Sustainability project saves school thousands on energy bills

We visited Manchester Communication Academy to see a recently completed decarbonisation project and discuss the benefits this will provide to students and staff

We’re joining the local community to celebrate the successful completion of a recent decarbonisation project at Manchester Communication Academy. 

Located in Harpurhey, the academy is a secondary school supporting more than 1,200 students aged from 11 to 16.

Greater Manchester Academies Trust, who run the school, has been working to reduce its reliance on the electricity grid, as well as reducing the emissions associated with traditional, gas-based heating systems used across its three-academy estate.

Now complete, project outcomes are being celebrated for reducing the school’s carbon footprint and improving the learning environment for staff and students. 

Andrew Woolley, school chief operating officer and vice principal, said: “We’ve been able to ensure that our students are better community citizens, using [the project] as a tool to educate, help protect our planet and pass on that knowledge for generations to come.

“We have a cleaner, calmer and warmer school from the funding we have received, resolving prior heating issues in areas of the academy.”

To support the £1.5 million project, the trust was awarded £1.32 million in grant funding through Phase 3b of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme. We deliver funding for this scheme on behalf of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

The project saw the removal of the boiler that provided heating to the school in place of a low-emission air source heat pump. Additional measures were incorporated through loft insulation and the introduction of solar PV and battery storage. 

The academy understands that it is one of the first schools in the country to incorporate battery storage alongside its solar array. The school is now operating for 25% of its opening hours on energy generated and stored at its facilities. 

Works have also been hailed for freeing up capital funds which can now be spent on the students, creating a larger educational impact and ultimately supporting a quality education for the academy students.

Andrew added: “For us, it’s a more sustainable school, freeing up capital funds or operational funds. We can spend that on our students now rather than paying for gas and electricity.

“That has a big impact educationally for us, to ensure that we get great outcomes for our students.”

The upgrades are expected to save the academy £46,610 in annual energy bills and 193 tonnes of carbon emissions every year. A 193-tonne reduction in annual carbon emissions is equivalent to the emissions associated with fully charging a smartphone more than 12.7 million times or the carbon absorption capability of 8,773 trees*.

However, the project was not without its challenges, namely through month-long delays for a custom part no longer manufactured in the UK, crucial to operating several heat pumps at once.  The project also had to wait for approval from their Distribution Network Operator to make full use of the solar PV and battery storage. 

View our case study where we discuss these challenges and how they were overcome in more detail or watch the video above to hear more from Andrew and our teams at Salix.

Alexander Pierre-Fallman, our client support officer who has been working with the trust, said: “The project has proven to be a great example of how you can overcome hurdles and complete a decarbonisation project that is proving to be a great source of inspiration, paving the way for others to follow.”

* Carbon calculations have been generated through a tool created by our carbon and technical experts here at Salix. The intention is to provide carbon savings estimates to aid with a common understanding of emission data and statistics. These estimates are approximate; it is not recommended to use this tool for formal carbon emissions analysis. The tool uses UK government conversion factors alongside emissions estimates sourced from various studies, but it is possible a margin of error may exist. For more information about the formulas and methodology used in this tool, please contact us at [email protected]. E&OE.