Guide to Renewable Energy in Higher Education Institutions now available.

21st April 2011

Renewable Energy is becoming increasingly important for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in tackling the sector’s high carbon footprint. This is demonstrated by the numerous drivers encouraging the sector to reduce carbon dioxide and other green house gas emissions. These represent both risks and opportunities, and include:
Risks

1. HE sector carbon reduction targets
2. CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme compliance
3. Reduced security of traditional energy supplies
4. Planning requirements associated with new developments

Opportunities
1. Income from incentive schemes (e.g. Feed-in Tariffs and the Renewable Heat Incentive)
2. Cost savings and increased certainty in energy bills
3. Improved environmental/carbon positioning to attract students
4. Improved building environmental ratings

A new guide, launched at this year’s EAUC conference, has been produced to support HEIs in their strategic decision making with respect to investment in renewable energy generation. It describes industry best practice, supported by sector experience gathered from interviews with HEIs. Critically, it will enable readers to decide which renewable technologies are worthy of further investigation and which ones can be discounted. The guide’s highly accessible format allows those considering their renewable energy options to get to grips with renewable energy investment in less than half an hour of reading.

The guide has been developed by renewable energy experts at Inbuilt in association with The Energy Consortium (TEC) and the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). It sits alongside other resources that support HEIs in navigating the carbon world, including the updated Project Managers’ Guide to Energy and Water Efficiency in Buildings (available on the TEC website) and the recently published paper Carbon and Energy Issues Affecting Higher Education (available on the AUDE website).

For further information, please contact:

Andrew Peel, Inbuilt, 01923 60 8132
 
For access to the User Guide, please contact:

Alan Brookes, The Energy Consortium, 0121 483 1966,