Energy, Energy Efficiency & Electric Vehicles
There is potential for delivering many benefits regarding how we use energy, the types of technology and controls that we adopt, the sources of the energy we use, and the extent to which we ‘flex’ the timing of our use of energy, local generation and, in the future, energy storage.
The benefits include:
- Smarter use of energy resulting in better value for money
- Greater take-up of sustainable energy and electric vehicles with all their advantages
- Greener transport and home heating to support cleaner air and reduce global warming
- The opportunity for community investment in local clean energy sources
who are helping to ensure these principles apply to Thame’s greatest natural water assets, The River Thame, the Cuttle Brook and Kingsey Cuttle Brook.
Key Issues
- Energy awareness – Improved understanding of energy uses and options
- Energy efficiency and sustainability – Exploring and implementing better energy choices
- Clean transport – Promoting steps to encourage electric vehicle use
- Low carbon energy sources – Practical guidance on clean energy for homes and businesses
4.1 Energy Awareness
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Action: Have a presence at town events such as the summer carnival and the Christmas lights.
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Action: Provide printed and online materials that prompt ideas for individual actions.
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Action: Encourage discussion and follow-up via TGL Facebook page and website.
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Action: Organise an EV awareness event in Thame and publicise EV test drive opportunities. (see 4.4.)
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Make Thame energy initiatives visible, for example EV chargers signposted and with TTC & TGL ‘branding’.
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Establish a community energy company for Thame (by linking with established regional models or otherwise).
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Action: Publish and circulate the draft energy strategy for information and comment, available on TGL website.
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Action: Identify sources of expertise and possible future energy project partners.
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Action: build on consultation feedback consistent with TTC and GLP strategy and lessons from practical projects.
4.2 Energy efficiency and sustainability – Individual Actions
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Action: Provide pamphlets and website information, including FB posts and promotion at events.
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Action: Encourage use of Smart Meters to take advantage of new services and deals.
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Action: Seek a link with Citizens Advice to assist their work in this area.
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Action: Flag up government grants and programmes for individual homes (as part of the government Net Zero programme).
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Action: Identify Retrofit work programmes elsewhere that might be suitable for Thame. e.g. Better Homes Better Health and Cosy Homes.
4.3 Energy efficiency and sustainability – Community & infrastructure Actions
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Link with TTC Business Forum to raise awareness of free energy audits and grants for making energy improvements. e.g. at a Business Breakfast event.
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Action: Identify opportunities for free energy surveys and grants available to TTC. e.g. SALIX.
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Action: Look at best practices elsewhere (e.g. LEDs for street lighting, security lighting, and restricted hours for street lighting).
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Action: Encourage developers to build-in PV on suitable roofs, provide EV charging, and consider solar roofs for walkways and awnings.
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Action: Support wider national moves to improve building standards.
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Action: Encourage local contractors to support a ‘connected homes’ initiative through training and business partnering.
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Action: Input to the revised Neighbourhood Plan to shape policy positions.
4.4 Clean Personal Transport
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Organise an EV awareness day and test drives for personal transport (e.g. MK’s EV Experience Centre and local EV drivers and car clubs) .
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Track developments in cleaner commercial transport (e.g. Battery and Hydrogen vehicles) and alert local businesses.
4.5 Clean transport in the community
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Action: Research EV car clubs (incl. Bucks and Oxon organisations).
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Action: Assess local interest in a Thame EV Car Club.
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Action: Find out more about EV car-pooling including local examples e.g. Co-wheels in Oxford, Zipcar, Enterprise car club, and Tuo (peer to peer).
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Action: Work through TTC Business Forum to present information and impartial advice.
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Action: Work with TTC Business Forum to present information and impartial advice.
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Action: Set up a business breakfast meeting to introduce key concepts / link with specialists.
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Action: Provide information on TGL website and FB.
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Action: Provide a simple check list of starting points for organisations to consider.
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Action: Link interested parties who are willing to share experience.
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Action: Consider these requirements for TTC-initiated charging points.
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Action: Consider adding these requirements to NP2 policy for car parks, homes and businesses.
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Action: Recommend business conversion to EV Fleets or workplace charging for staff and visitors.
4.6 Low Carbon Energy Sources
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Action: Link up with the owners of the local PV arrays near Towersey and Ilmer villages.
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Action: Explore guided visits and real time information (e.g. with schools and others).
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Action: Track developments and experience in heat pumps and other alternatives as low carbon alternatives to gas and oil for heating.
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Action: Review government grants and installation trials and programmes and whether Thame might benefit from participating.
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Action: Monitor costs of home solar PV and, when viable, hold a PV awareness event and link with providers and installers.
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Action: Monitor ‘whole street’ PV discounts (incl. experience elsewhere (e.g. Green Group’s Solar Streets).
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Action: Seek co-operation to produce ‘case studies’ of local domestic installations for practicalities and economics.
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Action: Track economics of larger solar PV installations; where viable, hold a PV awareness event with links to providers and installers.
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Action: Explore opportunities for solar roofs, for example car parks or shopping walkways.
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Action: Seek Neighbourhood Plan support for siting of new installations – including large solar roofs and community funded installations.
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Action: Check options for new commercial scale renewable energy: generation (solar or wind), energy storage, and ability to offer flexibility. Include opportunities for new building developments that could include large solar roofs, perhaps community funded installations.
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Action: Work with an established organisation, such as the Low Carbon Hub in Oxford or the Community Energy Society being established in Henley, to gain access to professional expertise (technical, financial, and legal).
4.7 Ideas for the future
High Street Power Supplies
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Action: Consider if power supplies can be made available in the High Street, perhaps linked to EV chargers, that could replace polluting diesel generators at Thame Fairs.
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Action: Consult via TTC with fairground operators as to viability and cost.
Trading local energy
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Action: Look into trading energy locally, both within Thame and with national markets, to provide a financial return. This might include energy from solar panels, or energy in EVs or home batteries. This could form part of a ‘community energy’ initiative, a number of which are under way nationally.