19th February 2024
South Devon College has turned up the heat on its ongoing sustainability plan by being one of only a few colleges in the UK to install a multi-million pound heat pump facility at its Vantage Point campus in Paignton, resulting in a significant reduction in the amount of carbon produced annually.
The installation has provided the College with a brand new, state-of-the-art heating and hot water system which is both more reliable and environmentally friendly than the old gas boiler equipment previously in use. The new system heats the whole 21,976 m2 campus, saving 335 tonnes of carbon per annum and completely negating the use of fossil fuels for space heating across the college.
The air source heat pumps were funded by the Government’s Salix grant, as part of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Fund, to the value of £2,067,865, together with a college contribution of £176,000. The grant also included an additional array of solar PV on the roof to offset some of the electricity required for the air source heat pumps.
An air source heat pump transfers heat from the air outside, via a heat exchanger, into water, which then heats the building using radiators and provides hot water.
Laurence Frewin, Principal and CEO of South Devon College, and Chris Harris, Head of Estates and Facilities, with the new heat pump
The College is focussed on achieving its 2030 Net Zero goals, so replacing the end-of-life boilers with a low carbon solution was a priority.
Laurence Frewin, Principal and CEO of South Devon College, said: “The new air source heat pumps dramatically improve the sustainability rating of the College buildings, whilst providing a more modern and efficient form of heating and hot water supply.
“We are proud to be ahead of the game with this – very few colleges in the UK have implemented a project such as this – and it is another significant step forward in achieving our Net Zero goals.”