Local government has a vital role to play in the transition to a net zero energy system. To achieve this, local authorities must better integrate planning and climate change considerations to inform local plan making and development management decisions.

In 2022, local authorities across Derbyshire conducted a spatial renewable energy study to act as the evidence base for county-wide climate change planning guidance and to assist in future sustainable and net zero policy and decision making.

Funded by the Midland Net Zero Hub and D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership, the project has resulted in a toolkit which provides local authorities with the processes and tools to conduct their own spatial energy assessments.

Spatial and technical analysis of energy opportunities suggest that: 

Larger scales of energy development, including ground-mounted solar PV and onshore wind are particularly constrained in the north of the County due to the National Park as well as around the urban centres of Derby and Chesterfield and surrounding Green Belt land. Lesser constraints to development were found running south west to north east across the County for solar PV, with onshore wind subject to greater constraints throughout this area. Ground mounted solar PV could meet up to 7% of Derbyshireʼs electrical demand, whilst wind could meet upwards of 6% depending on actual deployment levels.

Hydropower opportunities are limited in scale, though there are opportunities throughout Derbyshire to develop small-scale hydropower installations. 

Rooftop solar PV could meet up to 19% of Derbyshireʼs electricity demand if deployed on domestic, commercial and industrial rooftops across the County.
 
Rooftop solar thermal could meet 18% of Derbyshireʼs heat demand, although historic levels of deployment suggest this is unlikely and that solar PV is the dominant rooftop technology. 

Derbyshire would require 3,635 MW of heat pump capacity to meet regional heat demand across homes and businesses. This would lead to an increase of ~3,500 GWh in electricity demand as a result of the electrification of heat supply. 

Biomass could provide a thermal capacity of 1,202 MW in Derbyshire, although the high fuel demand would require sourcing of fuel from outside the region which may negatively affect carbon emission reduction potential.

Anaerobic digestion is expected to be a limited opportunity but it is considered viable across much of Derbyshire, including within the National Park subject to nearby sourcing of feed stock.