Member Spotlight: Owning and controlling energy assets is the key to carbon reduction success for Keele University

Member Spotlight: Owning and controlling energy assets is the key to carbon reduction success for Keele University

Keele University is achieving significant energy and carbon savings through the development of its Low Carbon Energy Generation Park (LCEG). At the heart of this initiative is the Smart Energy Network Demonstrator (SEND), an integrated energy management system that optimises generation, distribution, demand, and storage across the campus. Beyond cutting consumption, the energy park and campus serve as a living laboratory, supporting research and the testing of emerging smart energy technologies. We sat down with Ashley Dean, SEND Utilities Distribution Manager at Keele to find out more. 

How does your Low Carbon Energy Generation Park (LCEG) help the University meet its carbon reduction goals? 

Keele’s Low Carbon Energy Generation Park generates clean energy directly on campus and reduces dependence on grid electricity. The park integrates 4.4 MW of solar generation from 12,220 LONGi panels and 1.7 MW of wind capacity from Enercon turbines. This renewable generation is supported by a 1 MW / 2 MWh lithium‑ion phosphate battery, which stores surplus energy produced on site. The battery shifts this stored electricity to periods when renewable generation is low, reducing the University’s carbon impact and minimising the reliance on imported electricity.  

By maximising the use of on‑site renewable power, this integrated system lowers Keele’s operational emissions and strengthens the University’s pathway toward significant decarbonisation.   

How does the Smart Energy Network Demonstrator (SEND) manage energy demand and distribution around the campus? 

SEND is the digital and operational “brain” of Keele’s campus‑wide energy system, intelligently coordinating how electricity is generated, distributed, stored, and consumed across our 600‑acre living lab. As Keele owns all its underground energy infrastructure, SEND can monitor and control the network in real time, overseeing the flow of renewable power from the Low Carbon Energy Generation Park into our 30 substations, each serving academic buildings, residences, or the business park.  

SEND plays a crucial role in balancing energy supply and demand. When our solar and wind systems generate more electricity than the campus needs, SEND prevents breaches of our ≈1.5 MW export limit by diverting excess energy into the industrial battery, turning on electric boilers to displace gas on our heat networks, or producing hydrogen via our electrolyser for low‑carbon transport. The facility also monitors the carbon intensity of our imported electricity, so decisions can be made to reduce consumption from assets or discharge the renewable park’s industrial battery. 

How do you engage your staff, students and the wider community with your carbon reduction goals? 

Keele engages staff, students, and the wider community by embedding sustainability across the whole university experience. This includes teaching, campus life, and operations, driven by the UN Sustainable Development Goals that underpin Keele’s approach. Staff and students have participated through Carbon Literacy training, volunteering, curriculum‑linked activities, and hands‑on learning opportunities that help every student graduate with a “sustainability lens”. 

The University fosters community engagement through public events, outreach programmes, and local partnerships, promoting sustainable practices beyond campus.  Keele also uses its campus as a living-lab to involve students, researchers, staff, and external partners in low‑carbon innovation. 

How does TEC support the University’s energy and carbon reduction strategy?  

TEC helps the University manage the financial and operational risks associated with volatile energy markets.  Keele benefits from expert market monitoring and forward‑purchasing, ensuring that electricity and gas are bought at competitive prices even during periods of wider market instability. More recently, TEC’s proactive response to the US-Iran crisis has highlighted the benefits of TEC’s forward buying strategy. 

TEC’s regular reporting enables Keele to plan effectively and align energy purchasing with its broader decarbonisation work. This financial stability is essential as the University transitions to greater on‑site renewable generation and relies more heavily on smart systems like SEND to minimise carbon emissions. This enables Keele to focus investment and operational effort on expanding low‑carbon infrastructure.  

How does Keele’s approach to carbon reduction support University research? 

The SEND platforms are core research assets for the University, providing academics, students, and industry partners with access to real‑time data, a private energy network, and a living‑lab environment where new ideas can be tested at campus scale. Because SEND integrates data from the Low Carbon Energy Generation Park, building meters, substations, grid carbon intensity and weather feeds, researchers can analyse how renewable energy behaves in real‑world conditions and model new approaches to forecasting, optimisation, and carbon‑aware control.  

The Low Carbon Energy Generation Park itself is a useful research asset, with a standout example being Biogain, a long‑term research project based at the solar farm that is monitoring biodiversity over the full lifespan of the site.  By comparing areas under the panels, between the rows, and in control zones, the project is building a uniquely comprehensive dataset that will inform future solar‑farm design and management. 

How are the learnings from your energy management system used to inform national and international energy policy? 

SEND provides real‑world evidence on how distributed renewables, storage, smart controls, and demand‑response can be integrated across electricity, heat, transport, and gas networks. Because of this unique capability, Keele has become a destination for national and international policymakers, research leaders, energy companies, and government departments seeking practical insights into the future of low‑carbon energy systems.  Projects such as HyDeploy, the UK’s first trial of hydrogen blending in a live gas network, have fed directly into national conversations on future low‑carbon heating pathways and regulatory frameworks.  

What advice would you give to other institutions looking at developing energy generation centres? 

My advice is to approach any initiative as both an engineering project and a long‑term strategic investment. Embed academic involvement from the very beginning to ensure research, teaching, and operational needs are fully aligned. 

Start by developing a deep understanding of your existing energy estate, such as  how your buildings use energy, where the major loads sit, and how your networks  are configured. This foundation is essential for designing an energy system that is  resilient, efficient, and optimised for your specific context.  

Second, prioritise open, interoperable systems. Choosing technologies and  platforms that use open protocols will ensure your data can be shared, integrated,  and used effectively across different systems, research platforms, and operational  tools. The system will also be more robust and easier to repair if a particular  product is discontinued.