POWER MANAGEMENT
Towards zero carbon A quarter of universities are unprepared for a zero-carbon future
W
orking towards zero carbon and creating more sustainable estates are the long-term changes that many university estates teams are progressing – but almost a quarter (23 per cent) revealed their institution has barely started preparing for a zero-carbon future and need assistance, according to new research from global engineering consultancy Buro Happold. In conjunction with Association of University Directors of Estates (AUDE), the research surveyed 148 estates representatives to learn more about the current challenges, long-term changes and considerations for the future. Almost two-thirds of respondents said that they saw changes to
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teaching and learning spaces as the main long-term change to university estates and more than half (59 per cent) saw the increased use of data and smart campus techniques as a key route to improving institutional performance, with key areas being efficient use of buildings and improvement of student experience. This was followed by a greater emphasis on refurbishment and reuse (42 per cent). However, while data was recognised as being important to improving performance; almost a quarter said their institution was struggling to prepare for a data driven and smart-enabled future, and none felt they are well-equipped. The biggest barrier to successfully implement positive change is seen as finance, followed
by stakeholder resistance and uncertain market conditions. Student experience and satisfaction was voted as the main challenge with restarting for the new academic year. More than 80 per cent of respondents revealed that transformation of energy provision away from gas was the biggest step that could contribute towards a net zero carbon university, followed by changes in behaviour and the reduction in size of the physical estate. Dr Mike Entwisle, Project Principal at Buro Happold, said: “Like many sectors, Higher Education has had to adapt extremely quickly to issues raised by the Covid-19 pandemic. Much has already been written about what the future of learning may look like, but there
