Derby College Group

Coal to the atmosphere’s soul!

Derby College Group’s (DCG) decarbonisation project involved a series of works that took place at the Broomfield Hall land-based and leisure college site during 2022. The most significant works within the project was removing three coal-fired boilers, which previously supplied the district heating system and hot water across the main area of the Broomfield Hall site and replacing these with six Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHP) and three Water Source Heat Pumps (WSHP).

In addition, the project also included: installing a new district heating pipe work to buildings with better insulated pipes being used; installing roof insulation to three buildings; fitting new windows in one building; installing PV panels to one building to help offset emissions produced by electricity from the ASHP and WSHP; and installing LED lighting to two buildings.

Overall, the works had a significant impact on DCG’s net zero plan, reducing the carbon emissions of the targeted areas by 11 times to what it was previously.

What the Judges Thought

The judges were particularly struck by the significant carbon reduction achieved. Congratulations on delivering a high-impact project that not only decarbonised the heating system but also embraced a comprehensive, whole-building strategy incorporating LED lighting, insulation, and photovoltaics.

What it Means to Win

“Winning this Green Gown Award is a testament to our Estates team's continuous efforts to enhance sustainability across our campuses and to achieve our Net Zero 2050 target. The work that has earned this award validates Derby College Group's efforts to incorporate environmental stewardship into every aspect of college operations.”

Heather Kelly, Deputy CEO

Top 3 Learnings

1. We reduced our carbon footprint removing the coal fired boilers by around 11 times.
2. Our electricity bill has gone up – however we are looking at ways of trying to reduce this.
3. The ASHP are not as noisy as expected!