of services can also claim to be genuinely independent. We are genuinely independent, because we are not tied to any particular supplier, nor wedded to any particular technology.
