RE:FIT 5: turning public sector decarbonisation into action
SSE Energy Solutions is an approved provider on RE:FIT 5, the 2026 - 2030 national framework helping public-sector organisations across the UK procure and deliver energy and decarbonisation projects. We highlight the challenges it is designed to address and how it could help turn your decarbonisation plans into action.
Decarbonising a public-sector estate ultimately comes down to delivery: deciding where to start, making the numbers work and getting projects up and running.
RE:FIT was developed nearly 20 years ago to help public-sector organisations overcome barriers including limited capacity and funding, lengthy procurement and the risks associated with investing in long-term energy savings.
The framework has evolved significantly since then. But the challenge it was created to address – getting good projects into delivery – is as relevant as ever. Done well, energy and decarbonisation projects can deliver a powerful combination of lower energy use, lower carbon emissions and lower running costs.
Since 2016, Energy Performance Contracting projects supported by Local Partnerships have delivered £575.7m in capital investment, £34.7m in annual energy-cost savings and 654,700 tonnes of CO₂ savings.
We have seen the same in projects delivered by SSE Energy Solutions.
At Chepstow Comprehensive School and Leisure Centre, part of our work with Monmouthshire County Council, measures including LED lighting, high-efficiency boilers, a new air-handling unit and solar are saving more than £100,000 in energy costs and 226 tonnes of carbon each year.
And through our earlier RE:FIT work with Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council, we developed improvements across 14 very different public buildings. Three months into the performance phase, savings were running above the guaranteed level.
So why can getting projects like these moving still be difficult?
Explore public sector solutions
From plans to projects: the major sticking points
Where do you start?
Across a diverse estate, deciding which buildings to prioritise, which measures will deliver the greatest value and what should happen first isn't always straightforward.
The Government's evaluation of Phase 3 of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS) identified barriers including internal resources and skills, the maturity of early project planning and the technical information needed to progress projects.
How do you build an investable project?
Individual measures can sound straightforward but rarely work in isolation. Electrifying heat can increase electricity demand; smarter controls can reduce it; solar can meet some of that demand onsite; and your electrical infrastructure may need upgrading to accommodate it.
Understanding these dependencies alongside technical feasibility, costs and projected savings is critical to building a robust business case.
How do you get it delivered – and prove it worked?
Then there are the realities of delivery: planning, grid-connection timescales, contractor and equipment availability, costs and deadlines – often while schools, hospitals and other public buildings remain operational.
We've seen first-hand what that can involve. When replacing 220 BMS controllers at a children's hospital, careful planning around critical clinical areas helped minimise disruption while the hospital remained operational.
Once work is complete, robust measurement and verification is also needed to demonstrate the energy, carbon and financial outcomes achieved.
How can RE:FIT 5 help?
Develop projects further before delivery
One of the biggest risks with complex decarbonisation projects is discovering problems too late.
RE:FIT 5 introduces a minimum RIBA Stage 4 quality threshold for investment business cases, helping ensure projects are developed in greater technical detail before construction begins.
That means potential dependencies and risks can be identified earlier, strengthening the business case and providing a more robust foundation for delivery. The framework also places greater emphasis on building safety, quality and regulatory requirements, with appropriate specialist expertise helping ensure these are considered as projects are developed.
Provide a quicker, compliant route to procurement
RE:FIT 5 gives you a compliant route to pre-appointed energy service providers that have already been through the framework procurement process, with flexible routes to market including direct award and competitive procurement.
This doesn't automatically make complex projects simple, but it can reduce procurement friction and provide a clearer route from project development into delivery.
Put greater confidence around performance
Performance has always been central to RE:FIT. Projects can incorporate contractually agreed performance outcomes, while RE:FIT 5 strengthens the approach to independent measurement and verification.
That can give you greater confidence that the energy, carbon or financial performance underpinning your business case is measured once the project is operational.
Explore different ways to make projects viable
RE:FIT isn't a grant fund, but it can provide a route to develop and deliver projects supported by public funding, financing or other commercial models.
SSE Energy Solutions can also offer funded solar and power infrastructure solutions, subject to project suitability, alongside customer-funded options.
Exploring these routes early can help you understand what's affordable and build the right commercial approach for your organisation.
Start where it makes sense for your estate
You don't need to transform your entire estate at once. RE:FIT can support individual projects as well as wider programmes, allowing you to start with priority buildings or measures and build from there.
Ready to get your project moving?
The starting point might be reducing energy waste through smarter building controls. It could be generating and storing more electricity onsite. You may need to upgrade power infrastructure before greater electrification can take place. Or it may be a combination of all of these.
Our capabilities span onsite solar and battery and power infrastructure as well as all four areas of building decarbonisation – from measuring performance and eliminating energy waste to reducing site demand and moving to lower-carbon energy.
So, wherever you start, you can work with the same partner as your plans develop.
Talk to our RE:FIT team
Whether you have a defined project or are still exploring your options, talk to us about how RE:FIT 5 could help.
We can help you explore the solutions, procurement routes and commercial models that could turn your plans into a deliverable project.