West Yorkshire Combined Authority REBiz project

The Resource Efficient Business (REBiz) programme provided advice and financial support for small or medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to become more resource efficient and adopt circular business models and practices. This programme was delivered in partnership with the York and North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership (Y&NY LEP), and was available to businesses across West and North Yorkshire. REBiz was supported by the European Regional Development Fund and the Northern Powerhouse Growth Deal. Through the REBiz programme, eligible businesses could have received advice and financial support to become more resource efficient. We also helped businesses to develop circular economy business models and practices, helping them keep products and materials in use, by design, for as long as possible to get the maximum value from them.

The service we provide with regards to REBiz

Our Energy Efficiency Reviews are the starting point for a company’s opportunity to reduce its costs and carbon emissions. Combining a detailed analysis of the current energy consumption with the findings from an on-site review, we will identify any areas of energy inefficiency and make recommendations for carbon and cost savings.

During the programme, we:

Surveyed the facilities
Gathered data relating to energy use
Analysed energy data – we have a range of sophisticated software, which provide clear profiles of consumption
Reported our findings and made recommendations as appropriate

Reporting our findings and make recommendations as appropriate The onsite visit included:

A physical site review and tour (following completion of appropriate health and safety assessment and briefing).
A discussion with the management of the business about the perceived issues faced by the business and any recent activity relating to energy and resource efficiency.
An in-depth analysis of the energy efficiency issues within the business including an assessment of the business’s energy use, the efficiency of their processes and the fabric of the building.
Where space heating/cooling is an issue we looked to compare the heating loads with a measure of the degree days for the region to establish and remove the impact of ambient temperature on consumption. Assessing this impact allows the true efficiency and effectiveness of the heating system to be measured and allows for meaningful comparisons year on year and month on month.
Pro Enviro also have a range of sub metering equipment which were used if required to take spot readings of consumption during the assessment visit. The data was used to provide a meaningful analysis of consumption patterns as well as absolute values and will be compared to levels of activity where possible.
A debrief of the key issues identified during the site visit and the possible solutions / improvements that could be made. We also discussed any other wider resource efficiency issues regarding, waste, water and renewable energy that have been noted during the site assessment. The timescale for providing the visit report and recommendations was also agreed with the customer at the conclusion of the visit.
The visit and subsequent action plan focussed on the key issues raised within the assessment but also ensured that other potential opportunities are not overlooked. The action plan focussed on no or low-cost opportunities for improvements, if these are available, prior to moving on to opportunities that may require investment in time and capital cost and will be discussed directly with the company’s management team.