Solar panels installed on two more University buildings in decarbonisation drive

A decarbonisation programme at the University of Huddersfield has taken a leap forward with the installation of solar photovoltaic panels on two more key buildings, generating more clean energy on site and saving even more carbon a year.

In total, 520 panels were installed at the Queensgate Campus late last year in what is a 232kW system. Evo Energy placed 348 panels on the Barbara Hepworth Building and 162 panels on the 3M Buckley Innovation Centre. The new panels are capable of generating 203,000kWh per year and are expected to save 36 tonnes of carbon every year as a result.

The latest installation adds to existing panels on the Laura Annie Willson Building, the Jo Cox More in Common Centre, and the Richard Steinitz Building, which creates a 620kW system.

In total, it is expected that the solar PV panels across all five buildings will generate 725,000kWh per year, meaning 6 per cent of the University’s annual electricity consumption will be met by renewable electricity generated on-site

Philip Tower, Energy Manager within Estates and Facilities at the University, commented: “The University of Huddersfield has an ambitious plan for decarbonising its operations and fine-tuning its estate to run efficiently using renewable energy supplies, both on and off-site. This project expands our on-site renewable energy generation capacity by approximately 37 per cent.”

Find out more about Sustainability at the University

This latest work is part of the University’s long-standing dedication to the strategic use of technology to drive reductions in cost and the carbon footprint of the campus, alongside a wider commitment to achieve carbon neutrality across all areas of the institution.