In 2022, Scene undertook a feasibility study into the viability of renewable energy clusters in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire. This work was carried out on behalf of Berkhamsted Town Council (BTC) and funded through the UK Government Rural Community Energy Fund (RCEF). The study had a primary focus on decarbonising heat by lookng at opportunities to create networked solutions between more than one building. Eight clusters were considered with potential solutions informed by the specific opportunities for meeting their own heating and power demands. Of these eight clusters, seven were found to be technically viable, and of these, four were progressed to to high level financial assessment. All assessed clusters were proved to be viable once increased gas and electricity cotsts were taken into consideration. However, the assessments were modelled on a simple payback methodology, without considering the cost of finance.
These four clusters which were found to be both technically and financially viable are: a Hockey Club with new EV charging points and solar PV array, a retirement village which has the opportunity to take advantage of the current end-of-design-life of most of the exiting boiler systems to connect the heating to a district network, a school which is exploring GSHP feasibility, energy efficiency upgrades and already has some EV charging infrastructure, and a leisure centre redevelopment which plans to incorporate low carbon heating.