Oxfordshire County Council appoints EDF’s new urban and energy planning consultancy, Urbanomy, to support Salt Cross Garden Village’s development
- EDF launches new planning consultancy, Urbanomy, to support the local authorities, developers and the community in their net zero carbon and sustainability strategy in urban areas.
- The newly established subsidiary has been appointed to support Project LEO (Local Energy Oxfordshire) in the energy planning of Salt Cross garden village, near Eynsham.
- Urbanomy will advise on energy and mobility-related decisions for the project, as well as providing visualisation to support local engagement and benefit for the community of the initiative.
Urbanomy, a new subsidiary of the EDF Group, has been appointed by Oxfordshire County Council to support Project LEO (Local Energy Oxfordshire) in the energy planning of Salt Cross Garden Village as part of the Eynsham Smart and Fair Futures project led by the Low Carbon Hub within LEO.
This project will develop 2,200 homes, a primary school with a 1,000-plus pupil capacity, a health centre and a 40 hectare science park. The first homes are expected to be available in 2021/2022.
Oxfordshire County Council will work with Urbanomy to advise on its energy and mobility-related decisions, working alongside the project’s other partners including Low Carbon Hub, the University of Oxford, Oxford Brookes University and Scottish and Southern Electricity Network (SSEN – Lead of the consortium), as well as other local stakeholders West Oxfordshire District Council (WODC) and low carbon community action group Eynsham GreenTEA. Urbanomy will also provide visual displays, adding to the other mapping and strategic tools developed in LEO, to help Oxfordshire County Council promote the project locally.
Urbanomy will build on the published Energy Action Plan (EAP) of the area and assess the energy supply and demand, including smart electric mobility, at the garden village development and its impact on the local grid and the wider area. This will demonstrate the integration of the elements for a smart local energy system and the routes to reach net zero carbon, taking into account the viability of proposed solutions and demonstrating the benefits for the local community.
EDF believes more sustainable and resilient urban developments are needed to move towards net zero. By 2050, cities will account for 2%[1] of the Earth’s surface, contributing 90% to global CO2 emissions, resulting in new environmental and human challenges. To meet these challenges, Urbanomy offers an integrated vision for cities, developers and real estate promoters, combining attractive and environmentally-friendly urban areas with the needs of the local community.
Harnessing the ten-year-plus expertise of EDF’s dedicated research and development division, including the European Institute for Energy Research (EIfER), Urbanomy helps its clients to choose urban energy and mobility solutions at the forefront of innovation. This ensures that clients’ projects are not only carbon neutral, but also economically efficient and socially beneficial in the long-term.
Llewelyn Morgan of Oxfordshire County Council:
“Achieving net zero carbon is integral to the Council’s vision for a thriving county. Our newly launched Climate Action Framework sets out the areas where we can work in partnership to meet this goal and we highlight our commitment to support zero carbon new developments. As a partner in Project LEO, we are developing the new approaches and tools that will help us better understand the steps needed to achieve this. Urbanomy will join us to create a new model that will enable a net zero carbon energy system for Salt Cross, one which benefits the new residents and those already living nearby.”
Sandra Fives, CEO of Urbanomy:
“Climate change challenges us to rethink our living spaces both collectively and individually. Urbanomy leverages cutting-edge modelling tools and its network of experts to support its clients. Our energy solutions adopt a human-centric approach, offering practical and system-scalable models, customised for districts and cities alike. At Urbanomy, we combine the agility of a start-up with the global experience of EDF Group, working independently from recommended technologies. Through our collective solutions and expertise, we provide the best possible response to our clients’ needs, factoring in their location, the shape of their urban landscape as well as the needs of the local population.”
Barbara Hammond, CEO of Low Carbon Hub:
“ Project LEO is about demonstrating how local energy can accelerate the transition to the zero carbon energy system we need to meet the huge challenge of climate change. People and communities must be at the heart of this new energy system. And the Eynsham Smart and Fair Futures project will help us understand how to develop long-term Local Area Energy Plans that bring the development planning system and the energy system together in a way that’s equitable and fair for everyone.
For more information:
EDF Media Team
24-hour press line: +44 (0)1452 652233
media@edfenergy.com
Notes to editors:
About Urbanomy:
Urbanomy supports private (real estate promoters and project developers, investors, etc.) and public (local communities, universities, etc.) organisations with three types of offers: strategic consultancy; design, economic and technical recommendations and project modelling and visualisation.
Urbanomy is a spin-off of EDF’s corporate venture and incubator, the EDF Pulse Expansion[2] intrapreneurship project.
Urbanomy is focused on Europe, particularly on Britain and Germany where the firm already has a solid presence; as well as in the Middle East, to support the transition to carbon neutrality, especially in the United Arab Emirates.
About EDF Group:
A key player in energy transition, the EDF Group is an integrated electricity company, active in all areas of the business: generation, transmission, distribution, energy supply and trading, energy services. A leader in low-carbon energies, the firm has developed a diversified generation mix based on nuclear power, hydropower, new renewable energies and thermal energy. The group is involved in supplying energy and services to approximately 38.9 million customers(1), 28.8 million of which are in France. It generated consolidated sales of €71 billion in 2019. EDF is listed on the Paris Stock Exchange.
- The customers were counted at the end of 2019 per delivery site. A customer can have two delivery points: one for electricity and another for gas.
Oxfordshire County Council
Climate Action framework:
Project LEO (Local Energy Oxfordshire)
Project LEO (project-leo.co.uk)
Low Carbon Hub
Oxfordshire-based social enterprise out to prove we can meet our energy needs in a way that’s good for people and good for the planet.
www.lowcarbonhub.org
[1] United Nations World Cities report 2016, “Urbanisation and development, Emerging futures”.
[2] Urbanomy is a fully owned EDF Pulse Expansion Holding subsidiary.