Durham University has been awarded a £1.13m grant for a major project to help reduce Carbon emissions at one of its landmark buildings.
The University will use the funding to install a range of Carbon-reducing measures as part of the refurbishment of its Boldon House offices at Pity Me in Durham City.
The funding bid was made to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy’s (BEIS) scheme delivered by Salix Finance. The scheme provides grant funding to organisations for heat decarbonisation and energy efficiency projects.
The University will use the BEIS funding to help replace the current gas-fired heating system at Boldon House and install brand new air-sourced heat pumps, solar panels, and improved roof insulation and updated windows.
David Loudon, Director of Estates and Facilities at Durham University, said: “This is a major boost to our project at Boldon House and will help us to reach our ambitious targets to reduce the University’s Carbon footprint.
“As we look towards setting zero Carbon targets at Durham, the government grant will help us to install new technologies at Boldon House and reduce emissions generated from the building.
“We’ve already installed PV solar panels, air and ground-source heating systems within some of the University’s other buildings. However, the development at Boldon House represents our biggest single investment to cut Carbon Dioxide emissions across our estate.”
Durham is already ranked 53rd of 700 universities in this year’s QS World University Rankings for Sustainability. We have signed the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Accord to address the urgency of climate change and have recently launched our Biodiversity Strategy. We have also joined the Nature Positive Universities Alliance and our wide range of environmental research projects has put us at the forefront of environmental and sustainable research internationally.
The total cost to update the energy and insulation measures at Boldon House will be over £2million. It’s hoped that installing the energy and insulation measures within the building will see an estimated saving of over 148 tonnes of Carbon Dioxide per year compared to the old gas-fired system.
The installation of the new energy saving measures will be carried out alongside the wider refurbishment of the building.
Fouad Amuni from Salix Finance, said: “We are delighted to work with Durham University and look forward to seeing the progress as the University reduces its carbon emissions in this incredible landmark building.
“Salix is delighted and privileged to be undergoing this net zero journey with the University. Congratulations to Durham as it further seeks to reduce its carbon footprint through the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme.”
The University was awarded the funding through the Phase 3b Public Sector Decarbonisation scheme (PSDS), initiated by the Department for Business and Industrial Strategy and delivered by Salix Finance.
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