Increasingly Local Planning Authorities require an Energy Statement to be submitted as part of a planning application. This is often combined with a requirement to provide a reduction in carbon emissions from the energy use of the building through onsite generation of energy using LZC technologies.

The local planning authority may also require the development to achieve a particular Code for Sustainable Homes or BREEAM rating; credits are available within these schemes for utilising LZC technology to provide 10% and 15% reduction in CO2 emissions.  The Energy Statement should set out the predicted CO2 emissions of the development and demonstrate potential improvements for reducing energy consumption. 

The Energy Statement typically includes the following information:

1. Energy efficiency of the building
2. Feasibility of CHP and or community heating
3. List of renewable technologies considered
4. Baseline annual predicted energy demand of the development
5. Baseline annual predicted carbon emissions of the development
6. The contribution of each proposed renewable energy technology
7. Cost information of technically feasible renewable technologies
8. Summary of the benefits of renewable energy technologies 
9. The reduction in the development's baseline carbon emissions.