With a worldwide focus on reducing carbon emissions, heat projects such as district heat, biomass, ground and air source heat pumps, geothermal and solar thermal projects play an increasingly important role in the UK achieving its renewable energy targets.
While opportunities for renewable sources of energy for heating are important to the energy sector, it’s a relatively new area, so expert legal advice can be crucial in helping businesses to navigate contractual and regulatory obstacles successfully.
Helping to empower and reassure communities regarding heat energy source and supply
Renewable heat is about much more than individual assets. District heat networks are recognised increasingly for the positive role they can play in empowering communities, and in establishing greater energy cost certainty and security for consumers.
With the current UK government rebalancing its economic priorities and with a consultation in progress on the regulation of district heat, local authorities and registered providers are developing schemes that can act as a catalyst for urban renewal and economic growth and increase the opportunity to meet net zero targets.
UK-wide expertise with the legal side of successful heat projects
We’ve worked on heat projects throughout the UK for local authorities, private developers, communities and technology providers, and have even published a heat whitepaper on the subject. Our energy and heat specialists advise on the full project lifecycle, from real estate to planning, to construction packages, and financing and operation.
Calling on related sector know-how from across the firm
To provide fully integrated legal and commercially minded support, we can draw on our expertise across the sectors to ensure you have the most talented people, skills and experience for your project. For example, we have in-house expertise in advising on district heat network schemes, fuel supply agreements, and the regulatory issues crucial to the success of renewable heat projects.
Our expertise in renewable heat projects includes:
procurement and funding
district heat contracts
supply agreements
connection agreements
ESCO set up
Sub station leases
compliance with the Renewable Heat Incentive
negotiating fuel supply agreements
drafting and negotiating option and lease agreements
construction contracts
construction disputes.
Our experience includes:
acting on all legal agreements for the Bristol City Council large scale district heat network
acting on community scale ground source district heat networks
acting on a large biomass district heating leased system for a commercial biomass supplier with a large manufacturer
supply and installation contracts for a large estate for biomass
review and advice on a district heating systems for a retrofit of a residential estate
advising on ground source and air source heating systems for a housing association
gas-to-grid anaerobic digestion
district heating system advice for a community energy group supplying to a local authority
advising on RHI accreditation and Ofgem eligibility.
Our clients include Bristol City Council, Kensa, BHESCo, Forest Fuels, Wood Heat Association, Coombe Raleigh Estate, Tregothnan Estate and a large number of housing associations and private developers.
