Decarbonisation Progresses on Campus with Replacement Boiler Project

June 11, 2025

Decarbonisation efforts continue on campus as we progress to explore and implement new ways to heat our buildings, by moving away from natural gas and transitioning to greener alternatives.

In May (2025), a major milestone has been reached with the completion of the SERSF and Stella Turk Replacement Boiler Project. Five gas boilers have now been replaced with four air source heat pumps.

We are pleased to report that the new heating system is now fully operational. The hot water and the heating (in the months that we need it) in SERSF and Stella Turk, is supplied by the heat pump system which has been successfully installed onto the roof of the SERSF building.

The complex operation to install the system involved lifting the heat pumps into place by crane, fixing them to the roof with a base bracket and laying new pipework and connections for the two buildings.
The project is a direct result of feasibility studies carried out in 2021 by WSP, which identified moving away from gas heating as one of the key areas to help the Universities of Exeter and Falmouth achieve their ambitious net-zero decarbonisation targets by 2040.

A conservative estimate predicts that the system will deliver annual savings of over 102 tonnes of CO₂ emissions. However, it is likely to be more than this due to the potential efficiency gains and changes we have made in replacing the heating system, which could further improve performance.

The Replacement Boiler Project is the first in a series of other significant decarbonisation projects taking place on campus, as we strive to innovate and adopt new technologies to help the Universities reach our shared sustainability goals.

Other ongoing projects include the LED Lighting System Upgrades, a Pilot Eco-Block Project at Glasney Park Block A (the first of its kind), the continued replacement of dated Solar Photovoltaic panels and an expansion of the Electric Vehicle charging facilities on campus.

If you have any questions or would like more information about decarbonisation on campus, please contact the Sustainability team on sustainability@fxplus.ac.uk.