Next “generation” decarbonisation at The Priory Federation of Academies Trust

Thousands of school children in Lincolnshire will soon experience benefits of low-carbon heating technologies thanks to a comprehensive project of work by The Priory Federation of Academies Trust.

The Trust, which supports 65 buildings across 12 different academies, has committed to a programme of work which aligns with public sector net zero goals.

The Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme project, delivered by Salix, addressed heating at five different academies in Lincolnshire, including the systems which provide heating to four academy pools.

Recently, Salix was on the ground in Lincolnshire to meet with Trust stakeholders and to discuss project progress and the vision for a low carbon future for all Trust academy sites.

Hosted by Trust internal energy consultant Jim Kirby, who accompanied the team across all five sites in a hybrid vehicle, Salix was able to see progress made at all locations in a single day.

Jim said: “The Trust has a decarbonisation plan which states our aim to become carbon neutral by 2040.

“This project is a great contributor to this aim and adds to other work we have already done outside of this project, such as LED replacements.”

The two-year project aims to replace the existing heating technology used to heat indoor swimming pools at LSST Academy, Lincoln Academy, Witham Academy, the outdoor pool at Waddington Redwood Academy, and the sport centre at Ruskin Academy with low-emission air source heat pumps.

The sites are used frequently by the students with swimming and sport an important part of their curriculum.

Alongside these measures, the project also includes energy efficiency measures via insulation, building management systems and motor controls, as well as renewable energy generation via solar PV.

To complete the £1,970,000 works, the Trust received £1,700,221 in funding under Phase 3a of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme.

Funding is being delivered by Salix on behalf of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

Trust representatives Dom Carchedi, Martin Mammatt, Andrew Madge, alongside CEO Ian Jones also met Salix to discuss the project and the positive impacts they are already seeing amongst the academy communities.

Jim said: “The reality is that schools hand the ‘energy baton’ on to their students. It is important that we show what we are doing – it can all become a lesson for the pupils and students.”

Attributed to the visibility of the works, staff have noticed an uplift in interest from students who have witnessed the installation of the low-carbon technology, with one student even raising the idea to reporting on the project to their class.

Jim added: “We are by no means finished when it comes to decarbonisation projects amongst our sites.

“Monitoring the results these projects are producing allows us to make decisions for the future not on what we think, but on what we should do next.

“Our Trustees have the utmost confidence in the benefits of the work we’re doing, and they’re fully committed to the direction that that is taking us.”

Although there are a few milestones left to reach and some initial teething issues to straighten out, all sites involved in the project are on track to reach completion by 31 March 2025.