Like every other organisation, universities have to reach Net Zero by 2050. The difference is that they must do so under the scrutiny of one of the most demanding of all client groups. Today’s students have high expectations, and a very low tolerance for greenwash. So, what’s the secret to keeping them happy?

Boring is better than empty gestures

Installing photovoltaic panels or a wind turbine is very visible, but onsite renewables alone will not get a university to Net Zero. Young people are wise to this, so we need to show them the real work happening in the background. “Many of the things we do to use energy more efficiently are less glamorous, so we need to find ways to present that visually,” says Matthew Richards, a Partner in the Architecture practice at Ridge.

That could mean setting out a clear roadmap to Net Zero and annual targets, and then publishing a progress report every year. If there are capital growth projects, environmental policies need to be a clear part of that agenda. “People can see that you’ve hit a milestone, or maybe even missed one. It’s about being transparent and making it very easy to find.” Burying the information deep in your website makes it look as if you have something to hide: “If it takes a lot of clicks, you’re not being transparent enough.”

Use technology to make the link

Smart technologies can make information about energy and water visible to everyone in real time – for example, through displays mounted in building lobbies. Building certifications like WELL encourage exactly this kind of real-time monitoring and reporting, says Abby Foster, a Partner in our Sustainability Consulting team. “You can show how much water your rainwater harvesting system has saved this week, or your energy consumption at any point in time. Feeding those messages back to the student body is going to become increasingly important.” Displays could even show air quality data, such as the proportion of carbon dioxide in a room, she adds. “You don’t want to panic people, but they want to know you care and that you’re monitoring that for them. It’s about striking a balance.”

Involve them in adaptation studies

“The physical impacts of climate change are becoming more apparent,” says Abby. “Universities need to be able to deal with heatwaves and storms, and some may be susceptible to flooding, so they need to be resilient, and robust enough to deal with what’s around the corner.” This means carrying out a climate change risk assessment across estates. “Universities are probably better placed than most organisations to start looking at this in detail because they have students who need to carry out research as part of their courses. This is an opportunity to engage them, and it’s an additional resource.”

Be prepared for tough questions

Students expect to be consulted about capital projects too – not only what is being built, but whether it’s necessary. Any new construction is unavoidably carbon intensive, so be ready to answer questions about what alternatives have been considered, Abby warns. “They might ask whether there’s another space within the estate that could be better utilised, or if you could refurbish an existing asset instead. Are there materials from somewhere else that could be reused or upcycled, and could the student body help with that?”

Above all, she says, identify what’s important to students and tailor your approach: “If you focus in that space rather than just broad brushing it, you’ll get the most value out of what you’re doing.”

Universities need to be able to deal with heatwaves and storms, and some may be susceptible to flooding, so they need to be resilient, and robust enough to deal with what’s around the corner.

 

Abby Foster, Ridge Sustainability Consulting Partner

Smarter Lighting

Universities spend more money and carbon on lighting than they need to, says Andrew Bissell, a Partner in our Lighting Design practice. Here are three relatively simple ways to cut the bill:

1. Detect absence, not presence
The biggest way to save energy is just not to turn the lights on. We don’t install presence sensors in classrooms any more – we make people walk to a switch, so they have to consciously decide it’s too dark. Instead, we use sensors that detect absence, so as soon as everyone has left, the lights go off.

2. Just add Bluetooth
In the past, installing a control system for lighting required new cables, which meant a lot of trunking and a lengthy payback period. Now, we can just replace the lights themselves with Bluetooth-enabled versions, which connect wirelessly. That’s made retrofitting much more feasible.

3. Embrace the circular economy
Manufacturing light fittings consumes a lot of raw materials, and this will become part of a university’s Scope 3 carbon emissions – the carbon embodied in everything its supply chain produces. Specifying light fittings that are less material intensive, or that can be repaired, can add up to a significant reduction across a university’s estate. It’s not only what students want to hear, it’s just the right thing to do.

Universities spend more money and carbon on lighting than they need to…

 

Andrew Bissell, Ridge Lighting Design Partner

 

Our contributors to this article would love to hear from you. Want to know more, get in touch:

Matthew Richards is an Architecture Partner. Contact Matthew at: mrichards2@ridge.co.uk

Abby Foster is a Sustainability Partner based in our Winchester office. Contact Abby at: afoster@ridge.co.uk

Andrew Bissell is Lighting Design Partner. Contact Andrew at: andrewbissell@ridge.co.uk

Read more about a circular economy for lighting

THE UNIVERSITY CHALLENGE: Reshaping estates to unlock hidden value