Carbon reduction strategies at University of East Anglia, UK

Abstract

Reducing the adverse effects of global warming and climate change is a critical issue. For the past 15 years the University of East Anglia has been addressing these concerns through a multi-pronged approach using technical means of low-energy building design, installing renewable energy sources, good energy management and raising awareness. Through good energy management, the university has been able to reduce the energy consumption of already low-energy buildings by as much as 50%. A large-scale building-integrated photovoltaic (PV) array has been installed along with on-site generation of heating, cooling and electricity via a 3 MW combined heat and power (CHP) plant and, recently, an adsorption chiller. In this paper, potential improvements in a more effective utilisation of PV electricity will also be discussed, as will future plans to reduce carbon emissions by installing further sources of renewable energy. The last part of this paper focuses on the CRed (Community Carbon Reduction) Programme established in 2003 and based at the university. The CRed programme takes up this challenge through innovative and integrated ways in promoting a low carbon economy and, in particular, promoting awareness.

Promoting low carbon sustainability through benchmarking the energy performance in public buildings in China

“…This improved operation was achieved by the end of the second year of operation and represents solely an achievement from improved management, especially the environmentally friendly behavior change and awareness raising. Noteworthy is the fact that the gradient of the heat loss rate line is only 43% of that previously confirming a saving of 57% (Tovey and Turner, 2006). The benchmarking systems under the National Standards and ESGB concentrate almost solely on technical improvements and little direct weight is given to savings arising solely from better management, environmental-friendly behavior change and awareness rising is an obstacle to achieve the overall energy conservation and carbon reduction in China's public buildings.…”

“…Fig. 6 illustrates a situation where poor energy management in an office building in the UK resulted in the unnecessary emission of 100 tonnes of carbon dioxide over a nine month period (Tovey and Turner, 2006). To the left of figure are shown monthly electricity consumption data points which represent baseline consumption patterns.…”

Are current design processes and policies delivering comfortable low carbon buildings?

“…and ZICER buildings at the University of East Anglia (Probe14 1998; Tovey and Turner 2006;Ingham 2010). Elizabeth Fry in its first-year consumed 60 kWh/m 2 electricity, plus 70 kWh/m 2 heating -more than 50% higher than predicted.…”

Performance of two photovoltaic arrays in the UK

“…The building is an energy-efficient educational office that incorporates high thermal mass hollow-core concrete slabs for heating and cooling, combined with excellent air tightness and insulation standards that exceed current UK building regulations. Tovey and Turner describe the thermal performance of the building 12 and in 2005 the ZICER building won the Low-Energy Building of the Year award from the Carbon Trust. The 'top floor of the building is light in construction.…”