Funded in part by Bristol City Council’s green investment programme, the Bristol Climate Action Investment, Bristol City Leap is set to begin renewable energy upgrades at three council-owned buildings: Belbrook Children’s Respite Unit, Ridingleaze House and Symes House. The improvements are designed to enhance energy efficiency, reduce carbon emissions and lower energy bills.

Following the successful launch of the Bristol Climate Action Investment in 2025, the council raised £2 million thanks to wide support from residents and businesses keen to invest in a greener future for the city.

The work will be carried out by Bristol City Leap, powered by Ameresco UK, who will replace existing fossil-fuelled heating systems with new air source heat pumps at all three sites. At Belbrook Children’s Respite Unit, a children’s short break service that supports disabled children and their families, the works will provide a broader package of improvements, including a new rooftop array of solar panels, upgraded LED lighting and additional loft insulation alongside the heating upgrade. The measures will reduce bills and carbon emissions and improve energy efficiency, keeping warmth in to create a more comfortable environment for service users and staff.

At Ridingleaze House and Symes House, both used by Bristol City Council’s Children and Young People Services, the works will replace ageing fossil-fuel boiler systems with low-carbon air source heat pumps and associated upgrades to the pipes, radiators and controls.

The three sites were prioritised because they are among the top 30 carbon emitters in Bristol City Council’s corporate estate and were identified as suitable for decarbonisation through the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS). The project is being supported by Bristol City Council’s Decarbonisation Fund and the Government’s PSDS funding.

Together, the upgrades are expected to save an estimated 28 tonnes of CO2e each year, roughly the same as taking around 19 average petrol cars off the road for a year, while cutting energy use by 154,008kWh, enough to power around 57 typical UK homes for a year.

Reducing reliance on fossil fuels and improving energy resilience through upgrading ageing energy infrastructure is increasingly important to ensure that key public buildings can continue to operate reliably, efficiently and cost-effectively in the years ahead. By upgrading ageing heating systems and improving overall building performance, the council can reduce its exposure to volatile energy costs, lower reliance on fossil fuels and help make council buildings better equipped to support essential services. These improvements are particularly valuable in buildings that serve children, families and communities, where dependable, well-performing infrastructure is critical.

Justin Jacober, Managing Director at Ameresco UK:

“This project is a strong example of how Bristol City Leap is helping Bristol City Council take practical action to decarbonise important public buildings. By replacing gas heating with air source heat pumps and introducing additional energy-saving measures such as solar PV, LED lighting and loft insulation at Belbrook Children’s Respite Unit, we are helping to reduce emissions, modernise ageing infrastructure and support more efficient buildings for the people who use them every day.”

“We’re proud to be working in partnership to deliver improvements that support both environmental goals and public services, particularly at sites that play such an important role in supporting children, families and communities across Bristol.”

Councillor Abi Finch, Chair of the Environment and Sustainability Committee at Bristol City Council:

“We’re pleased to announce that works to install energy efficiency improvements are soon underway. These upgrades are another important step in Bristol’s journey towards a cleaner, net-zero future. By improving buildings such as Belbrook Children’s Respite Unit, Ridingleaze House and Symes House, we are investing in infrastructure that supports vital council services while helping to reduce emissions from our estate.”

“The two investment windows we opened last year through the Bristol Climate Action Investment were a huge success, raising £2 million and hitting our investment target early, following strong demand by investors and funding from two major private investors, the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and Unity Trust Bank. This shows great support for climate action through the council’s local green investment.”

“Bristol City Council remains committed in its efforts to help to decarbonise the city delivering practical change in the buildings our staff, residents, children and families rely on. Through the Bristol Climate Action Investment we engaged the people and communities of Bristol to invest at a local level, while continuing to play our part in achieving progress towards the city’s climate goals”

The works form part of a wider decarbonisation initiative focused on Bristol City Council’s corporate estate. The programme is intended not only to lower operational emissions but also to improve building performance and support long-term sustainability across the council’s estate.

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The event marked an important milestone in the collaboration between Bristol City Leap and We The Curious, which aims to make Bristol’s low-carbon energy future more accessible, engaging and inspiring for visitors of all ages.

Guests were welcomed by Hannah Spungin, Director of Bristol City Leap, Jon Sankey, Head of Business Development at Vattenfall Heat UK, and Chris Dunford, Sustainability Director at We The Curious, who spoke about the importance of bringing sustainability education to life through hands-on experiences that connect people with the city’s decarbonisation journey.

Among those attending were Cllr Tony Dyer, Leader of Bristol City Council, Cllr Abi Finch, Chair of the Environment and Sustainability Committee, and representatives from organisations including Bristol Climate & Nature Partnership, SevernNet, Bristol Temple Quarter, Bristol BID, the NHS, Women in Property, Airbus, The Bristol Dockyard, Materials In Mind and Real Growth.

Following the introductions, attendees had the opportunity to experience the exhibit for themselves, and it’s safe to say it was a hit!

Bringing Bristol’s Energy Future to Life

The new exhibit has been designed to raise awareness of Bristol’s growing low-carbon energy infrastructure through a playful, inclusive and sensory experience.

Visitors can post coloured ‘scarves’ into the exhibit’s inlets, adjust airflow using valves, and watch as their scarves travel through a maze of tubes representing Bristol’s energy networks before emerging overhead. Along the way, they encounter recognisable Bristol landmarks, helping connect the experience directly to the city around them.

The exhibit celebrates the extensive network of pipes and cables that are helping deliver renewable electricity and low-carbon heat across Bristol, while demonstrating how innovative infrastructure can help create a more sustainable future.

By transforming a complex topic into a fun and social experience, the installation helps visitors better understand the role that low-carbon energy systems play in everyday life and the positive changes already taking place across the city.

A Hit with Visitors

Even before its official launch celebration, the exhibit had already become a favourite with visitors to We The Curious.

In fact, staff have had to place a bench facing the installation after parents, grandparents and guardians had asked for somewhere to sit while their children continued playing with the exhibit.

The anecdote perfectly captures the ambition behind the project: to create an experience that isn’t just educational, but genuinely enjoyable, encouraging curiosity, exploration and conversation about Bristol’s sustainable future.

Demonstrating the Power of Partnership

The exhibit is the result of a close collaboration between Bristol City Leap and We The Curious, combining expertise in sustainability, education and visitor engagement.

Bristol City Leap is helping to accelerate Bristol’s journey to net zero by delivering large-scale investment in low-carbon energy infrastructure through its partnership between Bristol City Council, Ameresco UK and Vattenfall Heat UK.

Meanwhile, We The Curious continues to inspire curiosity and learning through experiences that help people engage with science and the world around them.

Together, we have created an exhibit that not only highlights the innovative work taking place beneath Bristol’s streets, but also encourages visitors to imagine the role they can play in creating a greener future.

As the newest addition to We The Curious’ North Gallery, the exhibit is expected to engage hundreds of thousands of visitors over the coming years, helping build awareness, understanding and confidence in Bristol’s transition to a low-carbon city.

The launch event was a celebration not only of a new exhibit, but of what can be achieved when organisations come together with a shared commitment to sustainability, education and community engagement.

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This award recognises the strength of our partnership and the impact of the Easiform Project in Bristol, a project that is helping to demonstrate how effective retrofit delivery can improve the energy performance of homes, reduce carbon emissions, and support residents to live in warmer, healthier and more affordable-to-run homes.

Winning this award is a fantastic acknowledgement of what can be achieved through strong collaboration, shared expertise and a collective commitment to delivering meaningful change.

Recognising the power of partnership

The Easiform Project reflects the value of partnership working in tackling one of the biggest challenges facing communities today: how to improve homes in a way that supports people, reduces emissions and creates lasting benefits for the city.

By working closely together, Bristol City Leap and VOR have been able to combine knowledge, skills and practical delivery experience to help ensure retrofit works are both effective and resident-focused. The project has shown how collaboration can turn ambition into action, delivering improvements that make a real difference to people’s day-to-day lives while supporting wider decarbonisation goals.

Creating better homes and lower carbon communities

Retrofit has a critical role to play in the transition to a low-carbon future. Projects like Easiform show that, when delivered well, retrofit can bring multiple benefits at once: helping households stay warmer, improving health and comfort, lowering energy use, and reducing the cost of running a home.

At the same time, these improvements contribute to the wider effort to cut emissions and build a more sustainable future for Bristol.

This recognition from the Unlock Net Zero Awards is therefore not only a celebration of a successful project, but also of the importance of continuing to invest in collaborative, practical approaches to decarbonising homes at scale.

A huge thank you to everyone involved

This achievement would not have been possible without the dedication, expertise and commitment of colleagues across both Bristol City Leap and Value Optimised Retrofit.

Awards like this reflect the hard work of the teams behind the scenes who are committed to delivering high-quality projects and creating positive outcomes for residents. We would like to thank everyone involved in making the Easiform Project such a success.

We would also like to thank the team behind the Unlock Net Zero Awards for this recognition.

As Bristol City Leap continues to work with partners across the city, this award is a welcome reminder of what can be achieved when organisations come together with a shared purpose: to deliver meaningful change at scale and help build a cleaner, fairer energy future for Bristol.

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