Energy consumption

Energy

We’re making great efforts to increasing our onsite energy generation and reducing our overall energy consumption. We are proud of this years’ efforts, and to ensure we’re consistently improving, we have already planned for three more solar panel arrays, a new ground source heat pump system and two new rainwater harvesting systems.

Onsite generation (vs. 2017/18)

+41% electricity Over 300,000kWh of electricity was generated on-campus this academic year – enough to power more than 80 homes for a year. This increase was mainly due to the installation of over 400 photovoltaic panels on Poole House and occurred despite the failure of our micro combined heat and power plant in Fusion Building from November 2018.

-20% heat We generate our own heat through our biomass boiler and ground source heat pumps; the former of which was out of order throughout November and December 2018. Even with this reduction, the production was equivalent to the heat needed to warm over 50 homes for a year.

-8.5% water use We have reduced our water use through the installation of water-efficient taps and toilets, as well as fixing leaks reported by staff and students through our Spot the Drop campaign.

Grid electricity and natural gas use (vs. 2005/06)

-23% gas use Our use of natural gas has reduced by 2% since last year, mainly due to the installation of more efficient boilers in Christchurch House and Dorset House in addition to the milder winter.

-19% grid electricity use This year, our team recruited a Sustainability & Energy Analyst, who will assist the team in seeking opportunities to maximise energy efficiency across our campuses.