TEC 2024 Annual Report Final - Flipbook - Page 10
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members on a 1-1 basis and providing bespoke support
such as developing individual carbon management plans.
What are the major challenges the higher education
sector is currently facing?
I think the number one challenge is the constrained financial
circumstances of the sector. Making the business case for
capital spend is challenging in this environment. BEMS is a
good example of this. Those institutions who have invested in
extending and optimising BEMS are making savings, often very
significant amounts, from the system, but it’s almost impossible
to say how much you will save with the certainty required for
a business case.
Funding also remains a challenge. The Public Sector
Decarbonisation Scheme has changed slightly and members
not subject to Public Contract Regulations are no longer able
to apply. TEC is looking into other sources of expertise to find
funding for the members.
How can the new Government best support the higher
education sector?
The new Government has talked about planning and
renewables, which could help institutions planning to put in
“behind the meter” installations on campuses. Political certainty
is also important. The difference between prices of electricity
and gas in this country is one of the highest in
Europe, militating against adoption of those
heat decarbonisation methods which rely on
electricity. There is also uncertainty around
the way heat networks will be regulated.
To understand the Government’s view
on these would be incredibly helpful.
It would be useful to gauge the
Government’s wider view of
the HE sector and its potential
growth, particularly in energyhungry areas of teaching and
research.
What are your main priorities to
support the members going forwards?
I want to build upon the intelligence we
have gained and we have launched a second
08
survey. I’m hoping it will provide a fuller picture of how members
are getting on, which areas are still producing challenges and
which areas are showing most opportunity. Sharing information
will continue to be important with peer evidence being very
useful for making business cases. We will continue with our
webinars and guidance policies to share and reflect best
practise.
Helping our members navigate the market is a continued
priority. Utility prices have come down a little in last 12 months
which will change payback times for different technologies.
Technology prices have also changed with the cost of solar
reducing.
Supporting members with their financial constraints and looking
at novel funding sources is an area we are looking into. We
also aim to get an understanding of the direction of travel of the
new Government. TEC is a member of the European Council
for an Energy Efficient Economy (ECEEE) so we will be relaying
to members what good practice looks like outside of the UK
context.
How are TEC members responding to the net zero
challenge?
The survey showed us that there is a spread of ambition. There
is also a developing sense of what becoming net zero means
in their specific contexts. The move from aspiring to be carbon
neutral to becoming net zero is quite a paradigm shift.
A lot of members are very forward thinking. Within the higher
education sector, particularly, there tends to be an internal
impetus to want to get to zero in a thorough way, aligned
with an organisation’s teaching and research. Universities by
their nature are incredibly future-focused and are nurturing the
next generation of leaders. We are fortunate to have some
incredibly passionate people in the sector who are determined
to rise to the challenge.
THE ENERGY CONSORTIUM - ANNUAL REPORT 2024
