6 Devon Projects Awarded Green Innovation Funding
Six projects have received funding through Devon County Council’s Green Innovation Fund.
Over £750,000 has been invested to support projects which are aiming to drive green growth in Devon’s economy.
By generating new jobs and training opportunities within the low carbon sector and supporting small businesses to implement sustainable change, the Green Innovation Fund bolsters Devon County Council’s commitments to both economic prosperity and tackling the climate emergency. The projects are forecast to save around 100,000 tonnes of carbon over the next ten years.
The Green Innovation Fund is funded through Devon County Council’s £6million recovery programme which aims to support four key areas during the recovery from the Covid 19 pandemic: small and medium enterprises, employment and skills, the green recovery, and the hardest hit towns and communities.
The projects being supported through the Green Innovation Fund are:
Circular Carbon Project by Bird Eyewear
Bird Eyewear is working with the Green Innovation Fund to develop new, 100% circular products created in partnership with other Devon businesses using locally-sourced “waste”.
The Exeter based company will also embark on a consumer education project which details the environmental impact of each product they sell, sharing this knowledge and expertise with the local communities and other small Devon retailers.
Cylo® by Remit Zero Ltd
The super-efficient hot water and heating system developed by the Exeter Science Park based company uses renewable energy from the grid when it’s cheapest to reduce carbon emissions and heating bills. Cylo offers a zero-emission heating system that is easy to install, durable, and recyclable at the end of its life.
The Green Innovation Funding will help fund the creation of a new lab and the domestic roll-out to support the development and refinement of the system.
Devon’s One-Stop-Shop for Business Decarbonisation by EPConnect
EPConnect has partnered with established Community Energy Companies across Devon to create a service that provides businesses with the resources and information required to reduce their energy usage and costs.
Green Innovation Funding will help them launch this service and begin the roll-out of their “Energy Service Company Model” (ESCO), which uses an innovative financing model to allow SMEs to improve their energy efficiency and transition to renewable energy sources affordably.
Marine Zero Emission Propulsion by EVParts Ltd
EVParts, based in Ilfracombe, has a track record in delivering nationally recognised low-carbon marine projects, designing and building electric batteries for marine vehicles.
The Green Innovation Funding will support the development of electric batteries for larger boats, creating high quality jobs and testing equipment to make their innovative designs commercially viable. In addition to reducing carbon emissions, this project will improve air and water quality, as well as lowering noise pollution, making marine environment better for both wildlife and tourism.
Recycling Used EV Batteries by Altilitech Ltd
Tavistock based Altilitech is using its wealth of global experience in the mining industry to extract value from waste EV batteries. The grant will enable the business to pilot its patented technology to recycle spent EV batteries, allowing them to recover more raw materials than any previous method. T
he creation of a circular economy model for critical metals supports the transition to electrification required for Net Zero, while reducing the need for further mining.
Wilder Farming for Wider Gains by Farm Wilder CIC
Farm Wilder is a CIC which works with farmers to assist them in the transition to regenerative and wildlife-friendly agricultural models. It currently has greater demand for sustainably produced meat than they can supply and is looking to scale-up rapidly.
With Green Innovation Funding, it will deliver training and create networks among farmers across Devon to enable them to meet its certification standards to allow access to this growing market. This will provide much-needed support to Devon’s agricultural sector while restoring habitats and meeting consumer demand.
