Academies champion response to climate change in England
Celebrating the completion of the Salix Energy Efficiency Fund
Children and families at hundreds of academies across England are now experiencing warmer, brighter schooling facilities thanks to more than £30m worth of energy efficiency loans delivered by Salix.
The Salix Energy Efficiency Fund is celebrating the completion of the final project in the scheme, bringing the total completed projects since start to an impressive 603.
Launched in conjunction with the Department for Education in 2015, the scheme is praised as the foundation upon which many organisations took their first steps towards the decarbonisation of their estate.
Applicable for individual academies, academy sixth forms, free schools and Multi-Academy Trusts, completed projects have also had a positive impact on the wellbeing of teachers, students and staff.
Salix programme manager Charles Pegg said: “Projects completed under the Salix Energy Efficiency Fund have been reported to not only reduce the carbon footprint of the organisation and lower their energy bills, but to have had a positive influence the wellbeing of staff and students who use the space.”
“The immediate and long-term impact of LED lighting, for instance, has often been cited, with stakeholders speaking to the true impact of effective lighting in the look and feel of a room or building.”
Projects completed under the Salix Energy Efficiency Fund have been reported to not only reduce the carbon footprint of the organisation and lower their energy bills, but to have had a positive influence the wellbeing of staff and students who use the space.”
The immediate and long-term impact of LED lighting, for instance, has often been cited, with stakeholders speaking to the true impact of effective lighting in the look and feel of a room or building.
Across the scheme, a funding value of £34,737,595 was delivered for 603 projects which are projected to save 17,103 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually.
Funding, which was delivered on behalf of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (formally the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy), was used to support the installation of energy efficiency measures to enable academy buildings to become warmer, brighter and nicer places to work, learn and play.
Academies could apply for funding to cover more than 100 measures, including LED lighting, low-carbon heating, insulation, renewable energy generation, ventilation and more.
Many of the organisations that received funding have since continued their decarbonisation journey, sourcing funding for further energy efficiency works and low-carbon heating technologies through both self-funding and alternative government grants and loan schemes.
Charles added: "It is fantastic to see how these projects established the foundations for the decarbonisation journey for many organisations involved."
"Alongside developing their knowledge and experience in the decarbonisation sector, we’ve seen the people involved start to drive change, asking for a forward focus and continued investment in similar projects that achieve positive outcomes for both people and planet."
The fund is loan-based, with recipients set to use the financial savings gained from implementing energy efficiency measures to repay the funds.
It is fantastic to see how these projects established the foundations for the decarbonisation journey for many organisations involved.
Alongside developing their knowledge and experience in the decarbonisation sector, we’ve seen the people involved start to drive change, asking for a forward focus and continued investment in similar projects that achieve positive outcomes for both people and planet.
