Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme: Phase 3b Summary Report
A government report providing an overview of Phase 3b of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme has been published this week.
The report, published by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, is called Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme Phase 3b Summary Report. It details applications received and grants awarded under the scheme which is delivered by Salix.
It includes details about the policy drivers, scheme objectives, guidelines, eligibility, timelines, budget and monitoring and evaluation.
The Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme provides grants for public sector bodies to fund heat decarbonisation and energy efficiency measures. And Phase 3 is part of £2.5billion total government investment in upgrading public sector buildings between 2020 and 2025.
Phase 3 of the scheme follows Phases 1 and 2 which provided £1.075billion in grants over the financial years 2020/21 and 2021/2022. Phase 3a, which was the first Phase 3 application window launched in October 2021, the second phase, Phase 3b opened and closed to applications in October 2022.
Phase 3c of the Public Sector Decarbonisation opened and closed to applications in November 2023 – the government report focuses on Phase 3b.
The report says: “Monitoring and evaluation of Phase 3b is being undertaken to check progress against planned milestones, to understand how well the scheme is delivering on its objectives, and to analyse how the scheme has performed against its intended impacts.
“The evaluation will also provide clarity as to how the scheme can evolve to continue delivering decarbonisation of the public sector and enhance its ability to support our wider net zero target.”
Projects highlighted in the report include Gorseybrigg Primary School and Nursery in Derbyshire, Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, South Norfolk District Council, West Northamptonshire Council and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
In the report trustee at The Polesworth Primary School, Tamworth, Ron Vernon says: “This grant allows us to go above and beyond and utilise modern heat pump technology, improve insulation and install some solar generation.
“This will create an improved working environment for our pupils for generations to come while also decarbonising our heating and supporting the environmental education for the next generation.”
The report also showcases the regions where grants were awarded, providing a table including the number of value of grants awarded.
It also specifies the policy differences between Phase 3a and Phase 3b of the scheme. It says whilst the schemes are largely similar with regard to eligibility and criteria, there were two policy changes. Phase 3b saw the introduction of planning year applications which meant organisations were able to apply for the financial year of 2024/25 only, allowing them to use 2023/24 financial year to plan their project.
The second policy change was the introduction of sector soft caps to support the allocation of funding across the public sector in line with carbon emissions across the public sector.
The report concludes that Phase 3b of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme has allocated £604 million through 231 grants, awarded to 183 organisations.
It reports: “The trial of the sector soft caps also proved to be a useful exercise in making there was proportionate distribution of funding to the carbon emitted by that area of the public sector estate.”
The scheme objectives are to support the transition to low carbon heating in public sector buildings and to support the aim of reducing carbon emissions from public sector buildings by 75% by 2037 compared to a 2017 baseline as set out in the Net Zero and Heat and Buildings Strategy.
For full report see www.gov.uk