Abertay University take action in Scotland's fight to net zero

Following a total of £9,852,000 in loan funding from the Scottish Funding Council, Abertay University has implemented an array of carbon saving upgrades that are estimated to lower its emissions by 265 tonnes per year. 

University Carbon Reduction Fund 

Abertay's journey with the Scottish Funding Council started with the University Carbon Reduction Fund (UCRF) in 2017. The university received a £1,076,000 loan as part of this scheme to reduce its carbon footprint and help it stay on course to meet national and institutional environmental targets. 

Illuminating the way 

The university's first project centred on upgrading its lighting to ultra-efficient LED.

LEDs have a longer lifespan than conventional light bulbs and require less power. This reduction in waste and energy not only has a positive effect on the climate but on the university's energy bills. 

This project alone is estimated to result in a saving of £52,357 and 181 tonnes of carbon per year. 

Utilising natural resources

Step two also saw LED upgrades, this time to streetlights, while Solar PV were introdcued to the rooves of the university's West Bell Street car park, Kydd Building and Bernard Library. 

These panels capture the sun's energy and convert it into electricity with excess energy being stored in batteries. This power is then utilised to illuminate the university's car parks at night when demand for lighting is greatest. 

This work is estimated to result in a saving of £11,130 and 38 tonnes of carbon per year bringing the total annual saving for the UCRF funded project to £63,488 and 219 tonnes of carbon per year.

Universities For The Future

Fund (UFTF) was designed to boost investment in energy efficiency across Scotland’s universities and to provide accessible support for carbon reduction throughout the sector.

Abertay received a low-cost loan of £8,776,000 from UFTF to introduce several upgrades from cladding to air handling unit and switchgear replacements. 

The north facade of the Kydd Building (pictured above) was renovated with cladding to improve the building's thermal efficiency and reduce the demand and loss of heat. While the exterior appears revitalised, new spaces for teaching, research and innovation have also been introduced.

The switchgear at the university's Kydd building dates back to the building's construction between 1969 to 1971. Upgrading this feature provides the opportunity to install metering and sub-metering technology which will aid its efforts to identify carbon saving opportunities. 

Funding energy efficiency across Scotland's universities 

Abertay University was able to fund these projects as a result of the Universities Carbon Reduction Fund (UCRF) and Universities For The Future Scheme (UFTF), which are part of the University Financial Transactions Programme administered by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) and delivered by Salix Finance. The programme provides low-interest loans to support university capital investments made in response to the climate emergency with the aim of significantly reducing the Scottish university sector’s carbon footprint.

You can read more about the programme under the Funding the Public Sector section on the Salix Finance website.

1 December 2022