BUILDINGS, MAINTENANCE & REFURBISHMENT
Learning spaces: the link between education, smarter buildings, and sustainability
4.1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO2e) per year. And most of it, around 54%, comes from electrical energy consumption. But when we talk about making universities and schools more sustainable, the conversation often turns to ambitious construction projects with green roofs and purpose-designed campuses boasting the latest in sustainable materials. Although they are important for the long-term sustainability of the sector, these projects are costly and disruptive, and out of reach for the majority of institutions managing ageing estates on tight budgets.
Meanwhile, the problem of energy inefficiency persists year after year, as emissions numbers and electricity bills pile up. In this context, smart building technology offers a far more accessible and immediate route to reducing environmental footprints – and the benefits stretch well beyond sustainability.
Retrofitting the future K
evin Lenton, Product Marketing Director of Smart Buildings at ABB Electrification, tells us how intelligent systems can help schools and universities unlock energy savings.
According to the UK Government’s Building Energy Efficiency Survey, schools and universities represent approximately one third of all England and Wales public sector building emissions:
The most practical solution for decarbonisation is equipping existing buildings with intelligent systems. Schools and universities can overlay smart technology onto their existing infrastructure, transforming how energy is consumed, monitored, and managed without disrupting lectures and classes, research, or daily operations. At the heart of this approach are smart building platforms that connect heating, ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC) and lighting
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under a single intelligent framework. They work with existing systems through open protocols such as BACnet, Modbus and KNX – meaning there is no need to rip out and replace what is already in place.
The result is real-time optimisation. Rather than heating an empty classroom all afternoon or running ventilation at full capacity in a seminar hall holding six students, smart systems respond dynamically to actual conditions. Occupancy sensors detect how spaces are being used, and the building adjusts automatically, continuously, and without anyone needing to remember to turn something off.
Energy savings that go straight back into education
For educational estates teams, the financial case is compelling. Energy analytics give facility managers visibility into exactly where energy is being consumed across a campus, or across an entire multi-site institution. This data highlights inefficiencies and can directly inform upgrade decisions and strengthen applications for capital funding – increasingly important in a complex landscape of sustainability grants and decarbonisation schemes.
Manchester Metropolitan University demonstrates how smart building investment signals institutional ambition as much as operational efficiency. MMU has embedded sustainability into its campus development
July/August 2026
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