Wadham College, University of Oxford

Wadham College has deployed an AI-driven distributed energy management system to support its sustainability strategy. 

Eyesense, which consists of a series of high-tech sensors, enables the College to monitor room occupancy, heating, lighting and electricity usage in real time. Its implementation across the College has led to significant energy, cost and carbon reduction.  

The decarbonisation journey

Wadham College, one of the largest colleges at Oxford University, has created a dedicated sustainability strategy for its campus. The College aims to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2035 with interim targets for 2030. Central to this is the commitment to reduce energy consumption. In addition to rolling out Eyesense across 336 rooms, the College has introduced a range of energy efficiency measures across its estate. This includes installing LED lighting, fitting secondary glazing on listed buildings (where this is allowed) and installing electric boilers in the main college. 

Carbon and energy savings

In October – December 2023 the College reduced its energy use by 113,750 kWh (£6,825) compared with the same period in the previous year. Key to this was the installation of Eyesense monitors. The technology, which uses occupancy control, saves more than twice as much energy as conventional smart radiator valves. 

Benefits

• Supporting the College’s decarbonisation strategy 

• Cutting energy waste 

• Improving visibility of energy usage in individual rooms  

• Improving student/employee comfort 

• Better energy accounting for the College’s net zero plan  

• Identifying heating failures which were not visible on the Building Management System