Net zero project at Leeds Conservatoire hits the high notes

We visit the famous specialist creative institution to have a look at how it is meeting decarbonisation challenges

Leeds Conservatoire is making giant strides to reducing its carbon emissions thanks to funding under the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme.

The Conservatoire, which is a member of Luminate Education Group, is using more than £1.6m of funding from Phase 3b of the scheme to make green improvements to its building.

The scheme, delivered by Salix and run by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, has seen the Conservatoire replace old gas fired boilers, install double glazing and LED lighting, and replace its air heating and cooling systems. It has also connected to a central district heating network.

When we visited the site in the heart of Leeds’ cultural quarter, our team was able to see the work for themselves.

Salix client support officer Anna Kuratnikova said: “The very unique nature of the Conservatoire creates huge challenge for project delivery.

“It is a music and performing arts campus with unique rooms and equipment occupied at all times of day meaning that any works in the rooms need to be scheduled in the times and days when the rooms are not used and has been proven to be very difficult. 

“In many ways, they face similar issues as those we see in large NHS sites, the rooms cannot be vacated for very long.

“I did not appreciate the seriousness of the challenge until we walked around the building with the client and saw that almost every room that we wanted to see was in use.

“It’s an amazing place and the very fact that it has this ambitious net zero journey is very impressive.”

The Conservatoire is committed to becoming a net zero organisation by 2035, as showcased in Luminate Education Group’s Climate Emergency and Sustainable Development Pledge. 

The Conservatoire offers undergraduate and postgraduate degree courses, along with Leeds Junior Conservatoire.

Anna said she was thrilled to see the project having worked previously with Luminate Education Group of which Leeds Conservatoire and Leeds City College are both members. The previous project, a Phase 2 Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme development at the Park Lane Campus of Leeds City College, is now complete.

The Luminate Education Group delivered the Leeds City College Park Lane Campus decarbonisation project in 2022-23 after it was awarded £1,219,931 under Phase 2 of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme. The funds helped pay for the installation of air source heat pumps, LED, building management systems as well as insulation measures.

Anna added: “Luminate Education Group is a client that is particularly close to my heart because their Phase 2 project was my first really challenging one. 

“It was delivered in the financial year of 2022/23 when there was a significant delay in supply chain of heat pumps due to the shortage of microchips.  

“We all worked hard to gather evidence of general supply chain issues, and were then, with support of government, able to implement a delayed completions process for those clients impacted by this.

“They did it and we were all delighted to set them on the path to reaching their net zero targets.

“It’s great to come back today and to see how they are navigating Phase 3b of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme.”

During our visit we met project manager at Luminate Education Group Chris Mowat who explained how the work is progressing whilst we toured the site. 

Vice principal for development at Luminate Education Group David Warren, said: “It’s clear that we all have to reduce our carbon emissions, and we believe the measures we are implementing today, will set us up for the future and help us provide a building and an environment for the generations to come.”

Luminate Education Group’s institutions operate across multiple campuses as well as smaller centres and community venues, with a substantial collective carbon footprint. The group aims to reduce carbon emissions across all of its sites as well as including sustainability into the curriculum for students.

Chris added: “We still have a significant journey to take, but we are on the right path and are committed to meeting our net zero targets.”

Anna said: “It’s certainly been inspiring to visit the Conservatoire, see the rooms in action and to see how it is now in a better position, offering students and teams more comfortable spaces.

“The student population is very aware of climate change and students demand that the buildings they use are good for the planet.”

Thank you to Leeds Conservatoire for hosting our visit and to Chris Mowat and Lee Cox from New Way Engineering, for explaining how the centre will meet its net zero targets.