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Projects and Development

The University is committed to sustainability throughout all of our building projects and development across all campuses.

All projects and development works are thoroughly assessed and implemented with Sustainability in mind and as such, ensures that each project is aimed at reducing carbon and greenhouse gas emissions, uses or produces greener energy and reduces overall energy usage in line with the Â鶹´«Ã½ Carbon Management Plan. We also ensure that the minimisation of waste and recycling whilst projects are carried out, is at the forefront from the very start of the project. 

In collaboration with Suffolk Climate Change Partnership in March 2019, we installed a 30kwp solar PV array on the Atrium Building, which is additionally providing innovative research opportunities. 

Further solar panel installation on the library roof was carried out in 2019, along with upgrades of some of our building stock to ensure energy efficiency is optimised and a further drive towards a low carbon campus.

In conjunction with both the UOS Travel Plan and Carbon Plan, the University has taken a step towards decarbonisation across its estate and have enabled staff to charge their electric vehicle on campus. Four charging stations of up to 7.2kw has been made available on North Campus, with further exploration to add further units in the near future.

The Â鶹´«Ã½ and BT Adastral Park has partnered together to design and construct the future of sustainable living 'Smart House'.  

Built from innovative materials, the Smart House enables research into sustainability performance and suitability for new housing of the future. With both the current energy and living crisis in mind, the Smart House utilises solar renewable energy, is made from breathable, thermal insulating panels and the heating technology that allows the house to effectively measure the temperature inside and out, which allows the heating to warm or cool the house accordingly.  

This project will allow research to be carried out on sustainable living via a completely off-grid form of accommodation.

The Â鶹´«Ã½ has partnered with Suffolk County Council to provide an ambitious and successful energy efficiency solution within The Hold Ipswich to help make the county carbon neutral by 2030, which also ties heavily with the Universities objective of a 48% reduction against baseline emissions.  

The project involved research around Battery Storage Technology, which would export connection of 100kva to cover low usage period over the weekends, with 300kW of availability across 95.9% of the settlement periods. The Energy Storage system communicates directly with onsite equipment such as the Solar PV array and has the potential for adding an EV charging infrastructure on site

The Â鶹´«Ã½ has partnered with The Eden Rose Coppice to reinvigorate the Brickmakers Wood site, located to the rear of the Arts Building. Brickmakers wood has a profound history in Ipswich, dating back to pre-20th Century, and was a prolific location in both World War 1 & World War 2.

In recent years, Brickmakers Wood has seen an impactful and inspiring renovation, and is now a 'Living Lab' for biodiversity. Two designated pond areas designed to attract wildlife and plants, all via the course of nature. At the peak of the wood, both the UOS and Eden Rose Project has built a living space that allows visitors to experience what clean air is like. With an innovative air conditioning system, air is filtered through the living space and is rid of toxins and pollutants before being pumped into the living space. 

The Eden Rose Project also hosts a variety of activities for young children and students such as woodworking, orienteering, biodiversity studies and much more.