With an annual energy bill of circa £13 million and ambitious carbon reduction targets, it is important the University works to try to use energy as efficiently as we can. Back in 2010 when we published our Carbon Management Plan (CMP), we set ourselves the ambitious target of reducing our carbon emissions from energy use from 67,998 tonnes to 54,398 tonnes by 2015.
We have just completed our fourth year of concentrated work on reducing our carbon emissions.
Our emissions from energy for 2013/2014 have shown a decrease of 3.2%. Emissions for 2013/14 are 59,332 tonnes of carbon dioxide, which is a reduction from 2012/13 of 1,990 tonnes and a decrease of 8,666 tonnes from the 2009/10 baseline of 67,998 tonnes of carbon dioxide. These reductions are absolute and are against a back-drop of a growing university, with new buildings opening year on year and whilst these buildings are designed to be energy efficient, they still need energy to function, which contribute to our carbon emissions total.
The reduction in emissions this year have been brought about by investments in the University estate. This year's investments have covered a range of areas including:
- The replacement of numerous boilers and chillers with more efficient models throughout the university
- The upgrade of old, inefficient lighting systems, including the upgrade of campus street lighting to LED technology
- Continuation of insulation and double glazing projects, designed to improve the thermal efficiency of buildings and increase occupant comfort
There has also been targeted action at the Medical School, with projects to replace parts of the large, centralised chilled water production system and reduce ventilation.
We have also been looking longer term and exploring campus-wide, low energy solutions. At Sutton Bonington, a mixed renewable generation solution has been identified and partially implemented:
- A large photovoltaic (PV) array on the Vet School clinical wing, which is now operational
- A project to install a 800kW Combined Heat and Power (CHP) system is progressing
- A wind turbine project has been scoped and is being further developed through feasibility studies
Since 2010 our CMP has invested in excess of £7.9 million, with annual savings in the region of 9,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide. As the University continues to grow and develope, the challenge of reducing emissions will increase.
Our Carbon Reduction and Energy Management Teams will continue to identify projects and programs to reduce carbon emissions and over the coming year we will be starting to look in more detail at behaviour change, as there are clear actions that we can take in our daily lives to reduce carbon emissions.