Coventry University has begun work to reduce its carbon emissions and meet its net-zero carbon target by 2030 by installing nearly 800 new solar panels.

The university is also using a 6.6km underground heat system that transports waste heat from the city’s municipal incinerator to supply energy to major public buildings with one-sixth of the carbon emissions of natural gas.

The university was awarded £13m in Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme funding in February 2024 to make a significant step towards achieving this goal.

Selina Fletcher, head of sustainability and environment at Coventry University, said: “After much planning we can now start to see the results, we will immediately be able to see a carbon reduction as the solar panels start to generate energy and reduce our emissions. This is fantastic news for the university and showcases the first of many actions to put sustainability at the heart of what we do, benefiting our students, staff and the wider community.”

The grant will help Coventry University to reduce emissions from heating by a quarter as the university switches off gas boilers in exchange for the connection to the lower carbon district energy scheme.

The university enlisted the help of consultant Baily Garner to collaborate with specialist contractor Geo Green Power on the installation of the solar panels, which have been successfully mounted on the Sir Frank Whittle and Charles Ward buildings, with plans to cover the roofs of The Hub and the Alma building in the new year.

In May 2025 pipework will be put in place that will allow 11 of the university’s city centre buildings to join the existing district energy scheme. The project is due to be completed in April 2026 and will is expected to save 95 tonnes in carbon reduction per year on campus once everything is installed as well as providing a real-life case study for students to see climate change mitigation in action.

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