Renewable Energy Centre | The University of Warwick

Renewable Energy Centre - opening Summer 2028

The University of Warwick’s Renewable Energy Centre (REC) is a flagship infrastructure project supporting the transition to a flexible, low-carbon energy network. This project will propel the University of Warwick on a significant leap forward in the journey to a Net Zero campus. The facility will provide simultaneous heating and cooling for multiple campus developments, including STEM Connect Phases 1–3, the Social Sciences Connect Programme (SSCP). In Phase 1 alone, the system is designed to deliver approximately 4MW of heating and cooling comparable to the energy needs of 500 homes with provisions for future expansion. By creating a central Renewable Energy Centre, this project delivers a series of key benefits for the future growth and resilience of the campus infrastructure:

• A central energy centre enables heating and cooling to be shared across multiple buildings. For example, using waste heat from one building to warm another. This approach optimises system design and reduces operational costs
• The Renewable Energy Centre uses modern, low-carbon technologies and is the start of the transition to low-energy and sustainable infrastructure

Development timeline::

Demolition works are scheduled to commence in Summer 2026. This includes the removal of the estate office/ stores, chemical and drum storage sheds, and the 2no. redundant oil tanks that are partially buried in the broadleaved plantation adjacent. All remaining buildings and services on the site will continue to operate business as usual, throughout the demolition phase and the subsequent construction phase too.

Construction of the new REC building and service distribution trenches will commence in Spring 2027. Works are to be concluded in Summer 2028. This will involve some disruption to local roads.