The campus at Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) is now one of the most energy efficient in the country thanks to an installation of solar panels.
Three of the university’s buildings have been equipped with 400 Sharp solar photovoltaic (PV) panels on their roofs, including the students union and library.
The modules, which have been installed by leading renewable technology specialist, Energi, will generate between them a total of 43,000kWh of electricity per year, which is enough to make over 2,100,000 cups of tea.
Display screens have been fitted in two of the buildings to monitor energy generation and students will be able to use the information for case studies.
The solar PV panels have been linked in with the university’s electrical network and all of the energy generated will be used on site, reducing the amount procured from the national grid.
The panels were switched on at a special launch event which was attended by council dignitaries, university staff and Energi.
Dr John Hindley, MMU’s environmental sustainability manager, said: “MMU uses more than 28 million kilowatt hours of electricity each year, so onsite energy generation is going to deliver real benefits in terms of both financial savings and reduced carbon emissions.
“The PV panel project is just one element of MMU’s sustainable development strategy. Along with the recently introduced energy rating scheme for university buildings and ‘Zero Waste’ project across halls of residence, MMU’s £120 million Hulme super-campus is aspiring to be the greenest in the UK with aims to have a zero carbon footprint.”
Mark Dickinson, managing director of Energi, said: “MMU were very ambitious in their carbon reduction plans and the installation will go a long way to helping them meet energy targets.
“This is another example of work we have undertaken across the education sector and universities in particular are looking at increasingly progressive ways of reducing their energy bills and carbon footprints.”
The £480,000 project was part-funded through the Low Carbon Buildings Programme, which gives up to 50 per cent funding to qualifying renewable energy projects.
Energi is fully accredited under the BRE Global MCS scheme for solar PV installers and are members of the REAL Assurance Scheme.