College shortlisted for award

Posted 23 February 2006

ENVIRONMENTALLY friendly staff and students at Harper Adams University College are in line to pick up a prestigious national award.

The Newport-based university college has been short-listed for the Green Gown Award after installing the UK’s first micro-turbine biomass generator.
The generator, which is capable of producing 100kWh of renewable electricity and 150kWh of heat, will be able to generate enough energy to provide a quarter of Harper Adams’ average electrical demand.
It is expected the generator, which is due to be officially unveiled later this spring, will also be able to provide 50 per cent of the heat needed for the students’ union building, the main conference building, the students’ union bar and two student halls of residence through a district heating system.
The Green Gown Awards are the benchmark of high quality performance in sustainable higher education. The awards are jointly sponsored by a range of sector organisations, environmental networks and the Royal Institution of British Architects.
Professor Wynne Jones, Principal of Harper Adams University College, said: “We are thrilled to be short-listed for this award.  The project is the result of a unique collaboration between one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of biomass systems, Talbott’s Engineering, and the University College. We aim to undertake research on the system and to demonstrate the practical benefits of biomass as a sustainable and secure source of energy.
“Just last week 250 delegates from across the UK attended a Bioenergy Conference at the University College.  They considered ways to tackle perceived problems with biomass systems such as the fuel supply chain and improvements to the efficiency of biomass as an energy source. 
“From the evidence of that meeting, many in the land-based sector are ready to support the introduction of energy crops to provide a ‘home grown’ approach to energy production that will also help the rural economy. The conference was also attended by public and private sector organisations to help generate new markets for biomass products.
“The recent Report of the Biomass Task Force, under the Chairmanship of Sir Ben Gill, has challenged us to be creative in our approach to the adoption of biomass. We are already putting our expertise into action so that higher education can demonstrate what could be achieved by the wider take up of this fast-developing technology.”
The Green Gown awards will be presented at the Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges (EAUC) conference in April. It is planned that speakers at the event will include the Secretary of State for the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.