WE PUT OUR ENERGY INTO SAVING ENERGY • In 2021, the University invested £255k for photovoltaic cells places on three buildings at our High Wycombe Campus. Since installation, these cells have generated 920,581 KWHs of power and generated a cost saving of £125k plus a further energy offset saving of £80k. • We have installed solar panels capable of producing up to 138,000 kWh of energy per year. This equates to an annual saving of 70 tonnes of carbon. • Investment in a modern building management system has enabled greater control of utility spend. Our building management system controls heating, cooling and hot water, and increases the amount of time when the plant can be turned off. During the COVID-19 outbreak, this enabled building services systems to be monitored and managed successfully off campus. • Our mechanically ventilated buildings recover heat before air is expelled, which is used to preheat air entering the building to save on energy consumption and keep our campuses COVID-secure. We achieve up to 80% heat / cooling recovery from our ventilation systems. Variable speed pumps reduce energy requirements under different loads and we use highly efficient air source heat pumps. • Electric vehicles comprise 66% of our fleet, and we have an electric car club scheme for staff, along with charging points for our employees’ electric vehicles. • We are working to reduce our carbon emissions further still by migrating from gas to electric boilers and improving insulation by replacing windows with energy efficient secondary glazing units. • We continue to replace old lighting with LED units, and install presence and absence detectors to turn off lights when rooms are not in use.
• We have installed low flow shower heads in our student accommodation and fitted flow controls to urinals.
• We specify that our IT equipment must be energy efficient.
RESPONSIBLE WASTE MANAGEMENT
• We manage and dispose of our waste responsibly.
• Recycling facilities are available for paper, card, plastics, metal, electrical equipment, batteries and mattresses. • We are working on food recycling at our campuses and halls of residence, and coffee cup recycling for our cafes. Customers using a reusable cup already receive discounts on hot drink purchases to discourage the use of paper cups.
• Office furniture is reused and repaired until it is no longer economical to do so.
• We have upcycled furniture from other organisations, saving items from landfill, and will continue to repurpose them across our learning and social spaces. • We work in partnership with a local charity wood merchant to recycle products as outdoor furniture across our estate. • Waste that cannot be recycled is sent to a waste-to-energy plant where possible, and to landfill as a last resort. • All hazardous waste is stored in suitable containers and disposed of by specialist contractors.
• We have removed more than 5,000 plastic straws from our bars and cafes.
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