Beckfoot Trust Inspires with Energy-saving Approach

The Beckfoot Trust’s Environmental Strategy, using the Re:fit framework, achieved substantial energy and cost savings, reducing carbon emissions while educating students and the community on sustainability.

The Beckfoot Trust developed an Environmental Strategy including a commitment to become more sustainable and energy efficient. Utilising the Re:fit framework, the Trust was able to inspire and educate young students and the community about climate change and sustainability while making lasting change to the organisation’s energy use and efficiency. 

The Challenge:

Beckfoot Trust is a Multi-Academy Trust family of primary, secondary and special schools in Bradford, West Yorkshire. The Trust’s vision is No Child Left Behind and they aim to create remarkable schools that represent the communities they serve. The Trust runs 10 schools on 9 sites with over 7,000 pupils. Its estate includes Victorian and modern school buildings.

The Trust has committed to becoming a more sustainable and energy efficient organisation, and developed an Environmental Strategy that set out how it would meet the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals for the benefit of the whole community. A key part of this strategy was the implementation of the Re:fit framework with support provided by Local Partnerships.

The Solution:

Local Partnerships supported the Beckfoot Trust to understand and monitor their energy consumption with insights used to define a programme of work that improved the organisation’s energy efficiency. This included:

• Installation of LED lighting and lighting controls.
• Upgrading and optimisation of Building Management System. 
• Optimisation of heating, ventilation and A/C, including installing variable speed drivers, A/C controls and pipework insulation.
• Optimisation of equipment operating schedules. 
• Improvement of building fabric.
• Installation of 246 kW Solar PV, resulting in renewable energy for the Trust.
• Upgrade and optimisation of boilers.
• Water conservation, including pool cover and upgrading the filter system.

The Impact:

Through the Re:fit project, Beckfoot Trust is achieving long-term carbon, energy and cost savings. Outcomes include an annual reduction of 282 tonnes of carbon emissions, energy savings of over 1.3 MWh and reduction of £92,000 in energy costs. The upgrades are also significantly reducing annual energy and maintenance costs, and expanding the lifespan of existing equipment. These improvements are enhancing the welfare and comfort of the Trust’s pupils and staff while ensuring the optimal use of both current and future funding.

We are excited about the opportunities to use these newly installed systems, such as solar PV, to educate and inspire our young people, and the wider community, about the environment, climate change and sustainability.

Chris Burland, Operations Director, Beckfoot Trust

Links:

Beckfoot Trust

Ameresco case study: Beckfoot Trust