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Funding boost to decarbonise heating at pioneering new City Campus

University of Gloucestershire has secured a significant Government grant to help deliver an ambitious heat decarbonisation project at its new City Campus.

The development of the former Debenhams store in Gloucester city centre into a modern teaching and learning centre for the University is part of significant plans to regenerate the city centre.

As leaders in sustainability within the Higher Education sector, University of Gloucestershire has designed City Campus to reflect its sustainability commitments, and is set to create an inspiring environment at the heart of the community that also delivers environmental benefits.

The funding award of £3.3million, secured from the Salix Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, will allow for significant heat decarbonisation measures, as part of a £7.7million project.

The infrastructural improvements it delivers will save 383 tonnes of CO2 every year through low carbon heating. Replacing the 25-year-old gas boilers with electric Air Source Heat Pumps will greatly reduce the operational carbon associated with the old building’s heating system.

Funds will also be used to significantly improve insulation for external walls to enhance the building’s thermal performance and reduce its energy demand. The existing windows will be replaced with double glazed units that bring more light into this new learning environment. These will replicate the existing style of windows and enhance the original Art Deco design of the building.

Director of Sustainability, Dr Alex Ryan, said: “Delivering low carbon specifications as we refurbish the new City Campus is a critical project in our Carbon Net Zero Strategy and efforts to drive even greater emissions reductions during this critical decade for action on climate change.

“These improvement works underline our ambition for City Campus to connect support for health and wellbeing and local regeneration with our sustainability principles.”