EIR_24-132 Renewable energy
Date of response: 04 June 2024
We have now considered your request of 14 May 2024 for the following information:
Question 1. Are you on a green/renewable energy tariff for gas and electricity supplies? Please answer individually for both.
Our response:
Yes, our gas supply is on a green/renewable energy tariff. Our electric supply is not on a green/renewable energy tariff.
Question 2. Do you have any renewable energy installations at your buildings? If yes, please list them and include their capacity. Options might include: Solar panels:
Solar thermal panels
Wind turbines
Air source heat pump
Ground source heat pump
Biomass systems
Hydroelectric systems
Other (please specify)
Our response:
Yes, we currently have roof-mounted solar panels installed - 310 kWp.
Question 3. Do you have any fully electric vehicles in your fleet for staff use (excluding hybrids)? If yes, how many?
Our response:
Yes. The University currently has seven electric vehicles, comprising of three small vans used by the catering department staff and four cars for use by marketing department staff.
Question 4. Do you currently employ a staff member whose main responsibility is overseeing the implementation of sustainability strategies, such as a “Sustainability Officer”?
Our response:
Yes.
Question 5. In the 2022/23 academic year, did you offer your students workshops or lessons on sustainable practices? If yes, please provide details or examples of these initiatives.
Our response:
Yes. The University ran a sustainability information day in partnership with external organisations. The day was called ‘Green Day’ and aimed to provide students with information, activities, advice and free items to promote sustainable living, environmentally friendly choices and engagement with natural spaces.
The event included representation and workshops from;
• Food Savvy (food waste reduction and composting)
• Norwich Cycling Network, UEA Sport and Norfolk Police (cycling and sustainable transport)
• Student Services Finance (energy saving and cost of living)
• Anglia Water (free shower times, drain savers, plate scrapers)
• Conservation Volunteers and UEA Careers Central (volunteering and working in environmental / sustainable industries)
• Repair Café (hosted on Saturday 29 April – volunteers available to help fix household items to save them from landfill)
• Wild Touch Animal Rescue (information on how to help save and protect wildlife in and around Norfolk)
• The Student Information Zone provided free tote bags, water bottles, seed bombs, bamboo toothbrushes and bike lights at the event.
Within our Social Sciences Faculty, School of Global Development (DEV) the following modules cover ‘lessons’ which aim to teach students about sustainable practices:
• DEV-4003A Big Questions for People and Planet (year 1 undergraduate). Weeks 5,6,8, topic question: Can Industrial Development be Sustainable?
• DEV-6003B Culture, Society and Development (year 3 undergraduate). Weeks 7 (Indigenous Knowledges), 8 (Imperial Shadows), 9 (The Climate ‘Crisis’) and 11 (Just Transitions)
• DEV-7047B Globalisation, Business and Development (postgraduate). Weeks 1 (Globalisation and the Resource Flow), 2 + 3 (Corporate Social Responsibility and Development I & II), 4 (The Sustainable Development Goals)
In this module we discuss Sovereign Wealth Funds held by countries with gas and oil and compare the investment strategies of the Norwegian SWF with those of some of the UAE states and Qatar, which need to diversify their investments and stabilise their economies by investing outside oil and gas. Points of comparison include to what extent these oil and gas states are investing in sustainable energy sources, at home and internationally.
Within our Science Faculty and School of Environmental Sciences (ENV), the following modules include lessons on Sustainable practices:
Some ENV modules did contain lessons on sustainability issues, some specific examples were:
• ENV 4006B Sustainability, Society and Biodiversity module there is a practical exercise on carbon footprints.
• ENV 6026B Energy and People module has a week specifically on sustainable practices.
• ENV 7025A Sustainable Consumption module had a week teaching on sustainable practices.
• On the wider issue of sustainable living, material is taught at masters level in the ENV 7038B Science, Society and Sustainability module.
• Two modules, ENV5044B Energy Transitions and ENV7029B Energy and Climate change, address sustainable practices more broadly (e.g. transport etc) rather than focussing on individual practices.
Question 6. What eco-friendly initiatives are implemented across your buildings, such as bike schemes, recycling programs, etc.? Please describe them.
Our response:
The University has several eco-friendly and sustainable initiatives, such as transport and waste implementation teams, recycling commitments within catering, compostable coffee cups, recycling of used coffee grounds, donating items left behind within accommodation blocks to the british heart foundation, cycle initiatives, bike repair shops and salary sacrifice schemes for cycle purchases to enable staff to reduce their carbon footprints commuting to and from campus. We also sponsor car share activities and provide subsidies for Park and Ride users. Further information on all initiatives can be found on our web page: Sustainable Campus - About (uea.ac.uk)
Question 7. What were the estimated annual savings on energy bills from using renewable energy sources for the 2022/23 academic year?
Our response:
Roof mounted solar generated 252 MWh which is approximately equivalent to £35,000.00 for that period.
Question 8. How much energy is sold back to the National Grid annually from your renewable installations?
Our response:
Currently, no energy is sold back to the National Grid annually from our renewable installations.