University of Sheffield invests in self-funded greener future

With tough new sustainability targets on the horizon, Universities are getting serious about energy. From 2011 onwards capital funding will be directly linked to a University’s Carbon performance. Added to which, the introduction of the government CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme means Universities will have to buy allowances from the government to cover the CO2 they will emit.

While creating a sustainable campus has become an operational imperative, in the bid to ‘go green’ today’s Universities have to surmount a number of challenges. Against a backdrop of budgetary constraints and spiralling energy costs, finding the funding and expertise to reduce carbon emissions is a significant task.

At the University of Sheffield, an innovative new approach to estate management has unlocked funding for a major £3.8 million investment programme that will deliver direct energy savings of 15-20% and cut CO2 emissions across the campus by 1.68 million kg per annum. At the same time, the University is tapping into the expertise it needs to achieve long-term and quantifiable performance improvements.