West Sussex County Council is driving forward its ambitious target of achieving carbon neutrality by 2030 through a comprehensive climate strategy, creative funding approaches, and strong collaborations with industry partners.
A bold commitment to sustainability
Since setting its carbon neutral goal in 2019, the Council has rolled out a robust Climate Change Strategy, underpinned by its five-year Council Plan (2021–2026), a Climate Action Adaptation Plan (CAAP), and a dedicated Energy Strategy. These frameworks steer action across buildings, transport, procurement, and community engagement. Twenty priority actions have been identified to deliver the most significant carbon reductions between 2024 and 2027.
Innovative solutions to overcome financial challenges
“Funding is always a challenge in the public sector, but we’ve secured grants like the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS) and even developed our own internal funding models to support our local schools with decarbonisation,” said Steven Fall, Energy Manager at West Sussex County Council. “This has enabled us to continue energy efficiency upgrades, without upfront costs.”
The Council has also addressed grid connection delays and navigated the complexities of modernising historic buildings while ensuring essential services remain uninterrupted.
Technology at the heart of transformation
Innovation has been central to decarbonising Council buildings. Key measures include installing solar PV, developing two large solar farms, deploying over 80 rooftop systems in schools, extensive LED lighting upgrades, air source heat pumps, and advanced battery storage solutions.
The Council’s solar farms, built on former landfill sites, generate around 13 GWh of renewable energy annually, delivering major carbon savings and creating a valuable revenue stream to fund further initiatives.
The solar PV scheme for schools enables institutions to access discounted renewable energy, driving significant cost reductions. “For some schools, this has meant saving tens of thousands of pounds compared to grid electricity,” Fall noted.
Strategic partnerships and data driven success
Collaboration has been key to progress, with energy partners supporting procurement, project delivery, and grid connections.
The Council’s Energy Services team uses TEAM’s Sigma Energy Management Software as the “beating heart” of its operations. This platform underpins carbon reporting, energy tracking, and financial analysis, enabling informed decisions and swift responses to new regulations and funding opportunities.
“Sigma is an essential tool for our carbon reporting, energy consumption tracking, and financial appraisals. It supports us with vital grant applications and has become indispensable to our team,” said Steven Fall.
Looking ahead
Future plans include expanding the solar and battery programme to an additional 50–100 schools, developing a new 16MW battery storage site, electrifying the fleet, and installing more EV charge points. West Sussex County Council remains firmly committed to its 2030 carbon neutral goal.
“Despite challenges, we continue to innovate and collaborate to make it happen,” said Fall. “With local government reform underway, strong relationships with local partners are vital to ensure a smooth transition and continued progress.”
Read more about West Sussex County Council’s sustainability journey.
