University reduces annual emissions by more than 4,300 tonnes thanks to recurring decarbonisation scheme
The University of Leicester thanks the England Recycling Fund for supporting its journey towards net zero
A pioneering government scheme is being commended for its role in progressing an ambitious net zero agenda at a top East Midlands university.
The University of Leicester educates around 20,000 students from more than 140 countries every single year.
Underpinned by a net zero 2040 ambition, the university has been consistent in its approach to chip away at its carbon reduction targets and reduce energy bills for more than a decade.
A long-standing focus for the university has been investment in energy efficiency projects across its campus. Many of the energy efficiency works completed have been enabled thanks to the government’s England Recycling Fund, sometimes referred to as a ‘revolving green fund’. Our teams at Salix deliver this funding on behalf of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.
Chrispal Anand, head of carbon and energy at the University of Leicester, said: “Through our green revolving fund, we have been able to complete more than 65 energy efficiency projects worth a total of more than £3.8 million.
“These upgrades have allowed for a phased approach to decarbonisation that has heavily reduced our energy consumption over time and, as a result, significantly reduced our energy bills.”
These upgrades have allowed for a phased approach to decarbonisation that has heavily reduced our energy consumption over time and, as a result, significantly reduced our energy bills.
Since fund inception in 2009, the university has completed a total of 65 projects. Works have largely centred around LED upgrades, IT upgrades, insulation, boiler management and motor controls.
Collectively, projects completed through the fund are expected to reduce annual university energy bills by £904,724 and 4,346 tonnes of carbon emissions a year. A 4,346-tonne reduction in carbon emissions is equivalent to driving more than 40 million miles in the average petrol car – a distance large enough to take you from Earth to the moon some 168 times*.
Despite additional buildings added to the campus across the last 14 years, upgrades have ensured that energy requirements have continued to reduce.
Chrispal added: “The projects have supported a downwards trajectory in consumption in electricity across the past 14 years.
“Even as our estate has grown, our energy consumption has continued to shrink.”
The university also credits its experience with the fund for supporting with the documentation required for audits, building successful business cases and other government funding schemes which have continued to propel its net zero agenda.
Chrispal said: “The discipline created from the paperwork required for the revolving fund has helped us to build successful bids for the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme.
“It has also helped to create a culture of behaviour change and helped the university to upgrade technology across its estate that may have otherwise become outdated or fallen behind.”
The discipline created from the paperwork required for the revolving fund has helped us to build successful bids for the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme.
It has also helped to create a culture of behaviour change and helped the university to upgrade technology across its estate that may have otherwise become outdated or fallen behind.
Looking ahead, the university expects to continue investment in energy efficiency, coupled with larger heat decarbonisation programmes, which will support its ambitions to reach net zero by 2040.
Mitch Thomas, our Salix programme coordinator who has been supporting the university, said: “The University of Leicester has made good use of the funding available to continuously invest in energy efficiency and estate decarbonisation.
“By continuing to do so into the future, despite fund closure, it is ensuring sustained momentum towards its net zero targets.”
You can read more about the university’s Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme project through this news story on our website.
The University of Leicester has made good use of the funding available to continuously invest in energy efficiency and estate decarbonisation.
By continuing to do so into the future, despite fund closure, it is ensuring sustained momentum towards its net zero targets.
About the England Recycling Fund
- The England Recycling Fund is a loan-based, ring-fenced fund, created with capital provided to us on behalf of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, and matched by the public sector organisation. It encourages organisations to re-invest financial savings that result from projects into further decarbonisation and energy efficiency projects, thus operating in a cyclic “recycled” manner.
- The scheme has been closed to new applications since 2010. However, since that time we have continued to support organisations with open funds to complete thousands of projects worth more than £267 million through the scheme.
- The average fund has been recycled more than three times, and, when combined, our recycling fund projects save over 296,000 tonnes of carbon emissions every single year.
- The fund is closing at the end of the 2024/25 financial year, with any projects funded through the scheme required to complete by 31 March 2025.
*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.
