26% carbon reduction delivers £10m savings for University

By joburtonSep 18, 20150 Comments
With a year to go for the delivery of our initial 35% carbon reduction target, we're pleased to report that by July 2015, the University had achieved a 26% reduction against its 2008/09, saving £9.9 million for the University, together with a further £2.2 million for and by our partner organisations. In carbon terms, this has saved the equivalent of 9,767 household's annual carbon emissions and as the 2015/16 term commences, we are confident of our potential to deliver that 35% cut in emissions by July 2016. In 2014/15, we completed another £850,000 of energy efficiency investments, including vastly improved…
Awards and Achievements, Energy and Water
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Why meeting our carbon target matters and how we can achieve it

By joburtonAug 07, 20150 Comments
  Opinion: Dan Fernbank, Energy Manager  Back in 2011, the University committed to reducing its carbon emissions by 35% by July 2016; one of the most ambitious targets set amongst our peers over the timescale.  For very many reasons, meeting that target matters. We have invested over £3 million in energy efficiency initiatives since 2011; already returning almost £10 million in cumulative financial savings.  In a period when the funding model for universities has fundamentally shifted, savings of this size make an important contribution to the university remaining financially as well as environmentally sustainable.  Both the investment and savings to…
Energy and Water, Policy
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RUSU lighten their footprint

By joburtonJul 13, 20150 Comments
Two energy efficiency projects in RUSU are making big impacts in reducing their carbon footprint. In April, we re-designed the cellar bar in Mojo's.  By sectioning off 1 corner of the cellar for the storage of chilled drinks, we have been able to remove one of the 2 chillers completely, and have reduced the chilled space by 78%.  At the same time, new energy efficient lighting and occupancy sensors have been installed, which not only savings lighting energy, but also reduce the excess heat given off by the lights.  In combination, these initiatives are expected to save over £8,000 and almost 30 tCO2…
Awards and Achievements, Energy and Water
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University nominated for 3 Green Gown Awards!

By joburtonJul 07, 20150 Comments
It was announced today that the University of Reading has been nominated for 3 Green Gown Awards demonstrating its ongoing commitment to sustainability and environmental improvement. 85 motivational and inspiring sustainability projects representing 51 educational institutions across the UK were submitted. As a result there was great competition from Universities across the UK - all vying for the most prestigious recognition of best practice within the tertiary education sector. The nominations are for the following: Continuous Improvement: Institutional Change - Ready, Steady, Green The entry highlighted the progress the University has made over the last 5 years in developing and implementing its…
Awards and Achievements
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University placed in top 3 for carbon reduction!

By joburtonApr 17, 20150 Comments
The University of Reading has been placed 3rd in a league table of how successfully English universities are reducing their carbon emissions. The figures, which have been collated by independent consultants and based on HESA and Hefce data, show that between 2005 and 2013 we reduced our total emissions by 45%. The University aspires to be a leader in sustainability through its teaching, research and operational activities and this result helps confirm we are meeting this challenge. As part of this commitment, the University has created a dedicated Sustainability Team which manages energy, waste and sustainable travel across its three…
Awards and Achievements, Energy and Water
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University achieves international Energy Management standard!

By joburtonApr 10, 20150 Comments
The University has become one of just a handful of universities in the UK to achieve certification to the international ISO50001 Energy Management standard. The standard sets strict guidelines for how energy consumption is managed throughout the University's operations; providing a framework to ensure energy is effectively managed for the long term. The certification covers Whiteknights, London Road and Greenlands campuses. A key part of achieving this certification has been an estate-wide review of energy consumption and energy saving opportunities, to develop a prioritised programme of work to reduce the University's energy use and carbon emissions. This is helping ensure…
Awards and Achievements, Energy and Water
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Carbon reduction updates – science buildings, RUSU, solar panels

By joburtonApr 08, 20150 Comments
We have a whole range of carbon reduction initiatives currently underway across the University.  Here’s a flavour of what’s we’re working on: Science building energy efficiency surveys Last year’s estate-wide Energy Review highlighted just how energy-hungry our science buildings are, and over the last couple of months, consultants have been carrying out investment-grade audits of the Chemistry, Food Biosciences and Hopkins building.  A number of low-cost, high energy saving opportunities for improvement have been identified, which we implement by July, including: Improved control to heating in all 3 buildings, to make better use of the existing capabilities of the building management…
Awards and Achievements, Energy and Water
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Green Week 2015!

By joburtonFeb 04, 20150 Comments
Green Week 2015 is nearly upon us! It's that time of the year when we ask staff and students at the University to go that extra mile, making small changes to their life that reduces their environmental impact. This year we have a great programme of events planned and we hope to get everyone involved in at least one event! More information on the week can be found at http://www.reading.ac.uk/sustainability
Awards and Achievements
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University scoops Sustainability Leaders Award!

By joburtonNov 20, 20140 Comments
The University has scooped the energy efficiency award at the Sustainability Leaders Awards 2014!  The awards, run by edie.net and hosted by comedian Alistair McGowan, recognise outstanding sustainability achievements in businesses throughout the UK. The University’s entry focussed on the successful fume cupboard ventilation improvements in Chemistry’s teaching labs, which are saving £90,000 annually, alongside the detailed plans now in place to improve fume cupboard efficiency right across the estate.  Once fully rolled out, a further £250,000 savings are anticipated!  The judges said "The results and deliverables in the University of Reading's work were extremely impressive and highly replicable at…
Awards and Achievements
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£7.4 million savings from Carbon Management Programme

By joburtonNov 05, 20140 Comments
Our carbon reduction programme has now saved the University a massive £7.4 million since 2011, for an investment of £2.35 million in specific energy and water efficiency initiatives. We are well on our way to achieving our 35% target for July 2016, with a 23% cut in our carbon emissions saving 32,155 tCO2 cumulatively (compared to our 2008/09 baseline).  This is equivalent to just over one year’s carbon emissions for the entire University, or to put it another way, the equivalent of 6,305 UK households for a year[1]. Figure 1 - annual CO2 progress against target Almost £1 million was invested in…
Awards and Achievements, Energy and Water
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