Keele's Low Carbon Energy Generation Park
Original video: https://youtu.be/_uYbLDxqMZw
Energy generation is now underway at the new Low Carbon Energy Generation Park on the Keele University campus, marking an important milestone in Keele's journey to become carbon neutral by 2030.
Featuring two wind turbines and 12,500 solar panels, as well as an industrial-sized battery to store the generated energy, the facility is generating up to 50% of the University’s campus electricity requirements from renewable sources, saving around 1,500 tonnes of carbon emissions each year.
Located at the back of the University's Science and Innovation Park, the multi-technology energy park became fully-operational in late 2021, with the official opening of the park taking place in April 2022.
Today, everyone has gathered for the official opening of the Low Carbon Energy Generation Park, which we are currently situated in. It has been generating electricity since September, but this marks the first opportunity for us to truly celebrate this remarkable achievement here at Keele. What we've developed includes 12,500 solar panels, 2 wind turbines, and a battery storage system, all seamlessly integrated into the campus infrastructure. This setup provides clean energy to power the Keele campus, and when the campus isn't drawing on this energy, it feeds surplus power into the grid, thus contributing to the overall renewable energy capacity in the UK.
This project is not only fantastic for reducing our carbon emissions at Keele but also serves as a valuable research resource. It allows us to explore how to manage energy usage on a scale comparable to a small town, optimizing the efficiency of the energy we generate. Keele University has long been committed to becoming as sustainable as possible, extending beyond energy issues to encompass biodiversity, waste management, and curriculum development. Having this project as a visible, iconic representation of our sustainability strategy is a significant milestone.
Keele, as our partner, has offered inspiring and holistic insights. Their perspective is comprehensive and far-reaching, and this project is just one piece of the broader puzzle. Everyone involved is enthusiastic about how it contributes to our overarching goals and the larger picture we're striving to achieve.