While many universities are stuck in the past when it comes to sustainability – relying on outdated systems and often wasting energy – the University of East London (UEL) is forging a path to net zero. Since 2019, UEL and Siemens have been centring digitization and sustainability, transforming selected buildings to create a model of what a net zero campus can be. The partnership’s impact is already measurable: UEL’s energy overhaul is slashing utility costs by over £500,000 annually and emissions by more than 1,000 tonnes.
How are they making this happen?
UEL has set a target to reach net zero emissions by 2030 – but big goals don’t mean much without effective execution. With Siemens’s support, UEL is taking concrete steps to reduce its environmental impact, aiming to achieve the lowest emissions per student in the UK by 2026:
- Lighting up efficiency.
Over 11,000 fitted LED lights and 35 upgraded building management systems (BMSs) are already cutting 470 tonnes of CO₂ every year. - Tapping into the Thames.
The UK’s largest university water-source heat pump is coming online, using river energy to heat the Library and Royal Docks Centre for Sustainability. The result? A 258-tonne CO₂ reduction and a campus with strengthened resilience. - Powering the future.
A 1.7MW solar PV system is already producing 1.2GWh of clean electricity annually, covering 10% of UEL’s energy needs – with more to come.
The information behind the impact
UEL’s sustainability transformation isn’t just about hardware – the real magic happens in the data. The university has deployed Siemens’s Building X digital platform as the central intelligence system, continuously gathering, analysing and acting on data to keep campus operations running at peak efficiency, through:
- Real-time energy optimization: sensors and analytics track energy consumption patterns, automatically adjusting supply to occupancy, to eliminate waste and improve efficiency.
- Predictive maintenance: AI-powered diagnostics detect anomalies in building systems, identifying potential failures to anticipate downtime and prevent costly maintenance.
- Adaptive building performance: data-driven automation enables HVAC, lighting and security systems to adjust dynamically to occupancy levels, ensuring both comfort and efficiency.
For UEL, sustainability is just the beginning: the real impact is on the people who study and work there. Tackling air pollution and environmental challenges head-on, the implementation of smart ventilation, AI-powered air quality monitoring and enhanced climate control aren’t just reducing emissions – they’re creating cleaner classrooms, healthier spaces and a better learning environment.
Universities looking to follow UEL’s lead should start by looking at their data. Can they see what’s happening inside their buildings? Without the ability to track energy use, predict maintenance needs and optimize performance, sustainability initiatives can only achieve so much. The path to net zero is paved with tools needed to make it happen.
