Keele University

Keele University declared a climate emergency in 2019 and is committed to achieving significant carbon savings by 2030. The institution is now achieving impressive energy and carbon reduction savings following the development of a Low Carbon Energy Generation Park. This is managed by the Smart Energy Network Demonstrator (SEND) – an energy management eco-system which balances energy generation, distribution, demand and storage across the campus.  The energy park not only reduces consumption and carbon but is also used for research, testing new and emerging smart energy technologies. In this way Keele’s campus has become a ‘living laboratory’, helping to inform the national and international energy sector. 

Sustainability Journey in Action

The Low Carbon Energy Generation Park (LCEG) – which includes two wind turbines, an industrial size battery for storing the generated energy, and 12,220 ground mounted solar panels – was operational in late 2021. The LCEG provides approximately 50% of the campus’ annual electricity from renewable sources. When the campus shifts from exporting to importing electricity, the battery discharges to offset grid demand, reducing overall electricity consumption and improving the campus’s carbon footprint. 

The University also has two district heat networks, supplied by both electric and gas boilers. This dualfuel setup allows the campus to switch between energy sources depending on whether excess renewable electricity is available. Excess electricity, where it can’t be stored in the battery, used, or converted to hydrogen via on-campus electrolysis, is being fed back to the local grid. As the hydrogen is generated from surplus renewable electricity, it qualifies as green hydrogen, which is used directly on campus, providing a platform for testing lowcarbon energy technologies. The hydrogen generated is currently used to fuel vehicles and support ongoing research. 

Next steps

The Low Carbon Energy Generation Park and the SEND project are longterm initiatives that underpin sustained carbon reduction and drive innovative research across the Keele campus.  

The LCEG is also home to BioGain, a research project monitoring biodiversity trends over the lifespan of a solar farm. Keele is planning to further expand its renewables park and increase the electrification of campus heating through additional airsource and groundsource heat pumps. The University aims to ensure future developments are built to exemplary standards, reducing energy demand from the outset. Alongside this, Keele is exploring wider applications for its stored green hydrogen and continuing to collaborate with external partners on energy optimisation and dynamic demand management solutions. 

Read our blog with Ash Dean, to find out more about this project.