GBSLEP's story
Innovative projects designed to lower carbon emissions have been awarded funding by the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (GBSLEP). Through our Low Carbon Grant Fund, we have awarded grants to three organisations across the region. Energym, IPV Flexgen and a partnership of the Confederation for British Metalforming (CBM), University of Birmingham and Kelvin Thermotech, have received up to £35,000 each to undertake feasibility work for solutions that can support the decarbonisation of the region's economy.
Energym, a precision engineering start up in Birmingham, used the grant to accelerate the development of its 'RE:GEN' indoor fitness bike. It captures and converts human power into clean electricity for charging electronic devices. The Energym team led by CEO Will Flint has secured patent design certifications and is preparing for a wider rollout of the 'RE:GEN' model through ensuring it is compatible with apps such as Zwift.
Located on the A46 in Coventry, IPV Flexgen is using its grant to develop Brandon Reach Gateway. This new site will develop a renewable-powered microgrid system connected to a vertical farming facility to grow crops and generate power. The facility will combine a number of distributed low-carbon technologies including solar PV, solar thermal, hydrogen fuel cell (HFC) technology and battery storage for the first time in a commercial setting.
To address the productivity and efficiency challenges faced by metal forming companies in the Black Country, the Confederation for British Metalforming (CBM) and it partners used the funding to explore waste heat recovery (WHR) solutions using composite Phase Change Materials (ePCM). ePCM can capture high-grade waste heat, to be stored and reused later, or elsewhere. Capturing this high-grade head can be used to accelerate start-up phases, be used in other industrial processes that require lower temperature, and research done by the University of Birmingham during this project indicates that the storage properties of this technology could even open up opportunities to trade heat across the region to respond to local needs!
Councillor Ian Courts, Leader of Solihull Council and GBSLEP Net Zero Board Champion said:
"The Low Carbon Grant Fund was launched last year to provide innovators with early-stage funding during the challenging economic conditions caused by the global pandemic. This regional innovation will help the region continue to grow its low carbon sector whilst also supporting the Government's national commitment to achieve net zero by 2050 and the WMCA target of 2041. Unlocking growth in the low carbon sector is crucial to delivering local, regional and national decarbonisation targets as well as delivering new investment and creating jobs. Recent analysis from the Midlands Energy Hub indicates that up to 168,000 low carbon jobs could be created by 2050 to deliver on national Net Zero targets."
Useful learnings from GBSLEP
This autumn we have launched our Low Carbon and Circular Economy Grant Fund and Growing Places Capital Fund Programme with a focus on low-carbon projects.
In November 2021, we will launch the Clean Growth Programme via our Growth Hub. The Programme will help businesses of all sizes and sectors with planning, funding, and delivering practical steps to reduce their energy use and carbon footprint.
GBSLEP's metrics
Number of businesses supported through the funding.
kWh Energy saved.
Tonnes of CO2e reduction.
