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The University of York (UoY) operates a diverse and complex estate, including science buildings, libraries, lecture theatres, sports centres and have a total of 850 energy meters across the university. SSE Digital Services played a vital role in supporting UoY’s sustainability goals by optimising its infrastructure, reducing its energy consumption and carbon emissions.

Strategic Energy Management and Optimisation Partnership at UoY

SSE Digital Services provides a comprehensive suite of services, including 24/7 remote monitoring and use of our Business Energy Intelligence (BEI) platform, as part of an Energy Partnership Service (EPS). The service also includes billing reports for both external and internal invoicing. The team strategically managed UoY’s extensive metering infrastructure and conducted planned remote annual energy optimisation deep dives into selected buildings on a three-year rotation. This approach identified energy-saving opportunities and informed actionable recommendations for UoY’s engineers.

Managing UoY’s extensive estate for a greener future.

The collaboration between SSE and UoY extended to providing technical expertise for projects aimed at improving energy performance. Remote monitoring significantly reduced the need for on-site visits, further lowering UoY’s carbon footprint. SSE Digital Services’ BEI platform was used to compile and present UoY’s information and consumption trends in a range of reports, identifying opportunities for savings and improvements.

The EPS integrated sub-metering and BEI to support energy saving through SSE’s Smart Infrastructure Operational Centre. BEI interpreted and utilised metering data to deliver actionable insights, enabling strategic decision-making complemented by targeted energy audits conducted remotely. The system was supported by technical expertise, combining a robust infrastructure with remote assistance capabilities. The partnership included scheduled audits, system upgrades, and on-demand technical support to ensure continuous optimisation.

From Data to Decisions, to Drive Decarbonisation.

Energy management was the central focus, utilising data to improve the efficiency of the estate BEMS. The BEI platform provided insights into energy consumption, enabling UoY to monitor and target usage. Sub-meters tracked gas, electricity, and heat to the lowest practical level. The BEI platform compared zones, buildings, occupancy patterns, and performance against historical data, identifying energy waste, underperformance, and cost-saving opportunities, including sudden increases in energy use.

Detailed audit reports analysed various components such as actuators, pressure sensors, and Air Conditioning Unit (ACU) health, providing actionable recommendations to enhance system performance. By aligning data insights with savings opportunities and fostering client collaboration, the partnership drove ongoing energy optimisation and improvement.

The EPS greatly benefited the buildings and the environment by enhancing energy efficiency, minimising waste, and reducing CO2 emissions. One of the chemistry buildings known as Chemistry Block F, reduced its electricity consumption by 54,000 kWh and 7.97 tCO2e. Another building Biology Block C, cut its heat usage by 426,000 kWh and 71.4 tCO2e, in addition to Biology Block K, which saved 243,000 kWh of gas and 53.02 tCO2e. The ability to remotely monitor each building allowed for the identification of inefficiencies and opportunities for improvement. Insights provided included detailed building information, utility data such as consumption, metering, and carbon footprint, consumption benchmarks, and comparative reports. This wealth of data enabled precise actions to optimise performance.

SSE Digital Services reviewed and discussed each report with UoY, providing actionable recommendations such as investigating faulty pressure sensors, adjusting timeclock settings to align with operational needs, and ensuring the proper functioning of cooling units and heating valves. These targeted measures helped prevent energy waste and supported sustainable building management. By consistently applying the system’s insights to operations, UoY drove continuous improvement, ensuring buildings operated efficiently. These efforts highlighted the system’s role in advancing both sustainability and financial objectives.

Ensuring Results

The overall level of energy savings secured by the EPS between SSE and UoY was substantial. Detailed consumption data from key buildings reviewed in the last year demonstrated significant savings. Across 21 planned observed buildings between 2023 and 2024, the total energy savings included 231,402 kWh of electricity (4.55%), 510,180 kWh of gas (8.74%) with a reduction of 110 tCO₂e (8.86%), and 417,296 kWh of heat (9.2%) with a reduction of 51.78 tCO₂e (6.24%). These reductions reflected the EPS’s ability to monitor building performance and identify inefficiencies remotely. By analysing consumption, carbon footprints, and benchmarks, the system generated actionable insights. The data-driven approach of the EPS ensured continuous improvement, demonstrating its effectiveness in advancing UoY’s energy efficiency and sustainability objectives.

Sarah Brown, the Energy, Carbon, and Utilities Manager at the University of York, praised the exceptional partnership with SSE Energy Solutions.

“Through their tailored approach integrating multiple services including remote monitoring, metering, and BEI, SSE has provided transformative support across our university estate. Their expertise has delivered proven results, including significant savings estate-wide with notable reductions in gas, electricity and heat usage.”

Sarah continued to say and highlighted significant advancements in energy efficiency and sustainability goals achieved through SSE’s innovative collaboration services.

“SSE’s system excels in identifying inefficiencies, offering many suggestions through detailed reports. These suggestions range from plant equipment failures and health to optimisation strategies, all contributing to a greener and more cost-effective campus.

Results

Electricity
19.2% Reduction in heat usage
Gas
28.74% decrease in gas consumption
Carbon savings
3Saving 161.78 tCO₂e
SSE Illustration