2021/22 Q2 Energy Review

24 May 2022

Every quarter the UCC Energy Management team meet to review UCC's electrical and gas consumption and performance. The most recent energy review took place at the end of April and the information presented at the meeting can be found 2021_22 Q2 Energy Review

Electrical use forecast 21,980,000 kWh -10% increase

At the end of March UCC's electrical use for the Academic year stood at 10.1 GWh, just below the forecasted use of 10.2 GW/h. To put that amount of electrical use into perspective, it would be enough electricity to power just under 2,000 homes for a year. While the electrical use increased on the same period of 2020/21, our consumption is still running below our baseline of 2018/19.

The electrical consumption of our significant energy users ( SEU's) are back to pre COVID levels with the exception of the Westen Gateway building and Boole Library. Through close management and with smart ventilation controls in place the Gateway building is managing to run well below its baseline consumption as space use, in particular the evening and weekend bookings, has yet to return to normal levels. The Boole Library, who have done incredible work in reducing its energy use over the years, saw a significant increase in electrical energy use. The increase is due to the new ventilation protocols put in place as well as the extended library opening times.

Natural Gas use increased by 14%, when weather effects are considered. With the revised ventilation protocols in place the heat load for Campus buildings has increased significantly, a trend that is expected to continue until the end of the heating season (May).

You can find out more about our energy performance by clicking on the recent review and further information on our energy management can be found 20/21 Energy Performance