Energy and Carbon
CO2sts the Earth: Don't be neutral, go live, save the earth
|
|
Last year, the University spewed 76,311 tonnes of CO2 in the atmosphere. Most of this was related to the energy used in buildings. The carbon footprint of “hidden” activities such as procurement and travel is probably just as big. In line with government policy, the University is committed to reducing its total carbon footprint by at least 40% by 2020. This is a formidable task.
To help focus our minds on this huge task, the sustainability team is holding an exhibition in University Place, on Wednesday 18 November. The exhibition will focus on energy. It will include data on energy use, both at the University and nationally, highlighting how and where changes can be made to reduce our carbon footprint. It will also feature research around the University including work on renewable energy sources, electric vehicles, energy infrastructure and more.
The exhibition will run from 10.00 am to 2.00 pm and will be followed at 4.30 pm by a showing of the film “Age of Stupid”, featuring Pete Postlethwaite, in theatre A in University Place.
Most people now recognise climate change as the biggest threat facing mankind. CO2 emissions underlie this threat. Come and learn more about what we as individuals and as a University can and must do reduce these emissions.
The University of Manchester has been awarded £1m to spend on reducing its carbon footprint
The seven-figure sum is in the form of a conditional grant for the University to purchase energy efficient equipment – and crucially ALL savings must be ploughed back into the fund to buy more equipment, meaning that Manchester can keep the funds for as long as it continues to invest in energy savings projects.
The cash comes from HEFCE (the Higher Education Funding Council for England) and Salix Finance, funded by the Department for Energy and Climate Change through the Carbon Trust, through their Institutional Small Projects Fund.
Out of the 30 institutions that have been successful in their application, Manchester applied for - and was awarded - more cash than any other institution in the country. In addition, the University is also committed to making a contribution of 25% towards the project, bringing the total value of the fund close to £1.25M.
Damian Oatway from the University’s Energy Team said: “It is essentially a self-sustaining fund. We can spend the money on items such as energy-efficient boilers and more energy efficient lighting, but all of the savings we make must be recycled back into the original fund, to be spent on further energy-saving projects.
“The University is required to develop a constant stream of projects which meet the scheme’s terms, the more projects we develop, the more money recycled back into the fund and the more CO2 saved.”
Damian is now developing projects all over the campus and would welcome any ideas from staff or students on areas they think energy can be saved, both large scale and small. He is already looking at investing some of the fund in new energy-efficient lighting in the Museum and in the Kilburn Building.
As an example of a suitable project, he said: “Simply by replacing 21 lamps on a corridor in the University’s Kilburn Building, we are saving 8.6 tonnes of CO2 per year. We invested in new LED lighting whilst stripping out the old fluorescent tubes, and the savings are significant and ongoing.”
Damian can be contacted at 0161 275 2277 or email Damian.Oatway@manchester.ac.uk
The University of Manchester has been awarded the Carbon Trust Standard
