Low Carbon Skills Fund (LCSF) Success for Barker’s Energy Team  

Outcomes of the last round – Phase 5 LCSF were announced at the end of July. Barker’s Energy team had another successful round supporting clients with their LCSF applications. The team secured funding to create Heat Decarbonisation Plans including information to carry out low carbon heating appraisals at 64 sites.  

Low Carbon Skills Fund (LCSF) is a funding initiative to support public sector bodies to engage specialist support to create heat decarbonisation plans (HDPs) and develop existing HDP’s to design stage for low carbon heating systems. 

During the summer break Barker’s Energy team and engineers rolled out a programme of surveys to create HDPs for the sites. HDPs outline strategies to transition from conventional, carbon-intensive heating to low-carbon or renewable alternatives. This involves adopting technologies like heat pumps, improving insulation, and integrating renewable energy sources into heating systems. HDPs are instrumental in achieving overall decarbonisation, aligning with broader sustainability objectives and limiting or omitting reliance on fossil fuels. 

The team will then develop the reports and advise clients on the outputs and solutions.  This then enables the client to plan future capital projects or implement no cost, quick wins across their estate. It also helps our clients prepare for future funding rounds such as the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme to implement the low carbon heating proposed.  The impact of these actions will be lower emissions, higher cost savings and a positive step towards a greener future.  

Since the PSDS and LCSF launched in 2020 Barker has: 

1. Become the chosen energy & sustainability partner to over 80 Schools & Trusts across the UK.
2. We have completed over 800 energy audits, low carbon studies and HDPs to drive schools; energy reduction plans.
3. Delivered 125 projects funded by Salix
4. Secured public & private funding in excess of £14M for schools to invest in Low Carbon Heating, LED Lighting, Solar PV and other renewables.
5. Delivered in excess of 60 renewables programmes in the academies sector for Trusts.
6. Delivered energy related projects which have saved over £140M to school budgets over the life of the technology.
7. Worked with leading sector bodies such as Confederation of Schools Trusts (CST), The Trust Network (TTN), Institute of Business Leaders (ISBL) to guide their members in the arena of energy & sustainability.

 LSCF and PSDS are provided by the Department for Energy and Net Zero delivered by Salix