Maximising university estates: journey to Net Zero

Mark Brain, UK Higher Education Lead, talks about the collective challenge facing university estate owners in the quest to reach net zero

One of the biggest challenges for university estate owners is plotting a course for the decarbonization of their many buildings and facilities: it is now a legal and moral imperative to respond to this.

A recent roundtable discussion of higher education (HE) estate professionals saw a wide range of target dates for operational net zero carbon (NZC) ranging from 2030 to 2050. These target dates were likely based on Roadmaps to Net Zero, which combined long-term programs of well-designed interventions with Estates Development Plans and life-cycle replacement programs, as part of an integrated Asset Management Plan. Could it be that these reflect the ambition of the HE institution and equate to ‘educated guesses’ of what could be achieved by when?

Data-driven decisions

A deeper understanding of data has become a major driver in decision-making; data enables the owner, or occupiers, of building portfolios of any scale to successfully decarbonise entire building estates through the development and implementation of efficient, affordable and program optimised NZC pathways.

Overlaying wider university data, such as occupancy rates, utilisation, and student satisfaction, in addition to carbon information, will allow estates teams to make fully informed decisions. Our Decarbonomics methodology helps estate occupiers and owners to visualise and plan their decarbonisation journeys.

Roadmaps and funding

Our experience working alongside client teams to assess existing assets, develop roadmaps and prioritise retrofit interventions is helping our clients with the delivery of their NZC aspirations. We are also supporting clients with funding applications, for example, for the Salix Public Sector Decarbonization Scheme and the subsequent delivery of those projects.

The outcome of the decarbonisation roadmaps is to identify which measures are viable for each building, to quantify the costs and carbon savings, and to inform and support the business case for the various technologies. Our roadmaps are completed in a way that identifies projects that are suitable for public or private funding via Salix or other models.

A whole estate, or campus-level data-driven approach is essential; this enables the team to challenge the need for physical space, whether that is proposed new construction, or whether existing space can be repurposed as part of the drive for it to be used more effectively and sustainably.

This approach has helped our clients minimise the need to develop through retrofit, finding a way of making their buildings as efficient as possible to meet their carbon targets. We have developed data-harnessing tools to ensure the optimum space is being provided.

Unique challenges of HE estates

Many higher education (HE) estates include listed buildings; they make a cultural statement about where we have come from, and their historical context is often from a time when ‘coal was king’. However, addressing the climate and ecological emergencies are today’s priorities. NZC retrofitting of listed buildings is necessary to meet carbon targets. Action is required and is possible with a considered and sensitive approach that respects the history of these important buildings. There is also scope for certain buildings that perform better and allow for renewable energy to be built in elsewhere on site.

Listed buildings need special consideration and a long lead-in period to deliver NZC retrofit measures. Guesswork needs to be replaced by a robust appraisal of options based on detailed, technical analysis and consultation with stakeholders. The golden thread runs from the client’s brief, through surveys and evaluation of improvement options to completion of the retrofit measures, followed by ongoing measurement and verification.

How we can help

AtkinsRéalis’ highly-skilled team of consultants deliver holistic sustainability and energy efficiency services with a client-centric approach. With more than 15 years of experience, we know how to deliver innovative, practical, and resilient sustainable design solutions tailored to our client’s needs.

Our subject matter experts have supported the development of current industry guidance, such as LETI and CIBSE. We can measure, track and report significant reductions in embodied carbon and buildings that can operationally achieve net zero carbon emissions by applying the methodology in PAS 2080:2016 ‘Carbon Management in Infrastructure’. Our team consists of BREEAM Advisory professionals, CIBSE accredited consultants and IEMA chartered environmentalists. We have a clear understanding of what is meant by NZC.

We can measure predicted operational carbon and work with our clients to assess, or to reduce, carbon in use. We have embraced the introduction of PAS standards in retrofit supporting our clients with assessor, design and coordinator roles implementing medium term retrofit building plans. At the briefing stage of every project, we can work with you, your preferred contractor and design team, to define the principles and agree targets for fulfilling NZC through the building lifecycle.