Combined Heating and Power scheme at University of Strathclyde
In 2018, the University of Strathclyde completed its Combined Heating and Power (CHP) scheme. The scheme provides low-carbon hot water and electricity for the whole university.
Strathclyde is a modern university, the third largest in Scotland. It takes a modern approach to sustainability, with a focus on collaboration, co-operation and network building. This development supports the University's efforts to reduce its carbon footprint by installing a district energy scheme that generates hot water and electricity using state of the art technology. Low carbon heat and power are generated on site in a refurbished energy centre on John Street in central Glasgow. The energy is distributed to research and teaching buildings at the John Anderson Campus.
The project involved the creation of an Energy Centre in central Glasgow and the installation of several kilometres of large scale pipework and cabling, to enable the University to connect eighteen of its main buildings to a district heat and power network.
The project has been designed so that it can be expanded with further phases. The first phase began in 2016, completed at the end of 2018. The University is now working out how best to use its network in association with other stakeholders as part of the city’s aspirations to provide low carbon heat networks across Glasgow. This includes the University Residential Area, Glasgow’s Innovation District and the Council Chambers.
In this short video, Dr Roddy Yarr, Assistant Director of Estates shares how the CHP scheme benefits the university and the challenges and take-aways from the project.
Costs
Total expenditure on phase one totalled £20 million. £8 million of this came from the Scottish Funding Council, with a 7 year payback period loan and the rest from the University’s own investment.
Benefits
- The total economic impact of the University of Strathclyde’s Combined Heat and Power project on the Scottish economy is anticipated to be £12.5 million in 2018/19 prices.
- Cost saving of £2 million pa – about 40% saving on the electricity bill.
- Anticipated to generate 230 person years of full-time employment.
- The 100 FTE jobs created by the direct expenditure of the CHP project are expected to support an additional 130 jobs in the Scottish economy.