The Exeter Energy Network is the name of the heat network being developed within Exeter and is operated by Exeter Energy Ltd.

Exeter Energy Ltd is the company developing the Exeter heat network and is managed by 1Energy Group Ltd, an experienced independent UK developer at the forefront of Low-to-Zero-Carbon heat networks.

Team members at 1Energy collectively have decades of experience of delivering and operating over 50 heat network projects in the UK.

Exeter Energy Network will sit alongside a 1Energy portfolio of projects currently including Bradford, Rotherham and Milton Keynes.

We’re currently focusing on large consumers of heat in the city and we are interested in talking to owners of commercial premises and blocks of flats. If you would like to register your interest in a potential connection, please contact Exeter@1energy.uk.

In time we will be investigating the potential to connect to individual homes but this isn’t happening at present.

A building will need to have a “wet” heating system, i.e. heat emitters such as radiators throughout the building connected by pipes to a central plant room, typically housing a gas boiler. However, while this is the main requirement for connecting to the heat network, we would need to carry out a survey to understand if any further changes to a building’s heating system are required.

As a rule of thumb, newer buildings will be simpler to connect as the systems are already set up to run at the kind of temperatures served by the network. However, each building will vary so we would need to carry out a survey to understand what changes would be required in your building to make a connection.

If the weather is particularly cold or there is a long term interruption to the electricity supply to the heat pumps, then we have back up heat. We will have back-up gas boilers which can take over the water heating if necessary as well as three thermal heat stores – big bodies of hot water – that can supply additional heat capacity. These will be on site at our network energy centres.

A planning application has been submitted to Exeter City Council for an energy centre on Grace Road. The proposed site is next to the Water Lane Solar Park in Marsh Barton, directly behind the Marsh Barton Energy Recovery Facility (ERF). The more options a heat network has for its energy sources, the more resilient it will be. Having this site close to the river and next to the ERF, means there are multiple options for heat sources, in both waste heat from the ERF and water source heat from the river.

1Energy is committed to actively improving natural habitats and biodiversity in the places we work.  We will be going over and above the requirements set by the statutory authorities when it comes to improving nature. We’ve committed to a biodiversity net gain of 20%, which is double the requirement set by planning policy.

As a result of feedback from local residents, statutory consultees and planners, we have reduced the amount of land we will use for the energy centre development, meaning more land will remain for local use and wildlife habitats. We are working closely with various local stakeholders and ecologists to build a plan for biodiversity improvements across the whole of the Grace Road site, not just the area we are looking to build the energy centre on.

The network will start supplying heat to buildings in 2027. Phased construction is expected to begin in 2025.

Most of the pipework will be laid under roads and pavements, and there will be temporary road closures and roadworks to allow for that to happen. The project will make sure residents, businesses and other organisations which are affected are notified as soon as the work is approved by Devon County Council. We will ask our contractors to complete all highways work as quickly as possible.

The first part of the network will be built in Belle Isle Drive in spring 2025. We have written to residents in the local area and have held a community drop-in session to meet residents in person and listen to any concerns. We will continue to engage with the local community and have a dedicated telephone number for any queries or questions.

We will only be allowed to work in the highway once we have permission from Devon County Council. We will be working closely with the council’s highways team to ensure that each part of the network is routed in the most sensible way to avoid unnecessary disruption while allowing our customers to connect to the network. Once a section of the route is agreed with the council, we will write to residents, businesses and other organisations in and around the roads in question and publicise the dates and details via this website and the local media.

We will make sure local residents, drivers and businesses are given as much warning as possible about any road closures or traffic management measures. We will do this by writing to residents in and around the streets affected, and by holding regular drop-in sessions to give people the chance to meet our team face to face and discuss any issues. We will also be taking the advice of Devon County Council’s highways team on the best routes to avoid disruption. Traffic management plans will be checked and  signed off by Devon County Council.

Yes, see above – but again, we are seeking to minimise any impact to local businesses and residents. The timetable and programme is at the exploratory stage for the wider network and we will liaise extensively with communities and commercial premises in advance. When we have more information we will let people know as soon as possible.

We recognise the importance of local skills and training in the project.  Our key contractors are working on apprenticeship opportunities with Exeter College and we are exploring job fairs with the College as well.

If you’re interested in supplying services, please contact us on community.exeter@1energy.uk.

We will publicise the construction and procurement programme once more details are finalised.

The Exeter Energy Network (EEN) will create a range of benefits across employment and training, health and the environment. It will also help Exeter achieve its carbon reduction ambitions.

Up to ten apprenticeships will be created each year during the construction phase to deliver new skills into Exeter, and it is also intended that local jobs would be created during the operation phase. We are working closely with Exeter College and other stakeholders to ensure we maximise opportunities for local job creation.

The project has a focus on local employment and local services where possible. Using local service suppliers helps us reduce our own carbon footprint for the project. It enables resilience and ensures we get the best value for money, as we are not paying for transport and accommodation for companies outside the area. We will need to deploy some specialist technical support but where possible the project commits to local suppliers.

Fossil fuels are a significant contributor to poor air quality. Every time they are used for heat and transport, their combustion produces fine particulates that can affect air quality. So by removing the need for individual gas boilers in commercial buildings in the city centre we’ll be avoiding the localised burning of fossil fuels for heating, and this will improve air quality in the city.

The proposed heat network would make a significant contribution to the achievement of net zero for Exeter. The EEN will reduce emissions in Exeter by approximately 13,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e) per year in phase one.

A heating network provides the most economical option available for decarbonising heating in Exeter, for both the public and the private sector, with costs being around 30% cheaper than the most economical alternative zero-carbon heating option available.

The drive towards low carbon is impacting all aspects of business and commercial development. By providing this alternative heating method, and by offering a secure, local, heating source, Exeter can improve its competitiveness. It will make the city more attractive to inward investment, employers and companies – boosting clean growth.

The EEN will speed up the pace of decarbonisation as the simplest method of securing low carbon heating for buildings. We do almost all the work to connect the buildings to the EEN, and the method of connection is a simple replacement of the boiler with a heat network connection (other methods require each building owner to figure out how to decarbonise their building themselves).
The EEN will enable developers to meet the building regulations and local planning conditions at a lower cost, making it more attractive to build developments in Exeter than in other cities that do not have a heat network.

The network would become a major pillar of Exeter as a leading city in the battle against climate change, engaging developers and demonstrating Exeter’s credentials as the country’s leading clean growth district. The benefits of the EEN are also likely to prove attractive to potential new employers looking for an effective way to procure clean, reliable and cost-effective heating.