Energy, water and construction
Energy action
- Powered on renewable energy since 2017 - 100% REGO certified
- 2023 REGO certificate - was valid until March 2024
- First UK corporate renewable power purchase agreement, supplying 20% of the University’s electricity baseload
- Amongst leaders in the Russell Group for renewable energy generation with circa 1.5 megawatt of energy from our campus solar PV
- Potential to double our solar PV generation across University assets over the next 3-5 years
- Duryard PV Solar Project is underway
- 700 solar panels installed on Harrison Building in 2022
- More than 1700 new photovoltaic (PV) panels were added to roofs on Daphne Du Maurier, Peter Lanyon Building and the Sports Centre on Penryn Campus in 2023.
- Undertaking feasibility study for wind power opportunities at Penryn campus
- LED lighting installation - recent projects include Peter Lanyard Building, Holland Hall and the Cricket Centre
- Building Management System (BMS) - programmed to provide a comfortable environment for occupants whilst maximising our energy efficiency
- Tracking, monitoring and identifying locations where energy wastage is highest through our energy and carbon reporting management software. Further information on our energy usage can be found in our Energy Summary Report 2022-23.
- Energy mapping – the Geoffrey Pope Building has undergone extensive energy mapping, including thermal imaging assessments, to provide energy savings. You can read the full report here: Energy mapping of Geoffrey Pope Building.
A new campaign focussing on reducing our energy usage is highlighting the urgent need for us all to take responsibility in reducing our carbon footprint. Working together, we can all make small changes that collectively will make a significant difference in helping to reach our goal of net zero by 2030 as well as achieving a cost reduction in our energy use.
The ‘Small changes, BIG impact’ campaign started in January 2024 and we need everyone to get involved and start thinking about reducing your own energy usage. YOU can make a difference. This includes practical measures such as:
- switching off your computer or laptop screen when its not in use
- turning off lights when leaving a room
- unplugging unused electrical items including mobile chargers
- only using the water that you need if boiling a kettle
- taking shorter showers
- wearing extra layers
You will also see activity across our campuses to help identify where we need to take additional action. This includes investigating and resolving energy and water wastage and exploring the use of energy saving devices where appropriate. Over the next three weeks, our Sustainability team are working with South West Water to check all taps, showers and toilets in our buildings. This will help to identify water leaks and ensure these are fixed quickly. This audit will also involve assessing where it may be practical to install water saving devices. Walk-throughs of all buildings, including our student residences, will be taking place during this time and some facilities may be out of use for short periods. Students will be contacted with specific dates for room visits by engineers. If you have any questions or concerns about this activity, please contact sustainability@exeter.ac.uk
Small changes, BIG impact – changes to heating on campus
As part of the ‘Small changes, BIG impact’ campaign, the heating across our campus buildings has been reduced by one degree and we have adjusted the start and finish times of building heating by 30 minutes. These small changes will make a big impact to our energy consumption and will directly support our goal to reduce our carbon emissions and achieve net zero by 2030. These changes apply to all of our non-residential buildings.
Infrastructure Decarbonisation Masterplan (IDM)
The University has undertaken the initial development of the campus-wide heat decarbonisation plan for transitioning away from fossil fuel heating. Developed in 2021, the IDM is an evolving programme to deliver numerous projects focussed on carbon reduction relating to energy use across our estates. The Programme will require significant alterations to our buildings and energy infrastructure over the next decade and beyond.
Sustainability Design Guide
The Sustainability Design Guide, introduced in 2021, informs decisions on sustainable design and construction and defines a clear pathway for all parties whether a minor works project or a large new build scheme.
To help achieve our zero-carbon target, the University:
- adopts Whole Life Carbon (WLC) assessments for all capital projects
- achieves Passivhaus standard on all new builds as a minimum
- adopts EuroPHit guidelines to apply EnerPHit standards on all refurbishments and fit outs
WLC Assessments enable understanding of the lifetime consequences of design decisions. This promotes durability, resource efficiency, reuse, and future adaptability, all of which contribute to life-time carbon reductions.
Also see: Live capital projects
Water
- Ranked 1st in the World for SDG 6 - Clean Water & Sanitation - in the 2023 Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings
- Water reduction programme – conducting a review of current water consumption across our buildings, to inform and identify initiatives to reduce water use
- Water consumption tracking and monitoring – improving our data capture via our data management system to reduce our overall water consumption
- Read our Water Consumption and Reuse Report 2022-23 for an example – including water reuse, such as rainwater harvesting (page 2)
- Propelair project, a Horizon 2020 funded collaboration between the University of Exeter's Centre for Water Systems and Propelair, including the installation of ultra-low water use toilets which has saved over three million litres of water
- Water Resilient Policy– integrating water management and maximising water reduction
- Prioritising water conservation in our labs
- The University of Exeter holds a licence to abstract water from its Topsham Road Sports Centre
Sustainability Design Guide
The first phase of this is through a review of three potential options around transitioning to heat pump technology, and we will be undertaking detailed feasibility and modelling of the following three options:
- Option 1 – Continue with the single building approach.
This option would involve individual zero carbon heating plant for each building via heat pump technology, installing high temperature heat pumps for buildings where higher heating flow and return temperatures are required.
- Option 2 – Energy Centre – Exeter University Only.
This option would examine the potential for the University to procure a Streatham Campus only heat network solution to provide low carbon heat.
- Option 3 – Exeter Energy Network with partners (ECC, RD&E, etc.)
This option would involve signing up as an off-taker to the Exeter Energy Heat Network through a high and low temperature solution provided by a third-party funded and operated energy centre in partnership across Exeter.
