Projects which help small businesses become more energy efficient came together to share best practice at a national event.
The event, which was the first of its kind in the country, was held at Durham Castle and gave those who run such projects the chance to learn from each other’s experiences and share any difficulties encountered.
It was organised by Durham County Council in partnership with the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), Durham University’s Energy Institute and the LOCARBO project, a transnational project which identifies and shares best practice around energy efficiency.
The projects are all funded through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and deliver energy efficiency improvements within SMEs. One such project in County Durham – the Business Energy Efficiency Project (BEEP) – provides fully-funded energy audits to SMEs in the county, with an available grant fund to help them reduce the payback period of any energy efficient installations.
The event was attended by 33 people representing 12 different projects from across the UK, and one not-for-profit company delivering SME energy efficiency improvements across Hungary.
Ian Thompson, corporate director of regeneration and local services, said: “This was a unique event and one which has already been recognised for the support it provides for those involved in these projects.”
“We are delighted so many people attended and know they will take away valuable lessons they can use to help businesses become more competitive across their local areas.”
