St Ives Solar Power Project
Equans were procured by Cambridgeshire County Council (CCC), with the aim to deliver significant energy efficiency and renewable energy generation projects across the county’s public sector estate.St Ives Solar Power Project
Equans were procured by Cambridgeshire County Council (CCC), with the aim to deliver significant energy efficiency and renewable energy generation projects across the county’s public sector estate.
Key partnership facts
Key partnership facts
Overview
Equans were procured by Cambridgeshire County Council (CCC), with the aim to deliver significant energy efficiency and renewable energy generation projects across the county’s public sector estate. This partnership is formed under the RE:FIT 2 Energy Performance Contracting framework, in which we design, develop and guarantee the performance of energy projects.
Working together since 2014, we have successfully completed projects on over 70 sites in Cambridgeshire, including a 12MW solar farm, and we have extended the partnership to three district councils. This has become the largest and most diverse project ever delivered under the RE:FIT framework.
Our Work
In autumn 2017, Cambridgeshire County Council worked with us to design, develop and deliver a smart Energy Grid in St Ives Car Park – transforming a Park & Ride site in Cambridgeshire into a renewable energy generator.
The project seeks to overcome challenges including grid capacity constraints, new business models for financing complex energy projects, increasing the deployment of renewable energy and storage systems, and supporting the transition to electric vehicles.Our proposal comprises a 1MW solar car port system, with solar arrays affixed to a structure above the parking spaces, allowing cars to park beneath. The power generated is either stored in a battery system and used on site, or sold to local businesses via a smart grid solution.
The project also includes next‑generation electric vehicle chargers, ultra‑efficient LED lighting and automatic controls, as well as advanced metering infrastructure. Our designers successfully overcame several technical challenges associated with this specific site, with planning permission granted in July 2017. The pilot project, which brings together innovative and novel technologies, will be three times larger than the largest operational solar carport in the country. Following successful completion, the solution will be rolled out to sites across the county.
About RE:FIT
The Re:fit framework is co-owned by Local Partnerships and the Greater London Authority. The robust energy performance contracting approach provides the opportunity to reduce carbon emissions, achieve substantial guaranteed energy savings, and cut costs through energy efficiency and energy generation measures.
Local Partnerships is owned by HM Treasury, Welsh Government and the Local Government Association. Local Partnerships provide support to public sector organisations outside London to implement Re:fit schemes across selected premises and sites. Local Partnerships have provided commercial, technical and legal support to Cambridgeshire throughout the development of this project
Impact
The project delivers multiple long‑term benefits, including multiple revenue streams, significant carbon reductions, support for local economic growth, benefits for the local community, and leadership in the transition to zero carbon. These outcomes are underpinned by a long‑term energy performance contract.
Having recently been reappointed by Cambridgeshire County Council via a competitive tendering process, Equans looks forward to developing further innovative schemes in partnership with the authority.
Key facts
- 50% saving in site lighting demand
- 100% of site electricity served by the system
- 370 tonne reduction in CO₂ emissions
Our expertise
Equans supports businesses, communities and the public sector by mobilising its expertise to provide low-carbon energy solutions, offer cutting-edge technical and FM services and transformative regeneration across the UK & Ireland.
