Deadline approaching for round two of the Salix College Energy Fund

16th June 2015

Time is running out to apply for the second round of Salix funding which demonstrates real commitment to sustainability in the Further Education sector.

In a partnership between Salix Finance and the EAUC, and supported by the Association of Colleges, £5 million of interest-free funding has been released for energy efficiency and carbon reduction projects in Further Education (FE) colleges in England and Wales. The Salix College Energy Fund provides critical funding to colleges to implement carbon reduction investment.

The previous round of funding has seen more than 25 colleges being awarded £3 million of funding for 50 projects. These projects are set to save over 77,000 tonnes of Co2 and £15 million throughout their lifetimes. A variety of applications were received including BMS, LED lighting and boiler replacements which ranged in value from £12,000 to £330,000.

Watch our podcast of 'Salix College Energy Fund - how to apply' webinar

Watch the recording of the free webinar which gives you more information about the Fund and learn how to apply with some useful hints and tips. Watch now.

Northampton College saving £110,000

The LED lighting upgrade at Northampton College cost £20,000 and is set to save over £110,000 and 560 tonnes of CO2 over the lifetime of the project. 32 W LED panels were fitted to replace existing T8 fluorescent lighting, giving an 80% reduction in kilowatt-hours, forecasted to payback in 4.5 years. Bob York, Deputy Director of Estates, said:

“The backing of Salix Finance has been vital to the success of our lighting replacement project. The whole process was extremely straightforward and we received excellent support every step of the way. We are delighted that the project has generated successful results and we are looking forward to working with Salix in the future with our next application for the second round of College Funding”.

Who can apply?

Any FE College that receives a majority of their income directly from the public sector can apply for funding. Salix funds over 120 different technology types and have two compliance criteria:
• A maximum 5 year payback period
• Less than £100 per tonne of CO2 over the lifetime of the project

You can apply for funding for more than one project in a single application and there's still plenty of time to apply!

Complete the online Colleges application process by noon on Tuesday 30 June 2015 (for projects looking to be completed by March 2016).

Find out more, apply online or watch podcast

The EAUC are committed to our College Members and this second dedicated Fund demonstrates the influencing power of the EAUC to ensure the needs of all of our Members are listened to and met. Being an EAUC Member puts you at the forefront of this work.