In 2022, Scene conducted 10 detailed assessments of community halls throughout the Scottish Borders on behalf of The Bridge, a charity organisation seeking to support community-led decarbonisation and enable the continued existence of community halls, as an important space for local identity and social cohension.
The studies focused on detailed building assessments of energy demand and building use typologies, existing levels of enery efficiency, heat supply and electricity supply, and constraints assessments (including environmental and cultural designations and constraints). Using this information, Scene built up digital-twin models of the properties and assessed low carbon technologies - including Solar PV, wind turbines, heat pumps, thermostatic upgrades, energy efficiency, and draughtproofing, amongst much else. The focus and recommendations resulting from these models was on low carbon, lower cost interventions which are accessible and feasible from a community perspective. This included assessment of access to funding and finance, as well as qualitative assessment of each community's time and human resource capabilities. Defining concrete actions and next steps enabled a net zero pathway to be set out for each property in the study, focusing on short-, medium-, and long-term options for community decarbonisation and investment.