Energy Services Company

Grant funding was received from the Warm Homes Fund to establish the viability for an Energy Service Company (ESCo) for a Registered Social Landlord (RSL).  An ESCo is understood as a commercial structure created to produce, supply and manage the local delivery of decentralised energy to a development. The ESCo’s remit will be to roll this service out on a large scale across the whole portfolio. This service may eventually be offered to other RSL’s, community groups and higher education institutions in the UK. The strategic aim of the ESCo is to generate new revenue streams for the RSL and rethink the historic housing association business model.

The ESCo model delivered at scale will redefine the mode of operation of RSL’s and the lifestyle of their clients. Income generated can be used to further the work of the ESCo and surplus can be driven toward building fabric improvement work alongside new energy efficient homes. This in turn will generate employment in the region and stimulate the low carbon economy. Our client sought to carry out an analysis of their existing stock to identify a suitable site for the prototype and which can thereafter be used to derive the forward planning of the fully formed ESCo.

The stock analysis tool was initially developed for our client but can now be used by housing associations throughout Scotland to assess their own stock and create their own databases. The tool maps every property in the portfolio using Google Maps API to provide very clear graphical outputs. The tool also produces a detailed spreadsheet for the entire portfolio supported by cumulative figures and graphs.