What Stirling Council is Doing
Forthside District Heating Network
Stirling Council, in partnership with Scottish Water Horizons, has been successful in receiving funding (a total of £2,095,331.50) through the Scottish Government’s Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme (LCITP), which is a joint Scottish Government and EU capital funding programme.
The Stirling Renewable Heat Project will see the installation of a district heating network in the Forthside area of Stirling, providing low cost, low carbon heat. The system has been designed with the potential to expand to additional commercial properties, as well as domestic properties to help alleviate fuel poverty.
This project is a First of a Kind in Europe using the innovative mix of technologies to provide low carbon electricity and heat. Overall the project as a whole is forecast delivers the following key benefits:
Energy Efficiency |
CO2 and Waste Reduction |
Community Benefits |
| Increase in energy efficiency and security of supply | Total of 1,030 tonnes of carbon saved annually | % savings to end-users on energy costs |
| Energy consumption reduction of 2.5GWh | Over 5GWH of waste energy recovered and converted to heat and electricity | Potential for expansion to assist in the regeneration of Forthside, with associated local job creation/upskilling of local workers |
Renewable Energy Installations
Our Housing Service has undertaken a major initiative to make our housing stock more energy efficient. As well as extensive loft and cavity insulation, solar panels PV is being installed through a phased programme of work on all suitable housing stock and battery storage is being trialled to maximise renewable energy use.
These initiatives not only save our tenants money on energy bills but also reduce carbon emissions and generates an income through feed-in tariffs to enable the Council to further roll out the programme.
97% of the Council stock that have attics have loft insulation to a depth of 300mm+ per property.
100% of Council stock with external walls of cavity construction have cavity wall insulation.
So far, over 1,513 solar panels have been installed on homes and the programme will provide a further 500 homes with solar panels.
Electric Vehicles
The Council, with support from the Energy Savings Trust, has undertaken a review of its fleet to identify which petrol and diesel vehicles can be replaced with electric equivalents. A rolling programme of replacement has begun and over the coming years, we will replace as many of our cars and vans as possible. This will not only save the Council money on fuel costs but will also reduce our carbon emissions and improve air quality.
Stirling River Park
The vision for Stirling River Park is to transform the river corridor into a recreational and environmental asset at the heart of the City. We have creates a high-quality open space which connects heritage sites, offers unique views and supports a range of outdoor activities for local people and visitors to the City to enjoy.
Following the repair of the collapsed harbour wall, the Council and the Coastal Communities Fund jointly funded the installation of a pontoon at the site of the Old Harbour at Shore Road. This the first step in our wider vision to increase access to the River Forth in the city and to invest in our natural environment.