We spend around £2.5m on energy and utilities annually at Edinburgh Napier University. The University has spent almost £1m on energy-saving projects over the past ten years. Over their lifetime, the projects are expected to save £3.2m and around 16,500t CO2e by reducing electricity and gas use. These projects include solar panels, electric vehicles, and installing energy-efficient lighting.
Energy Plan
We have three campuses and three student accommodation sites within Edinburgh alongside smaller teaching and professional buildings. We are committed to doing all we can to ensure our existing buildings and future developments are as sustainable as possible and we are continuously working on improvements to reduce our environmental impact.
Within the Environmental Sustainability Strategy the University has committed to develop an Energy Plan by the end of the 2022/23 academic year. The Plan will build upon previous projects; academic, research and professional expertise; innovative practice; and shared learning throughout the further and higher education sector and beyond.
Monitoring action towards the Energy Plan and overall consumption (kWh), spend (£) and associated carbon (tCO2e) will continue through existing monthly reporting. The Environmental Sustainability Strategy Group (ESSG) provides support and governance of all proposals collated.
At all times, students, staff and members of the wider University community using any services at any University building are asked to consider their own impact by switching off unnecessary lighting and equipment where possible.
Recent Projects
Riady Lecture Theatre - Craiglockhart Campus
- Fluorescent light fittings upgraded to LED fittings with an anticipated life span of a minimum of eight years, removing the need to replace light bulbs every two years
- Outdated control system replaced with a flexible and highly-configurable wireless lighting control system
- Position of light switches improved
- Absence detection introduced
- Upgrading to LED lighting
Annual savings:
- 8 tonnes of CO2e
- 17,000 kWh of electricity
- 75% energy reduction
Jack Kilby Computer Centre - Merchiston Campus
- LED lighting installed, leading to a reduction in maintenance requirements
- Flexible and highly-configurable wireless lighting control system installed
Annual savings:
- 63 tones of CO2e
- 139,000 kWh of electricity
- 60% energy reduction
Library - Sighthill Campus
- More than 600 light fittings retrofit with LED boards, significantly reducing waste and resource use.
- Funded from the Scottish Funding Council interest-free loan from their University Carbon Reduction fund.
Annual savings:
- 32 tonnes of CO2e
- 83,500 kWh of electricity
- 65% energy reduction
Reporting our emissions
The University monitors environmental impact through a variety of means. As a public body in Scotland, Edinburgh Napier is legislatively required to submit an array of information to the Scottish Government annually. Our reports can be found on the Sustainable Scotland Network (SSN) website.
Reports cover carbon and wider environmental impact associated with business travel, electricity, gas, waste and water as well as a wider overview of governance arrangements, projects carried out and planned and also action towards sustainable procurement and adaptation. To publicly report both qualitative and quantitative information, ongoing audits of impact are collated.
Water on campus
We use around 20 million litres of water each year. The use of this water results in emissions of around 20 tonnes of carbon, equating to 0.3% of our total annual carbon emissions from utilities.
There are many initiatives in place to conserve water, including real time monitoring and waterless urinals. These kind of projects have resulted in us reducing our water usage significantly, and water consumption is now less than half the amount used in 2006/07.