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The art of the possible

From switching the lights off to installing solar panels, there’s always something you can do to become more sustainable. It starts with getting the right support to help find the relevant opportunities available to you.

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Growth Hub

Access free, impartial support for small and medium sized enterprises (fewer than 250 employees) to find ways to reduce your energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions.

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ACH

Get one-to-one support to enable refugee and migrant-led businesses in Bristol to think sustainably.

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HVM Catapult

Take part in a national pilot scheme to help your business produce a roadmap for cutting energy use in manufacturing.

The energy hierarchy

Man installing lightsThe energy hierarchy is a useful tool that helps you to prioritise energy projects. In general, actions that are most cost-effective and result in you using less energy come first, whereas actions such as offsetting are seen as a last-resort.

Different terms are used by different organisations to describe each step of the energy hierarchy. The terms below are based on the London Plan (pdf). Similar steps can be applied to many other areas of sustainability such as water, waste, travel and goods and services.

  1. Be lean – use less by switching off appliances, avoiding unnecessary journeys and installing building insulation;
  2. Be clean – minimise energy losses by replacing old inefficient equipment and making use of energy recovery. Connect to heat networks where available;
  3. Be green – install low carbon generation such as solar panels to produce renewable electricity for use in your business;
  4. Be seen – monitor energy performance with metering and use data to make further improvements.

Want to know more about the energy hierarchy, and how it can act as a guide for long term change?

Learn more in Glasgow Science Centre's blog

Further resources

UK Business Climate Hub

Hire a sustainability consultant to look at different aspects of your building and operations.

TravelWEST travel plans and audits

Connect with support for businesses looking to better understand their workforce’s travel behaviour and establish a travel plan.

West of England Combined Authority pollinator resources

Tailored information and tips on how we can all play our part to support bees and other pollinators across the region.