Q&A with the University of Birmingham’s Trevor Payne

On average, UK universities use 22.8kWh and 21.7kWh of energy produced by natural gas and grid electricity respectively. 

Renewable sources however play a relatively minor role in the energy mix of the higher education sector. 

Research suggests that the largest source of renewables is steam and hot water with a mean usage of 1.8kWh and a range of 0-90.2kWh.

The University of Birmingham is working with Schneider Electric to deliver a smart, sustainable campus to its students.

The institution is regarded as the original ‘red brick university’ — the first red brick university to receive its Royal Charter, which granted it independence — in 1900 and is part of the prestigious Russell Group of universities.

In 2021, the University of Birmingham opened its new, state-of-the-art School of Engineering, which it says showcases its smart campus excellence.

It has chosen Schneider Electric to aid proactive facilities management and help achieve its net zero targets.

Monitoring more than 200 buildings across in excess of 1,200 connected points, Schneider Electric’s technology enables the university to quickly analyse building performance across comfort, energy and maintenance metrics. 

This, the university says. enables a proactive, data-led approach to facilities management. 

Trevor Payne is the university’s Director of Estates and is responsible for the aforementioned 200 buildings, as well as around 700 acres of award-winning grounds and sports fields. These facilities support a network of more than 40,000 students and 8,000 staff.

“We are committed to sustainability and have achieved a 20% reduction in CO₂ four years ahead of target,” he says. “We also generate 75% of our own energy via on-site combined heat and power plants and continue to reduce our carbon footprint by 3,000 tones per year, on average.”

In this exclusive Q&A with Energy Digital, Trevor shares how, by working with Schneider Electric, the University of Birmingham is driving energy efficiency excellence.

Q. For those unaware, and in your own words, what is the University of Birmingham and how is it working to deliver a smart, sustainable campus to its students?

The University of Birmingham is among the world’s top 100 universities. As the original ‘redbrick’ institution — and part of the prestigious Russell Group — its thriving student population enjoys a wide range of courses and exceptional campus and research facilities.

Dedicated to innovation, the University is developing its estate into a world-leading smart campus. 

This ambitious programme seeks to set the standard for what can be achieved using advanced technologies to deliver enriched, personalised experiences while achieving net-zero carbon emissions.

At the University of Birmingham, our mission is to become a fully connected, global campus. The smart campus is set to play a key role in helping us to achieve this through utilising technology to bring together people, processes and services. 

Its strategy is built on three pillars: digital transformation for operations, new ways of working and the Smart Estate. We believe that it will enable us to become more data-enabled, efficient and sustainable.

Q. How is the institution's energy efficiency amplified by working with Schneider Electric?

A core part of our sustainability strategy is to reduce energy consumption and improve efficiency.

Using Schneider’s Power Monitoring Expert software has granted us insight into energy usage and power quality in real-time.

From this, we are able to make informed decisions that improve performance and drive sustainability.

Alongside the requirements for proactive facilities management, asset management and sustainable energy efficiency, it is vital that we provide superior experience for our users, whether that’s visitors, staff or students. 

The integration of smart sensors — which monitor occupancy, air quality, CO₂ and ambient factors — provide vital data to drive automated room control. 

With dynamic monitoring of user needs, alongside end-to-end cyber-secure systems, everyone on the campus can enjoy the benefits of the smart building experience.

Working with Schneider Electric is also helping us to avoid any unplanned downtime. This is because we have access to a 24/7 Remote Monitoring Service and a dedicated team of experts who remotely monitor, troubleshoot and analyse connected assets to help maximise uptime, improve maintenance and reduce energy usage and costs.

Q. Could you share specific examples of how Schneider Electric’s technology has contributed to the University of Birmingham's journey towards sustainability and enhanced building performance since its implementation?

Working with Schneider Electric has enabled us to take a data-led approach, which means we can be more proactive when it comes to increasing energy efficiency.

We have adopted EcoStruxure Building Advisor, part of Schneider Electric’s suite of analytic monitoring services, to achieve constant monitoring of the building management system. This enables our facilities team to proactively address inefficiencies, quickly identify faults and take preventative actions.

Q. As the University of Birmingham works towards net zero targets, how has the data provided by Schneider Electric's technology informed decisions regarding energy management and sustainability initiatives?

The system currently monitors 205 building assets and a total of 1,222 connected points. It takes readings from the connected building assets every five minutes and this data is then sent to the cloud and analysed to determine whether the building is functioning optimally.

If an anomaly is identified, the system can suggest possible causes to aid the engineer with diagnosing the root of the fault.

All this data is presented via our Building Advisor Dashboard, which can be modified to the user’s preferences by selecting preferred modules.

Through this, we can quickly identify what the performance of the building is in terms of comfort, energy and maintenance, which is displayed on a custom dashboard with the scores attributed to each area and the trends over time.

In terms of energy efficiency, this helps us to spot any opportunities for increased performance and reliability. 

For the building’s occupants it also means that they can work in the way that best suits them. So, for example, if a student likes to work in colder temperatures they can do so. Similarly, they can search for quieter or darker places to work.

Make sure you check out the latest edition of Energy Digital Magazine and also sign up to our global conference series - Sustainability LIVE 2024

Energy Digital is a BizClik brand