Forth Valley College marks Earth Day 2021 by outlining how they are the ‘perfect fit’ to host a new Renewables Training Centre.
Scotland will take centre stage in the fight to reduce climate change this year as the world converges on the COP 26 climate change conference in Glasgow in November.
At the same time Forth Valley College – working in partnership with the Energy Skills Partnership (ESP) with funding from the Green Economy Fund – are taking centre stage as one of nine colleges committed to establishing ‘Renewable & Energy Efficiency Training Centres’ across central and southern Scotland and driving the college sector’s efforts to help reduce carbon footprints and enhance the nation’s renewable energy sector.
And it would appear that Forth Valley College, in particular, is a perfect environmentally friendly fit for the initiative, as the College has just completed its ambitious estates plan.
This has seen FVC build three brand new state-of-the-art campuses in just nine years, in Alloa (opened 2011), Stirling (2012) and Falkirk (2020) at a cost of £128million… all with exceedingly high sustainability and energy efficiency standards and BREEAM ratings, ranging from Very Good to Excellent – putting them in the top 25%-10% of efficient new builds.
The Alloa and Stirling Campuses both pride themselves on using solar panels to heat hot water, utilising a rain water harvester (grey water) used for flushing toilets, offering a public electric vehicle dual charge point and boasting food waste stations that grind food waste to fine particles removing excess liquid and reducing waste by up to 80%.
The split new Falkirk Campus takes the new technologies to another level with solar photovoltaics used to generate electricity, a ground source heat pump to provide heating and power the chilled beams, which regulate the heating system in summer and in winter. It also has motion senor lights to save energy when not needed, but they do shine a light on a similar food waste station as the College’s other campuses.
Additionally Falkirk has two public electric vehicle dual charge points and one dual point dedicated for the College’s branded fleet of electric vehicles (available to use on each campus) which includes: two Nissan Leafs, two Kia Souls, two Renault Kangoo vans and one Vauxhall Corsa
And let’s not forget about the progressive sustainability policies which promote the use of six electric bikes available on short term loan to staff and students and how the College makes excellent use of an Active Travel Officer – funded post through Falkirk Council and the Smarter Choices, Smarter Places grant fund.
FVC has also championed Vegware compostable takeaway food containers and coffee cups used in all campus refectories and has encouraged ‘Keep Cups’ for staff and free FVC water bottles. The forward thinking outlook has not stopped there and since 2018 FVC has been at the forefront of the campaign to offer free environmentally friendly sanitary products available in all campuses.
The College also has a working partnership with Atalian Servest and are on a drive for sending zero waste to landfill, which includes upgrading corridor lights in Alloa and Stirling where possible to LED lights.
If ever there was a college deserving of hosting one of the new ‘Renewable & Energy Efficiency Training Centres’ it has to be Forth Valley College – Making Renewable Learning Work!
Happy Earth Day.