NETZERO
“ THE INTEGRITY OF YOUR GREEN AGENDA HINGES NOT ONLY ON DOING THE WORK BUT ON PROVING ITS WORTH ”
CLAIRE WILLITTS DIRECTOR OF PROPERTY SERVICES , UWL
CASE STUDY : TRANSFORMING THE UWL
In January 2021 , the University of West London secured £ 5.1m in funding from the UK government ’ s Phase 1 Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme . With this external funding UWL ’ s first approach was to replace fossil-fuel-powered energy systems with large-scale clean technologies , including ground source heat pumps ( GSHPs ), air source heat pumps ( ASHPs ) and the wellestablished solar photovoltaic thermal ( PVT ) systems . These solutions were adopted across four sites in West London .
The buildings range in both construction type and age , and the strategy deployed by UWL showcases how with the right skills , solutions available in the market can cater for different architectural nuances and requirements . The projected carbon reduction was estimated at 529 tonnes of CO2e per year , and the project delivered a guaranteed carbon saving of 560 tonnes of CO2e in its first year following project completion ; 6 % higher than expected .
“ Over the last decade , the University has made significant progress in reducing its
Scopes 1 and 2 emissions . In 2009 , it invested in energy metres to collect accurate data on energy consumption , which marked the beginning of the University ’ s energy decarbonisation journey ,” says Khanom .
Claire Willitts , UWL ’ s Director of Property Services explains “ The University invested more than £ 50m in the ‘ Future Campus Project ’ at the main St Mary ’ s Road campus in 2015 . This project involved centralising the heating needs of multiple buildings into one Energy Centre , complete with energy efficient systems and enhancing ventilation systems to be both more effective and efficient . It also involved updating the canteen kitchen appliances , improving the building ’ s insulation , upgrading the lighting and power , installing the most recent energy monitoring systems and installing an intelligent Building Management System . The projects completed to date have secured both environmental and business sustainability by improving student experience and the ability of our estate to respond to the changing needs of both the market and the environment .”
122 November 2023