ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR


Public buildings are benefitting from a funding boost


More than £530million of funding will be handed to schools, hospitals, fire stations, universities and other public buildings to help tackle climate change, thanks to Phase 3c of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme. Here we highlight four projects that have already benefitted from the funding.


T


he Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, delivered by Salix and run by the Department for Energy


Security and Net Zero is designed to slash energy bills and reduce carbon emissions, reducing the reliance on fossil fuels. "Climate crisis is one of the


greatest challenges of our time," says Salix Finance chief executive Emma Clancy. "It requires all of us, including governments and business to make change and reduce our carbon footprint. The Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme enables the public sector to tap into a fund which can transform our public buildings. These are the sites we use every day; our schools, universities, leisure centres and others will become more energy efficient as well as being comfortable places to use thanks to this funding." In total, 189 organisations have been awarded grants for 222 heat decarbonisation and energy efficiency projects across the country, allocated a share of £530,604,960 under the scheme, which will be used to drive down their emissions by installing low- carbon heating systems.


Going to hospital Royal United Hospitals Bath (RUH) NHS Foundation Trust has received £21.6m under the scheme. The multimillion-pound cash boost will fund improvements, including more environmentally friendly lighting, insulation, and heating and cooling controls. Most of the funds will be used to de-steam much of the RUH’s 52-acre site, replacing the hospital’s ageing heating systems with more energy- efficient options like heat pumps. RUH chief executive Cara Charles-


Barks says: “We are beginning to make great strides to reduce our emissions, through initiatives such as decommissioning our entire nitrous oxide manifold and a sustainable travel


Royal United Hospitals Bath (RUH) NHS Foundation Trust has received £21.6m under the scheme


EIBI | JUNE 2024


Emma Clancy www.salixfinance.co.uk


Chief executive of Salix Finance


plan. However, we knew we needed to make significant investments in our estate to fulfil our commitment of reaching net zero for scope one and two emissions by 2030, in line with BaNES Council’s goals. “This grant is therefore invaluable. It will enable us to make these essential changes in the coming years and will have a positive impact on the environment and the experience of being in hospital. We know that getting this right will be better for the health and wellbeing of the people we care for, the people we work with, and the people in our community.”


Fire service Another grant recipient is Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service which has won £927,845 from the fund. The service intends to invest £1.77 million in sustainability improvements over the next two years across five of its least energy efficient buildings. And features will include new LED lighting, solar panels, air source heat pump systems and improved building insulation. Mark Arkwell, deputy chief fire


officer, comments: “As a fire service, we are committed to ensuring we are doing all we can to reduce our impact on the environment. “This funding is a fantastic boost


to help deliver our ambition of rapidly improving our estate for the benefit


of staff, public and planet. I believe it’s right for us to play a leading role in responding to the climate emergency, and with 65% of our carbon coming from the estate, we are sensible to focus on this area first.”


University project Coventry University has been awarded a grant of almost £13m to help hit its target of being net zero by 2030. The grant will help towards the cost of installing around 1,300 new solar panels and connecting nine Coventry University buildings to the city’s district energy network. It is hoped the proposal could reduce


carbon emissions by more than 1,300 tonnes per year – more than a fifth of its annual carbon emissions arising from the use of fossil fuels. Professor John Lathan CBE, vice-


chancellor of Coventry University, says: “For many years Coventry University has been taking positive strides towards our target of net zero and this grant from the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme will help us with the next steps along that road. “Sustainable development and social


responsibility are central to what we stand for, and we are working to speed up society’s journey to net zero and clean growth through our excellent research and education. While we are rightly proud of the work and research


Coventry University has been awarded a grant of almost £13m to help hit its target of being net zero by 2030


we do to help tackle those issues nationally and internationally, being able to make a difference on our own campus is just as important.”


College work


Nottingham College has been awarded more than £2.6million, in a successful bid to fund decarbonisation and energy efficiency initiatives across its estate over the next two years. It will be used to pay for upgrades


to campus heating, ventilation systems and lighting, as well as to replace boilers, improve insulation and introduce other new measures to reduce water usage and reliance on other consumables. Janet Smith, chief executive and principal of Nottingham College says: “We are really pleased to have been successful in our bid for this funding. As a college with a rich heritage and wide range of facilities across the city, this funding will help us on our journey to be carbon net zero by 2030. “The College’s Zero campaign has


seen us make great strides over the past 12 months with a 30% reduction in our carbon footprint so far – but we know there is more to do.” Other successful projects include:


Loughborough University which has been awarded more than £2 million to decarbonise their Olympic-size swimming pool by replacing old gas fired boilers with heat pumps. Surrey County Council has been awarded over £5 million to cut emissions across nineteen sites including six libraries, four nursing homes, two community centres, five schools, Guildford Fire Station, and the council’s headquarters in Reigate. ■


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