Inspired supports university in reaching renewables milestone

After three years of meticulous negotiations, Inspired PLC has supported The University of Manchester in taking a major step towards its 2038 zero carbon ambitions with a Corporate Power Purchase Agreement (CPPA).

As a result of this agreement, up to 65% of the University’s electricity demand will be supplied through Enviromena’s 104,000-panel solar farm based in Medebridge, Essex.

A CPPA, a long-term energy contract between a corporate customer and a renewable power generator/developer, is an increasingly popular choice for organisations seeking to decarbonise.

Sean Cameron, Managing Director of I&C Energy Intensive at Inspired PLC, commented:

“We are proud to have played a role in The University of Manchester being able to power their students’ daily pursuit for knowledge with solar.

“Universities face unique challenges when it comes to decarbonisation: they have expansive, often historical estates and must navigate the government’s expectations to decarbonise, all the while offering world-class education.

“As every sector must assess their operations for UK to reach its net-zero target, a CPPA can play a powerful role in setting their decarbonisation ambitions in motion.”

(Medebridge solar farm. Photo credit: Enviromena)

In 2022, the University appointed Inspired to undertake CPPA feasibility assessment and manage the public tender to evaluate, review and place a CPPA provider.

After thoroughly investigating what type of CPPA solution was right for the University, a public procurement exercise was completed and the Medebridge solar project was selected.

The CPPA commits the University to purchase 80% of Medebridge’s total annual generation capacity, around 58 GWh, for the next decade. This is set to reduce the University’s carbon emissions by 12,000 t/co2 every year.

“Working with Inspired PLC on our Corporate Power Purchase Agreement (CPPA) has been an exceptionally positive experience for The University of Manchester,”

Lee Barlow, Finance & Administration Manager at The University of Manchester, commented.

“As the CPPA was a brand-new venture for the Institution, the expertise provided by Inspired, especially during the early stages of the market testing period, was incredibly valuable.

“As can be expected with such complex agreements, there were many hurdles along the way, but the Inspired team always made themselves available, offering clear and concise advice, even at short-notice and outside social hours. It was very reassuring to know that the support we needed was only one quick phone call away.

“Due to some exceptional forensic work conducted by the Inspired team, the University was able to save a substantial sum during the final contract negotiations. These savings will be reinvested to enhance the student experience, providing long-term benefits for our students and wider stakeholders.

“We look forward to continuing our collaboration with Inspired PLC and highly recommend their services to anyone looking to deploy a CPPA within a large organisation.”

Lee Adams, Enviromena’s Chief Commercial Officer, said:

“This significant partnership with The University of Manchester demonstrates the shared commitment between ourselves and an influential, large-scale organisation, which, at the time it celebrates its 200-year anniversary, is taking steps towards reducing its carbon footprint through the technologies of tomorrow for a cleaner future energy supply.”