Decarbonisation of University Estates: SAUDE & AUDE member survey

Introduction

Thank you for participating in this survey of University Estates departments. AUDE and SAUDE are working with the Association for Decentralised Energy (ADE) on this information gathering exercise. It will feed into wider work that aims to help inform your, and the sector’s, knowledge of the options and solutions for decarbonisation in general, and heat networks in particular. It will also help AUDE and SAUDE to engage with national government on policy and support mechanisms for the sector as it works towards net zero.

Understanding the progress made to date, and the main challenges that you are facing, is a vital part of this process, so thank you in advance for sharing your data, knowledge and ideas with us through this survey.

The results of the survey will be used to:

Shape the design of a workshop session on decarbonising university heat networks
Support AUDE and SAUDE’s wider work on decarbonisation of university estates and influence government approaches to heat networks owned, managed and used by higher education institutions
Support the ADE’s work on public sector leadership in carbon emissions reduction.

A report on the survey results will be shared with all respondents, plus with national and local government organisations such as BEIS and the Local Government Association, the wider ADE team and other organisations such as CIBSE, to support broader decarbonisation policy discussions.

Other than publicly available strategies, action plans and targets, all information will be reported in aggregate, with nothing attributed to any particular university. If we wish to highlight specific activities in this report, the team will contact you directly to check you are happy before doing so.

We have included the survey questions in a Word document here so that you can share this with your colleagues to gather all of the information in one place before responding via Survey Monkey.

Question Title

* 1. Please provide us with your details

University Name

Survey respondent

Job title

Email address

If you have colleagues who have been involved in providing answers to this survey, please list their job titles here and, if they would like to receive a copy of the report directly, their email addresses.

Question Title

* 2. Net Zero Strategy: Does the university have a commitment to net zero?

Yes, we have a target
Please could you provide details below: e.g. a link to the public announcement; what your target date is; what emissions are included

We are developing a target
Please could you provide details below: e.g. when you expect the target to be agreed; what the current preferred options are (if you are able to share these)

No, we do not have a target and at present we have no plans to develop one
Please add any comments you would like to make on why there is no target below

Please provide further details here.

Question Title

* 3. Net Zero Strategy: If you have a target, is there a plan in place to deliver it? If you do not have a target, is there a plan to deliver carbon emissions reductions?

Yes, we have a plan
Please could you provide us with more details below: e.g. a link to the plan, if it is publicly available

We are currently developing a plan
Please could you provide us with more details below: e.g. when you expect the plan to be finalised

No, we do not have a plan
Please add any comments you would like to make on why there is no plan to reduce carbon emissions

Please provide further details here

Question Title

* 4. Net Zero Strategy: What are the top 3 challenges you face in delivering the target / carbon emissions reductions more generally?
(Please select up to 3 options)

Lack of staff capacity / know-how

Lack of financial resources for investment

Lack of knowledge about low carbon options

Lack of support from senior management

Lack of support from middle management

Lack of engagement of the wider university community

Unhelpful contracts / relationships with energy and equipment suppliers

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 5. Details of the University's energy system: Buildings
What information do you have on the energy performance of the buildings in the university estate?
(Please select all options that are relevant and provide additional commentary below)

Total energy use
Please add further information below: is this split by fuel? e.g. gas, biomass, oil, biofuel, electricity

Energy use per building
Please add further information below:, for example if this data is available for some but not all buildings

Energy performance certificate ratings

Monthly variations in energy use across the year

Daily variations in energy use within each month

Variations in energy use within a day
Please add further information below on the frequency with which you record buildings energy use within a day, and the proportion of university buildings that this applies to.

Please add any comments you would like to make on any of the above, for example:
- If the data is only partial, or if you have concerns about its accuracy
- If any of the data is available publicly, please provide links to the relevant documents

Question Title

* 6. Details of the University's energy system: Buildings
What plans do you have to improve the energy performance of the university’s buildings?

Question Title

* 7. Details of the University's energy system: On-site heat and power supply
What are the key barriers to improvement?
(Please select up to 3 options)

Lack of staff resources

Lack of financial resources

Lack of knowledge about low carbon options

Unhelpful contracts / relationships with energy and equipment suppliers

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 8. Details of the University's energy system: On-site heat and power supply
What on-site heat and power supply assets does the university have?

Heat Networks
Please provide further details below: how many networks do you have, what fuels are used, numbers and types of buildings served, total heat load

Combined Heat and Power plant
Please provide further details below: number, size, fuel used, what the heat and power output are used for

Solar Photovoltaics and solar thermal
Please provide further details below: number of installations, total peak rated output, what the output is used for

Other
Please provide further details below: technologies and fuels used, what they are used for

Please provide further details here:

Question Title

* 9. Details of the University's energy system: On-site heat and power supply
Do you have plans to increase the amount of on-site heat and power supply?

Yes

If yes, please give further details, including whether you have any plans to supply heat to buildings not on the university campus

Question Title

* 10. Details of the University's energy system: On-site heat and power supply
What are the key barriers to expansion?
(Please select as many as appropriate)

Lack of staff resources

Lack of financial resources

Lack of knowledge about on-site heat and power options

Unhelpful contracts / relationships with energy and equipment suppliers

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 11. Details of the University's energy system: flexibility
(By ‘flexibility’ and ‘flexibility services’ we mean shifting the university’s energy demand to help the energy system, either when demand is too high or when there is excess supply; and in return receiving payments.)

Do you currently have any contracts to provide flexibility services to the electricity network?

Yes
Please add any comments on your experience of this type of contract below.

If yes, please add any comments on your experience of this type of contract.

Question Title

* 12. Details of the University's energy system: flexibility
Do you have any plans to offer flexibility services in the future?

Yes
Please comment on your planned activities below

No
Please comment on why not below

Please specify

Question Title

* 13. Capacity and partnerships
Does the estates team have the capabilities and resources it needs to deliver net zero?

Yes

No - lack of staff time

No - lack of staff knowledge

No - lack of investment budget

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 14. Capacity and partnerships
What help would you like from private sector partners?

Question Title

* 15. Capacity and partnerships
Who has the influence to decide what investments are made?

Question Title

* 16. Capacity and partnerships
Are these people committed to decarbonisation, do they listen to the expertise of the estates team?

Question Title

* 17. Capacity and partnerships
Are university procurement processes aligned with meeting your carbon targets?

Yes

Question Title

* 18. Capacity and partnerships
Do your procurement processes enable you to take an overall view of the university’s energy system requirements, or are different elements siloed into separate contracts?

Question Title

* 19. Capacity and partnerships
What role does the university wish to play in the wider local energy system? (Please select as many as appropriate)

Working with the local authority / Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP)

Students and staff in the wider community

Partnerships with local businesses

Partnerships with other local universities

Other (please specify)

Decarbonisation of University Estates: SAUDE & AUDE member survey

Introduction

Question Title

* 1. Please provide us with your details

Question Title

* 2. Net Zero Strategy: Does the university have a commitment to net zero?

Question Title

* 3. Net Zero Strategy: If you have a target, is there a plan in place to deliver it? If you do not have a target, is there a plan to deliver carbon emissions reductions?

Question Title

* 4. Net Zero Strategy: What are the top 3 challenges you face in delivering the target / carbon emissions reductions more generally? (Please select up to 3 options)

Question Title

* 5. Details of the University's energy system: BuildingsWhat information do you have on the energy performance of the buildings in the university estate? (Please select all options that are relevant and provide additional commentary below)

Question Title

* 6. Details of the University's energy system: BuildingsWhat plans do you have to improve the energy performance of the university’s buildings?

Question Title

* 7. Details of the University's energy system: On-site heat and power supplyWhat are the key barriers to improvement? (Please select up to 3 options)

Question Title

* 8. Details of the University's energy system: On-site heat and power supplyWhat on-site heat and power supply assets does the university have?

Question Title

* 9. Details of the University's energy system: On-site heat and power supplyDo you have plans to increase the amount of on-site heat and power supply?

Question Title

* 10. Details of the University's energy system: On-site heat and power supplyWhat are the key barriers to expansion? (Please select as many as appropriate)

Question Title

Question Title

* 12. Details of the University's energy system: flexibilityDo you have any plans to offer flexibility services in the future?

Question Title

* 13. Capacity and partnershipsDoes the estates team have the capabilities and resources it needs to deliver net zero?

Question Title

* 14. Capacity and partnerships What help would you like from private sector partners?

Question Title

* 15. Capacity and partnershipsWho has the influence to decide what investments are made?

Question Title

* 16. Capacity and partnershipsAre these people committed to decarbonisation, do they listen to the expertise of the estates team?

Question Title

* 17. Capacity and partnershipsAre university procurement processes aligned with meeting your carbon targets?

Question Title

* 18. Capacity and partnershipsDo your procurement processes enable you to take an overall view of the university’s energy system requirements, or are different elements siloed into separate contracts?

Question Title

* 19. Capacity and partnershipsWhat role does the university wish to play in the wider local energy system? (Please select as many as appropriate)

Question Title

* 20. Capacity and partnershipsWhat is the university already doing to develop this wider role?

* 4. Net Zero Strategy: What are the top 3 challenges you face in delivering the target / carbon emissions reductions more generally?
(Please select up to 3 options)

* 5. Details of the University's energy system: Buildings
What information do you have on the energy performance of the buildings in the university estate?
(Please select all options that are relevant and provide additional commentary below)

* 6. Details of the University's energy system: Buildings
What plans do you have to improve the energy performance of the university’s buildings?

* 7. Details of the University's energy system: On-site heat and power supply
What are the key barriers to improvement?
(Please select up to 3 options)

* 8. Details of the University's energy system: On-site heat and power supply
What on-site heat and power supply assets does the university have?

* 9. Details of the University's energy system: On-site heat and power supply
Do you have plans to increase the amount of on-site heat and power supply?

* 10. Details of the University's energy system: On-site heat and power supply
What are the key barriers to expansion?
(Please select as many as appropriate)

* 12. Details of the University's energy system: flexibility
Do you have any plans to offer flexibility services in the future?

* 13. Capacity and partnerships
Does the estates team have the capabilities and resources it needs to deliver net zero?

* 14. Capacity and partnerships
What help would you like from private sector partners?

* 15. Capacity and partnerships
Who has the influence to decide what investments are made?

* 16. Capacity and partnerships
Are these people committed to decarbonisation, do they listen to the expertise of the estates team?

* 17. Capacity and partnerships
Are university procurement processes aligned with meeting your carbon targets?

* 18. Capacity and partnerships
Do your procurement processes enable you to take an overall view of the university’s energy system requirements, or are different elements siloed into separate contracts?

* 19. Capacity and partnerships
What role does the university wish to play in the wider local energy system? (Please select as many as appropriate)

* 20. Capacity and partnerships
What is the university already doing to develop this wider role?