Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategies (LHEES): phase 2 pilots evaluation

1. Introduction: Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategies

Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategies (LHEES) are currently being piloted under the Energy Efficient Scotland programme^[1]. LHEES aim to establish local authority area-wide plans and priorities for systematically improving the energy efficiency of buildings, and decarbonising heat. 

The Scottish Government have suggested that LHEES adopts a local authority area-wide approach and covers a long-term period (15-20 years). In line with the goals of Energy Efficient Scotland, LHEES should reflect and support local and national policies, frameworks, strategies and targets, and identify opportunities for energy efficiency improvements and heat decarbonisation. To do this, the Scottish Government have outlined LHEES as including the following stages^[2]:

Stage 1: An assessment of existing local and national strategies and data availability.

Stage 2: Authority-wide assessment of existing building stock's energy performance and heat supply.

Stage 3: Authority-wide setting of aggregate targets for heat demand reduction and decarbonisation of buildings.

Stage 4: Conduct a socio-economic assessment of potential energy efficiency and heat decarbonisation solutions^[3].

Stage 5: Selection of areas/ prioritisation of opportunities for energy efficiency and/or heat decarbonisation, leading to the designation of zones.

Stage 6: Costing and phasing of delivery programmes 

In its second consultation on LHEES, the Scottish Government suggested that LHEES will be developed in conjunction with members of local community planning partnerships, and in relation to their wider community planning duties. In developing LHEES, Scottish Government have suggested that local authorities should coordinate with information and expertise available through Government funded programmes including: Resource Efficient Scotland, the Energy Saving Trust and the Scottish Futures Trust.