Part of the BRE Trust

BRE: Revolving Green Fund – Student Green FundAndrew ThorneBuilding Futures Group21st August 2014

Contents

– Carbon emissions in the HE sector

– The Revolving Green Fund (RGF) and energy saving possibilities

– Links between SGF and RGF

Carbon emissions in the HE sector

Questions?

– How much carbon do universities emit?

– How much are they trying to save?

– Are things getting better or worse?

The Facts

– ~140 Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) in England

– Annual emissions from on-site energy use ~2,000,000 tonnes CO2

– Range per HEI: 500 – 90,000 tonnes CO2 p.a. (ratio of 180:1)

– Higher Education carbon reduction targets in line with national policy– 34% by 2020 (against 1990 levels) – 80% by 2050

– Diverse sector with range of sites, buildings, priorities, histories, subject mix, infrastructure, research & development plans…

Questions?

– How much carbon do universities emit?

3 Mtonnes CO2 p.a. (of which ~66% is for energy use)

– How much are they trying to save?34% by 2020 80% by 2050

– Are things getting better or worse?

?

Recent Performance

– HEFCE funding linked to carbon management plans

– Substantial good practice in tackling carbon emissions

– Monitored via Estates Management Statistics which indicate that some institutions are significantly reducing the environmental impact of their operations

– Main barrier is developing business cases against future uncertainties: rising energy costs, utility consumption related, and related legislation

The Revolving Green Fund (RGF) and energy saving possibilities

What is the Revolving Green Fund (RGF)?

– Source of capital (through partnership between HEFCE and Salix Finance Ltd

– £40 million has been made available between 2010 to 2013 in recoverable grants

– Universities typically o make 25% contributiono repay the 75% through savings they make

Purpose

– To invest in projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions

– To provide long-term cost savings from reduced energy consumption

– To promote the sector’s role in ‘leading the way’

• Generally through reduced greenhouse gas emissions

• Specifically through transformational projects

Amount of Funding

Round Funding Universities Projects Payback Period

1 £20M 3030 small

3 large< 5 years

2 £10.8M 2724 small

4 large< 5 years

3 £11.5M 4337 small

10 large

4.63 years

< 5 years

– Round 1• University of East Anglia - energy centre at Norwich

campus to be the first plant in England to produce heat and power from biomass

• Harper-Adams University - anaerobic digestion using farm and food waste to generate renewable power

• University of Lancaster – large scale wind turbine to reduce reliance on imported electricity

Transformational Projects

– Round 2

– University of Bradford - transform a library with a DEC 'E' rating an 'A' rating at a lower cost than new build.

– University of Derby - Light-Emitting Diode (LED) lighting throughout the campus with automatic controls

– University of Exeter – to retrofit 12 energy efficient technologies to a 1960s building to improve its energy rating.

– Plymouth University – ICT and BEM Systems to control all energy-consuming devices and systems.

Transformational Projects

University of Bradford

University of Bradford

– Fabric first: insulation, airtightness, natural ventilation and daylight.

– Ventilation - the Building Management System automatically opens and closes windows

– Passive cooling – ‘solar chimneys’ have been created within the atria for cooling

– The effective thermal mass of the building moderates daily fluctuations in temperature.

– Renewable heat – a biomass boiler has been installed to supplement conventional heating sources.

University of Bradford

– Refurbishment of 1970s library building

– £100,000 per annum energy savings

– 834 tCO2 saved per year

– Payback <5 years

RGF ISP Projects Implemented by October 2009

Source: Evaluation of the Revolving Green Fund: a report to HEFCE, July 2010

RGF – Third Round

RGF – Third Round

Oxford Brookes University

– LED lighting with PIR control

– Vending Miser Controls – fitted to 80 hot and cold vending machines..

– Data centre upgrade and PC power management software –target the areas that would require more cooling, and automatically putting devices to sleep.

Oxford Brookes University

– LED lighting, Vending Miser controls, data centre upgrade and PC power management

– £507,000

– £182,000 per annum savings

– 203.5 tCO2 saved per year

– Payback < 3 years

Lessons learnt - the projects

– Many still in progress – long time spans between agreeing funding and understanding performance

– Generally performance appears to be as expected, but teething problems with the more innovative projects

– High levels of potential replication – both within the HE sector and beyond

Links between SGF and RGF

Lessons learnt - the RGF process

– Resource needed to drive application process

– Projects need to be identified first, funding follows - availability of HEFCE funding is ‘well-timed’ as many HEIs had already started work on developing their own proposals

– Difficulty disseminating information

– Case studies needed

– Site visits considered to be the best means of disseminating good practice

– How participating organisations heard about the scheme:

– 73% had heard through informal discussions with sector colleagues.

– ~50% through existing networks (e.g. EAUC/AUDE).

Getting Involved

Linkages with SGF

– Staff resource needed to drive application process

– Projects need to lead the funding application process

– Availability of HEFCE funding is ‘well-timed’ – many HEIs had

already started work on developing their own proposals

– Difficulty disseminating information – feeling that site visits are the

best means of disseminating good practice

SGF Synergies

behavioural change must go hand in glove with the “technical” remedies for energy consumption

SGF Synergies

Green Dragons

“Green Dragons” is an exciting new scheme by the City University London Students’ Union. City students are encouraged to identify opportunities, big or small, to improve sustainability at the university or in the local community,

SGF Synergies

Green Living Project

Students from Falmouth University and University of Exeter, Penryn Campus are being trained as energy champions, helping to promote pro-environmental behaviours in halls of residence, buildings on campus, and private accommodation.

SGF Synergies

Greener Minds

Based around the themes of waste and energy, biodiversity and wildlife, and food, this project will roll out NUS projects Student Eats, Student Switch Off and Green Impact to heighten the influence of the green agenda across the student body,

SGF Synergies

Leeds Green Exchange

…Leeds University Union are using Students’ Green Fund to encourage mass participation in ethical and environmental issues across campus, normalising green behaviours, and embedding sustainability into everything the union does.

SGF Synergies

UBU Get Green

…sustainability champions based on NUS’ Student Switch Off, aiming for a 10% reduction in electricity usage

…education for sustainable development, helping students to make structural and curricular changes for the first time.

More information

Follow the link at…

http://www.bre.co.uk/page.jsp?id=3331

or

email: thornea@bre.co.uk