For over 40 years the University of East Anglia (UEA) has been at the forefront of climate change research. As might be expected from a university with a top-rated School of Environmental Science, UEA is committed to addressing sustainability on its own estate and has done this using low-energy building design, good energy management, incorporating renewable energy sources, and raising awareness.
In 2013, as part of a 10-year agreement with Open Energi, it became the first UK university to install Dynamic Demand across its campus. Air handling units (AHUs) and chillers totalling 700kW have been equipped with the technology as part of a two-phase rollout. They adjust their electricity demand automatically to help National Grid balance electricity supply and demand in real-time.
The AHUs and chillers only provide balancing services for a few minutes at a time and are always kept within their own performance boundaries, so students and staff feel no impact from the service.
By sharing its demand flexibility in this way, UEA is helping to reduce the UK’s reliance on fossil fuelled power stations and is paving the way for more renewable generation. Additionally, the revenue it is earning from the service is helping to fund other sustainability initiatives on campus.
“UEA is very proud of the work we have done to improve energy efficiency and introduce green energy sources. Managing our electricity demand more intelligently is an important element of our overall sustainability strategy. We have been working with Open Energi for several years now. It’s great because the technology connects to our BMS and runs itself with no impact on our operations. We’re excited to be helping build a smarter energy future for the UK,” said Richard Bettle, energy & utilities manager at UEA.
