NIBE Decarbonisation Project at the University of West London

It all started with a pledge from the University of West London (UWL) to become a net-zero carbon institute by 2030 – an ambition that inspired the University to undertake a major

decarbonisation programme.

The UWL demonstrated a high-level estimate of the costs and carbon savings that could be achieved by moving away from fossil fuel heating to a Ground Source Heat Pump system and received £5 million of government funding to support the move through the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS) in 2020. The work began the following April.

At the heart of the transformation is the St Mary’s Road Campus, where old gas boilers have been replaced with ground source heat pumps alongside 580 solar PVT panels. Those involved with the project include Ameresco, as principal contractor and designer; NIBE Energy Systems, who supplied the heat pumps and solar PVT; and JKN Renewables Ltd who undertook the design, installation and commissioning of the system.