Uni awarded £500,000 to go greener

Warwick has been awarded just under £500,000 to help reduce the University’s energy consumption.

The £493,451 loan from the government will fund energy-saving projects across campus.

The University expects to save over £80,000 in energy bills, which will allow Warwick to repay the loan in just under six years.

“We’re delighted to hear that we have been successful in our bid,” said Bob Wilson, the Director of Estates. “This loan will help us to maintain our constant work to reduce Warwick’s carbon emissions, protecting the environment and cutting down Warwick’s energy bills.”

The money will be spent on replacing lighting at Heronbank with low energy LED alternatives, installing additional lighting controls at Warwick conferences venues and replacing Gibbet Hill’s combined heat and power engine with a more efficient model.

The scheme, set up by the government in 2008 to encourage universities to start new energy efficiency projects, will continue to provide savings from reduced energy bills.

Nick Hillard, the University’s Environment Manager, said, “Given the size of the estate, there are always energy efficiency projects that are being undertaken and also in the pipeline. This latest set of projects will accelerate our move towards improved energy conservation.”

The University has committed to a reduction in its carbon footprint of 60 per cent by 2020 (against levels from 2005/6).

Hillard cited more lighting and heating controls, lower energy alternative appliances, extensions to the district heating network and the replacement of the inefficient boiler plant as just as few of the energy-saving projects Warwick is considering.