12 | FOREVER Keele
PIONEERING renewable energy park
OFFICIALLY OPENED AT KEELE UNIVERSITY
A pioneering renewable energy park at Keele University producing up to 50 % of the campus ’ electricity has been officially opened at a ceremony this week .
The Low Carbon Energy Generation park , built in partnership with low-carbon technology specialists EQUANS , features an array of 12,500 solar panels and two wind turbines , which generate clean , renewable energy for the Keele campus and neighbouring communities .
With combined battery storage , the site supplies up to 50 % of the campus ’ electricity requirements , and any excess energy generated is fed back into the local power grid to serve neighbouring local communities , passing the benefit on to them .
The park is linked to a Smart Energy Network Demonstrator ( SEND ), a state-of-the-art realtime energy management system designed and installed in partnership with SIEMENS UK , which optimises the balancing of generation , distribution , demand and storage across the campus .
The SEND provides a genuine “ living laboratory ” for testing smart energy technologies , a setting for professional development in new approaches to sustainable energy management , and research & innovation projects with local supply chains .
The park was officially opened this week by Keele ’ s outgoing Chancellor , Sir Jonathan Porritt in his final Keele engagement , alongside Professor Zoe Robinson – Director of Keele ’ s Institute for Sustainable Futures , and Chris Langdon , Business Consultant from EQUANS – who delivered the energy park .
Professor Mark Ormerod , Deputy Vice- Chancellor and Provost at Keele University , and the University ’ s lead for sustainability , said : “ It ’ s fantastic to have such a major low carbon energy generation capability on our campus , which already generated almost 50 % of our total campus electricity needs in March . As we move into the summer months , we will see it generating well in excess of our campus electricity requirements , resulting in significant quantities of renewable energy being exported to the local community .
“ This outstanding facility has been developed through a tremendous partnership with EQUANS . The direct integration of significant battery storage capability with Europe ’ s largest Smart Energy Network Demonstrator is particularly exciting , and will result in significantly increased energy efficiency on campus .