Release Date 16 May 2013

The University has successfully bid for funding of £500,000 which will contribute to making the University's campuses more energy efficient.

The University has an ambitious target of reducing its own carbon footprint by 35% by 2015/16 and has already achieved 50% of this target. This new funding, from the Higher Education Funding Council for England's Revolving Green Fund, will be used for a range of energy efficiency programmes, including expanding energy metering, upgrading lighting, building insulation and heating control.

The University was awarded the maximum funding possible under the £10 million scheme, in recognition of its strong track record in reducing carbon emissions through strategic investment in green technologies and behavioural-change programmes. All the projects identified for this funding have a maximum payback period of 6.5 years.

Dan Fernbank, Energy Manager at University of Reading said: "This new maximum grant demonstrates the confidence of the HE Funding Council in the work we are doing to achieve a 35% reduction in our carbon footprint. We have made excellent progress to date, most recently recognized by the award of Platinum EcoCampus status. This new funding will be invested in areas where we can demonstrate a quick return on investment, ensuring that our own environmental management practice is of the highest standard."

The Revolving Green Fund is open to all higher education institutions in England and the £500,000 award to the University of Reading is a significant proportion of HEFCE's overall energy efficiency funding of £10 million.

More information about the University of Reading's environmental management programme can be found at www.reading.ac.uk/cleanandgreen