Decarbonise
Develop alternative sources of heat and power
Although 100% of our purchased electricity comes from renewable sources already, we have a responsibility to utilise our campus to generate as much low-cost renewable energy as we can ourselves. We will also be accessing thermal energy from our surroundings for a low carbon heat supply for our heat network. While our combined heat and power (CHP) engines were the low-carbon option when they were installed, technology has moved on, and we want to make sure that we are doing everything we can to generate and use clean energy on our campus.
In August 2023 the gas-fired CHP engines in the Main Energy Centre were de-prioritised, and this is resulting in significant reductions of annual scope 1 carbon emissions, equivalent to a petrol car driving around the earth more than four hundred times.
Case Study 1 Choosing a renewable energy source for heating on campus
Context
The University of Warwick has set a target to be Net Zero for Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030. The University’s Energy Strategy, which works towards these targets, has three pillars: Reduce, Decarbonise and Smart. The biggest challenge in the decarbonisation of energy used in our buildings is the replacement of fossil fuel heating systems.
Approaches to Decarbonisation of Heat
There are several technologies that can provide low carbon heating. Some are based on low carbon fuel sources (e.g. biomass) and some extract heat directly from the environment (e.g. heat pumps). After careful consideration of all the different options, we have concluded that heat pumps are the best solution for our campus.
Heat Pumps
Heat pumps can extract thermal energy from the air, ground, or large surface water bodies. Ground source heat pumps are more efficient during the coldest weather because the temperature below the ground is higher than air temperatures.
There are two types of ground source heat pump: closed loop and open loop systems. Open loop boreholes were selected for further investigation at Warwick because, with favourable ground conditions, more heat can be extracted from fewer boreholes.
Test Drilling
In early 2024 we drilled two 350-metre-deep boreholes in the ground. Drilling was followed by extensive geological and water pumping tests to understand the potential of the boreholes.
Borehole Testing - The Results
After analysis of the data from the boreholes, we found that due to the specific nature of the geology and therefore the availability of free-flowing water underground in the locations we tested, the open loop ground source heat pump solution is not currently a suitable option for low carbon heating at the University.
Next Steps
Testing the viability of open loop ground source heating was an important step in the journey of decarbonising heat across the University of Warwick campus and has given us a greater understanding of the options available to us.
We are now developing our designs based on large-scale air source heat pumps. Whilst less efficient in very cold weather, they are a well-established technology that has many benefits and can provide the low carbon heat across campus that we are looking for in our Decarbonisation plan. We are pleased to have selected the right solution for our campus and will now progress the development of our new energy centres on this basis.
Dry Air Coolers – A component of large-scale air source heat pumps
Case Study 2: Solar PV
We have over 5,500 solar panels on rooftops around campus that, at peak output, can generate around 1MW of electricity, and a further 0.5 MW (peak capacity) underway.
MW stands for Megawatt – this is equivalent to 1,000,000 Watts. The peak output of a 1MW PV system is enough power to light around 25,000 of these 40W LED lights that are seen in many locations around campus.
Solar panels harness the sun’s energy and transform this into electricity. You will find them on top of a variety of buildings on campus. On the Sports and Wellness Hub, there is122kW of peak capacity installed (around 390 panels)capable of producing around100,000 kWh of electrical energy a year. Daily output is highly dependent on the sunshine available, but this amount of energy could power an electric car for over 500,000km!
Check out the images below which were taken by a drone. This shows what the Solar PV looks like and some of its locations on campus.
(Drone images taken by installer, Aztec)
Case Study 3: Electrification of the University of Warwick Fleet
Since 2012, the University of Warwick has been deploying Electric Vehicles as part of its fleet. Over time, the mix of fleet vehicles which are fully electric has increased - see chart below. Currently 66% of the University's 122 fleet vehicles are all electric. Since launching our electric fleet vehicle strategy in 2017, our aim is to transition all vehicles to 100% electric as more vehicle types become available as all electric over time.
These vehicles are used for a huge variety of operations and services, including:
Due to the electrification of the fleet over time, the amount of diesel and petrol we are using and the associated Scope 1 carbon emissions have dramatically reduced (see graph below). Although the scope 1 emissions from our fleet only represent a very small proportion of our total emissions, this is a positive step forward. Switching vehicles to electric improves local air quality, as petrol and diesel vehicles release pollutants into the air which can impact human health and affect environmental quality. By replacing these vehicles with electric, we can reduce these negative impacts.
