Future


The Roundhouse at Sewborwens farm at the Newton Rigg campus


The


Round House


“


The University of Cumbria has taken several steps towards energy self sufficiency at its Newton Rigg campus near Penrith.


A biomass boiler which burns coppiced willow grown on the estate now powers the student residences. Installed by former forestry student William Barden, it provides 100 per cent green energy for heating radiators and water.


Other buildings could later come on stream but immediate annual savings will total about £50,000 with a payback time of just six years, an incredibly short period when compared to other current renewable options.


As far as I am aware our students will be the first in the UK to have their homes heated by carbon-neutral energy crops generated by their own university estate,” said Garry Sharples, Environmental Sustainability Co-ordinator at the University of Cumbria.


The boiler, which cost £500,000 to install including retro-fitting the residences with radiators and associated pipework, was grant aided by SALIX, a Government initiative to support renewable energy.


Elsewhere at Newton Rigg:


• Farm vehicles are powered by rape seed oil grown on the campus Sewborwens farm


• Food waste is turned into mulch for the gardens via a special composter


• Student residences have been insulated and smart metres installed


• The grounds are sympathetically managed for wildlife and birds


Moving the University of Cumbria towards sustainability is a key objective over the next few years. Garry explained that the biomass boiler will consume between 150 - 200 tons of wood fuel every year.


Wood is regarded as carbon-neutral fuel and using it instead of traditionally burned fossil fuels (used to generate electricity) it will effectively prevent 260


tons of CO² from being emitted to the atmosphere in the same period.


While burning wood does emit CO², this is merely what was originally absorbed by the willow while it was growing, creating the carbon-neutral emissions cycle.


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