The University of Northampton has announced that it has selected UK-based sustainable energy experts Vital Energi to deliver a sustainable energy solution for its new Waterside Campus development in Northampton, UK.
The sustainable energy centre is part of the University of Northampton’s new Waterside Campus development currently being built on a former 58-acre (≈ 23.4 ha) brownfield site on the banks of the River Nene close to Northampton town centre. Work started in July 2015 on the GBP 330 million (≈ EUR 363.6 million) project and the campus will open in September 2018 ready for the new academic year.
The University has announced that it has employed sustainable energy experts Vital Energi to deliver the energy solutions for its new campus. According to a statement, the contract will see Vital Energi deliver an energy centre which will use woodchip and gas to heat hot water for all the buildings and student residences on the site.
The Waterside Campus is expected to have a fundamentally positive impact on the town and its economy bringing the derelict site back to life and kick-starts development in Northampton’s Enterprise Zone embracing its riverside setting and creating an “exciting new destination” for Northampton.
The sustainability of the development at Waterside has always been one of our top concerns at the University and a key principle of the new development has been to minimise the energy demand and maximise the efficiency of energy use. We are delighted that Vital Energi will deliver this and are looking forward to welcoming students to Waterside in 2018, said Bob Griggs, Project Director at the University of Northampton in a statement.
The energy strategy has been designed to evolve alongside the development of the campus and the energy centre has been “future proofed” to allow for the installation of the combined heat and power (CHP) engine, which will produce additional heat and electricity as demand increases.
By specifying a biomass district heating system for the new Waterside Campus the University of Northampton are setting a great example for the Higher Education sector by demonstrating how renewable energy solutions can be implemented, reducing carbon emissions and integrating thermal storage to maximise the renewable heat incentive. We are delighted to continue our relationship with the University and look forward to celebrating the arrival of their students to the new campus, said Mike Cooke, Regional Director for Vital Energi.
