Praise for our commitment to renewable energy

The University of Essex has ranked as a top tier university in Uswitch’s first annual study looking into UK universities' commitment to renewable energy.

Uswitch used a Freedom of Information request to ask 136 universities about their procurement of energy and received 105 responses in total.

The findings showed that Essex was in the top tier in the Uswitch Renewable University Report 2020.

Having scored positively in the three requirements to be considered a leader in sustainable energy, it showed Essex was doing better than 50% of UK universities.
 
University of Essex:

• has renewable installations on site;
• is on a "green" energy tariff with the supplier Haven Power;
• has renewable energy schemes in place.

Rob Davey, Head of Sustainability and Grounds at Essex, said: “It’s really pleasing to see that Essex is recognised for its commitment to renewable energy. We have over 2,000 PV/solar panels across 14 buildings, a number of CHP (combined heat and power) units and all of our electric comes from renewable sources. Being in the top tier of universities reflects our commitment to the climate, which we know our students and staff feel passionately about.”

Essex formed a Climate Emergency Group earlier this year with the remit of deciding whether the University should declare a climate emergency, and if so, how to respond to it.

Sarah Broomfield, energy expert at Uswitch.com, said: “It’s great to see that some universities are going above and beyond when it comes to sustainability.

“Having renewable installations on campus and schemes in place to produce more of their own renewable energy shows that they are leading by example in trying to achieve net-zero carbon emissions. While not every university will have the same financial resources to generate their own power, it’s good to see that they are willing to ‘go green’ by choosing a renewable energy tariff from their supplier.”