April 13, 2010 - The University of Sheffield has entered into a £3.8 million strategic partnership agreement with energy and building management specialist Schneider Electric.Believed to be the first of its kind in the UK education sector, the performance-based agreement is set to deliver up to £500,000 annual savings - £360,000 of which is guaranteed – and releases capital for investments that will lower energy consumption, slash the University’s carbon footprint, and deliver an enhanced working environment for staff and students.The combined facility improvement and 10-year support deal covers 38 buildings and 120,000 m2 of the University’s estate.
The technical investment programme – which incorporates mechanical services, lighting services, and control systems - will deliver direct energy savings of 15-20% and is expected to cut CO2 emissions across the entire campus by 1.68 million kg per annum.Additional operational and environmental performance gains will be achieved through lower annual maintenance costs and a human behaviour change programme.As Neil Cameron, Director of Estates, University of Sheffield, explains: “Entering into a strategic partnership has enabled us to investigate new and emerging innovative technology – with Schneider Electric taking on the risk of its performance.
Efficiency will always be an investment for the future, and funds that would have been spent on energy bills can now be diverted elsewhere.”John Cleaver, Strategic Business Solutions Director, Schneider Electric, concludes: “By taking a strategic approach to energy management, the University of Sheffield has embarked on a project that delivers guaranteed performance without the resource implications and risks of managing that performance itself, and is now well positioned to achieve tough new sustainability targets.”
As a global specialist in energy management, with operations in more than 100 countries, Schneider Electric offers integrated solutions across multiple market segments and has leadership positions in energy and infrastructure, industrial processes, building automation and data centres/networks, as well as a broad presence in residential applications.Focused on making energy safe, reliable and efficient, the company's 114,000 employees achieved sales of more than 18.3 billion euros in 2008 through an active commitment to helping individuals and organisations “Make the most of their energy.”