Buildings and development
We recognise the challenge of expanding and renewing our facilities for learning, whilst reducing our overall impact on the environment. We will design and embed sustainability standards into all new builds and refurbishment projects to mitigate these impacts, whilst evaluating ways to reach net zero emissions buildings.
Building Sustainably, BREEAM & Auditing
The University of Surrey has over 300 buildings ranging from 1960s buildings with poor thermal performance to modern state-of-the-art halls of residence that achieve BREEAM ‘Excellent’. The challenge for the University is to balance the energy performance of new developments with operational needs. These spaces should promote wellbeing and productivity, encompass flexible design and consider the embodied carbon of materials used.
The University follows a set of Sustainable Construction Principles (docx), and has committed to achieving BREEAM 'Excellent' in all new buildings and major refurbishment projects and uses this as the basis for any audits it needs to do during the design process. The University will include BREEAM water standards to minimise water use within its building projects no matter size in line with the 'Excellent' standard.
Successes so far include:
- Our Manor Park residences were awarded a BREEAM 'Excellent' rating and incorporate technologies such as energy-efficient lighting, occupancy sensors, high levels of insulation, combined heat and power technology and weather-compensated controls.
- The Surrey Sports Park, which opened in 2010, is rated BREEAM 'Very Good' and is heated by a biomass boiler using woodchip sourced from locally managed woodlands. Newly installed pool covers help conserve overnight heat by reducing evaporative losses.
- The University has almost 100kW of roof-mounted solar photovoltaic panels installed across a series of buildings including the 5G/6G Innovation Centre, the James Clerk Maxwell building used by the Institute for Communication Systems, the Advanced Technology Institute, the Innovation for Health building, the Veterinary School Main building and the Library and Learning Centre and we have plans for more.
Emissions & Discharges Plans & Audits
The University aims to reduce its impact on the environment by reducing emissions and discharges of polluting materials, either as gases, liquids or solid waste. The University has audited its key impacts, setting these out within an Emissions and Discharges Prevention Plan, as well as noting actions to address these impacts.
Campus investment
Our estate has been transformed throughout the years – including £130 million on student accommodation, £36 million on Surrey Sports Park, £16 million on the Library and Learning Centre and £4.5 million on the Ivy Arts Centre.
On top of this has come further investment in the form of a new £45 million School of Veterinary Medicine, £70 million support for the 5G/6G Innovation Centre, one of the world’s first research centres dedicated to mobile communications and future internet technologies, and the Kate Granger building, our new home for School of Health Sciences on Surrey Research Park.
The 5G/6G Innovation Centre incorporates solar panels and highly efficient lighting and heating.
Photovoltaic panels are used to generate electricity for the James Clerk Maxwell building used by the Institute for Communication Systems.
A combined heat power (CHP) plant is used to generate heat and electricity in our Manor Park campus residences.
Sustainable Development Goals
The University's aims to build sustainably actions several of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
