Energy benefits

Reducing the energy consumed in the built environment and establishing a less carbon intensive energy supply has a wide array of benefits.

Highlighting these benefits can be instrumental in making the case for tackling climate change within local authorities, communities, businesses and partnerships.

Better quality of life

Sustainable energy planning can improve our quality of life by:

• providing warmer, more energy efficient existing homes with reduced maintenance costs
• creating new homes, schools and healthcare facilities that have low running costs, good indoor air quality and cope well with extreme temperatures.

Healthier community

Sustainable energy planning can improve our health by:

• making buildings more comfortable so that people don't suffer from extreme heat or cold
• reducing the risk of illness related to fuel poverty and/or poor or excessive ventilation.

Stronger local economies

Sustainable energy planning can strengthen the local economy by:

• reducing energy bills through lower energy use
• providing longer term security for local heat and power supplies
• reducing the number of people experiencing fuel poverty
• providing training and employment through targeted green collar job development strategies helping to stengthen the local economy
• supporting workplace productivity and staff retention by creating more comfortable working environments
• providing the opportunity for value to be returned to the community via energy development and control at a local scale.

Protection from climate change

Sustainable energy planning mitigates climate change by:

• cutting greenhouse gas emissions through reduced energy demand in buildings and transport
• reducing CO2 emissions through greater use of renewable energy sources
• efficiently connecting heat production and use through thermal masterplanning to ensure heat is not wasted within the local area
• reducing energy consumption in the production of construction materials
• using a local supply chain to reduce transport emissions.

Sustainable energy planning can help adapt to the effects of climate change by:

• designing buildings that can respond passively to long-term climate changes
• reducing the need for artificial cooling through the design of passively cooled buildings
• reducing the contribution of buildings to the urban heat island effect.