awards, conferences & exhibitionsACE
GREEN GOWN AWARDS 2009
he Green Gown Awards were “This allowed students to apply their own
T
established in 2004, in order to views on environmental sustainability to a
raise awareness of the growing project they could genuinely influence,
pressures for better because they were picking up the bill!”
environmental performance by Key elements of the £3.5million project
UK universities and colleges and to included the installation of a 30,000 litre
recognise positive responses to them. rainwater harvesting underground storage
Now firmly established as a coveted tank, which stores rainwater gathered from
symbol of good environmental the roof of the building and reuses it for
performance and social responsibility, they cleaning purposes and to flush toilets.
provide an important opportunity for The Academy changing block is now
higher and further educational institutions heated via a ground source heat recovery
to benchmark their achievements. system and heat gathered here is used to
This year, for the first time the scheme heat the building via under floor heating.
is being administered by the EAUC Another environmental improvement
(Environmental Association for Universities has seen lighting to all private areas of the
and Colleges). According to Iain Patton, building controlled by movement sensors
Executive Director, “the Awards also that switch off automatically when spaces
provide encouragement and inspiration to are unoccupied.
those who are involved in improving A smaller but equally innovative
sustainability at grass roots level and project is the Living Classroom at Plumpton
Manchester Academy
invaluable recognition for those who have College in East Sussex. The college has
excelled.” 1,100 full time students, studying the first large scale, wind turbine generator
The esteem in which the awards are predominantly agricultural, horticultural on a UK University campus and with a
now held within the industry is underlined and business management courses. projected output of 2000MWHrs it will
by the huge increase in entries – up by Over the past five years, the college produce over a quarter of the electricity
more than 200% since the scheme first has built a number of conventional required by the Coleraine campus.
launched. buildings, but wished to find an economic The installation of the large wind
Last month, following a rigorous alternative in line with sustainable turbine generator is the culmination of a
judging process that involved 30 expert philosophy. four-year project, which included a
judges, drawn from a range of institutions A ‘new build’, the Living Classroom feasibility study, environmental impact
including the Carbon Trust, the Learning provides teaching and office facilities for assessment, economic appraisal and
and Skills Council and Universities UK, 66 vocational courses. The structural planning application.
organisations were shortlisted for this component of the building consists of The electricity generated is the
year’s final. The winners will be rammed earth walls using a mixture of clay equivalent of that used by 447 homes,
announced at a prestigious awards and aggregate, which is dry mixed and while the generator will reduce more than
ceremony to be held on 23rd June at then using a shuttering system, rammed a quarter of the campus’s electricity bill,
Imperial College, London. with a pneumatic rammer to form which was £685,000 for the 07/08
The shortlist encompasses a broad structural walls. academic year. In turn, this will result in a
range of innovative and diverse initiatives – Insulation for the building is provided CO
2
emission reduction at local power
showcasing some of the best examples of using sheep wool, a fully renewable stations of 1074 tonnes per annum.
sustainability within the sector and indeed resource, while the final cladding is Sussex- To date the turbine has performed well
the country. grown Cedar wood. The roof structure is and the consistently high winds of October
One such project, within the traditional timber construction with cork and November 2008 have confirmed its
Sustainable Construction and insulation and a rubber-based membrane capability to deliver the anticipated
Refurbishment category is the topped with a sedum blanket, completes benefits.
refurbishment of Manchester Academy. An the weatherproofing. According to Stephen Doherty, Acting
award winning gig venue, it hosts a variety In addition to being a building that sits Head of Engineering Services, “The turbine
of cutting edge acts. Unusually, the sympathetically within its environment, the provides a symbol of Ulster’s commitment
Academy is fully owned and operated by Living Classroom has reduced whole-life to sustainability in the management of its
the University of Manchester Students costs, low running costs for utilities and estate and it is hoped that it will spur on
Union. provides a working environment which other Higher Education institutions to
When the main building was recently requires minimal heating in winter and pursue similar wind or other renewable
refurbished, using financial reserves from minimal cooling in summer. While the energy projects.”
the Student’s Union, one of the key completed project cost of £295,000 “The project is a landmark
priorities of the project, expressed by the compares favourably with traditional build development for the University and
University Union student leadership and costs. provides a physical demonstration of the
members, was to invest significant Across the Irish Sea, the University of institution’s commitment to sustainability”.
resources into the ‘greening’ of the Ulster entered the Green Gown Awards For more information on the Green
building. this year to showcase the use of wind Gown Awards 2009, to see a full list of
According to Alistair McGregor, power as a viable carbon-free option for shortlisted entries or to secure tickets to the
General Manager of the Students’ Union, Universities. The University has installed awards dinner visit www.eauc.org.uk/
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SUSTAINABLE FM | MAY 2009
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