SSE Trains University Facilities Managers on Net-Zero Implementation

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31 August 2022

To tackle the rising energy consumption of the majority of higher education institutions, SSE Energy Solutions is delivering decarbonisation training to FMs and Estates Directors working in universities.

Universities in Great Britain emitted the equivalent of 1.4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide in the last year, and energy consumption at 85 of the 126 UK university campuses is rising year on year. Ahead of last year’s COP26 climate change summit in Glasgow, 140 members of trade body "Universities UK" pledged to cut their emissions by 78 per cent by 2035 and reach net zero by 2050 at the latest.

In partnership with the Association of University Directors of Estates (AUDE), SSE Energy Solutions is providing accredited Continuing Professional Development training across UK campuses, to help them achieve these net-zero goals.

The sessions set out to provide a better understanding of how to achieve net-zero goals within enforced time frames, and what considerations are necessary to achieve them. Materials produced for the training include aspects from policy, legislation, procurement, contracting, investment, solution development, and examples from academia and industry. 

The face-to-face courses have taken place across the UK and Ireland including sessions delivered in Bath, Birmingham, Sheffield, Cardiff, Dublin, and Edinburgh. SSE Energy Solutions is also working with the University of Surrey, where it has unveiled plans to build a solar farm to provide 20 per cent of the university’s power.

Decarbonising to Improve Green League Table Rankings

Avi Baidya, Head of Universities & Higher Education Client Development at SSE Energy, said: “Decarbonising estates is a priority for universities across the country, not just so they can meet their own net zero goals, but because more students are factoring in where a university falls on the green league tables when choosing where to go. 

Picture: a photograph of Avi Baidya. Image Credit: SSE Energy Solutions and AUDE

“It’s vital for directors of these estates to have reliable information on decarbonisation, which is why our CPD training has no commercial obligations attached to it; it’s an entirely educational proposition. There are many challenges to creating greener, more sustainable university campuses and through this engagement with AUDE members, we can help prepare key decision-makers to overcome them successfully.

“We hope to engage with many universities across the UK to help deliver their decarbonisation goals and to create more sustainable, green energy solutions in the process.”

Picture: a photograph from the exterior of the University of Surrey, showing a sculpture of a stag. Image Credit: SSE Energy Solutions and AUDE

Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 31 August 2022

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