Revolving Green Fund

Revolving Green Fund 3

Up to £20 million in recoverable grants will be available in a third round of the Revolving Green Fund (RGF3). 

Funds will be targeted in two areas: small-scale energy efficiency programmes, and retrofit projects.

Institutions are not required to make an institutional contribution. 

• How to bid for the fund

Revolving Green Fund 2

£10.8 million was allocated under the second round of the Revolving Green Fund (RGF2), which includes £4 million recycled from RGF1.

A total of 27 HEIs were awarded funding under RGF2. This includes four larger projects to be undertaken at the universities of Bradford, Derby, Exeter and Plymouth:

• The project at the University of Bradford is to transform the library from an energy-intensive 'E' rated building to an 'A' rating that will deliver a service for future generations with minimal environmental impact. The space will also be altered to provide greater flexibility of use.
• The University of Derby project is to install Light-Emitting Diode (LED) lighting throughout the campus. Fluorescent lamps will be replaced with LED lights and controls will ensure that lights are only illuminated when needed, significantly reducing electricity consumption.
• The University of Exeter project focuses on Cornwall House, an energy-wasteful 1960s building on the university campus. Retrofitting will radically improve the energy rating of the building. The project will focus on 12 kinds of retrofit, including fabric improvements, metering and ventilation improvements.
• The Plymouth University project is to create the world's first integrated Information Communication Technology (ICT) and Building Energy Management System (BEMS), a system that can control all energy-consuming devices and systems in public or private buildings. The aim is for this to lead to step-changes in energy performance and behavioural change at the university.

• More about the outcomes of RGF2
• More about the invitation to apply for funding under RGF2

Revolving Green Fund 1

The first round of the Revolving Green Fund (RGF1) is a partnership fund between HEFCE and Salix Finance Ltd. £30 million was available (£20 million from HEFCE and £10 million from Salix Finance Ltd). RGF1 has two strands, one for institutional small projects (ISP) and another 'transformational' strand for large, exemplar projects.

We published details of how to apply to the first round of the fund and the outcomes of the consultation in 2008. We invited institutions to submit expressions of interest for remaining ISP strand funding in 2009.

Outcomes of the transformational strand

£10 million of HEFCE funding was allocated to three HEIs:

• The University of East Anglia for a biomass energy centre at its Norwich campus. This is the first plant for the production of heat and power from biomass residues in England.
• Harper Adams University College for anaerobic digestion using farm and food waste to generate renewable power.
• Lancaster University for a turbine to significantly reduce CO₂ emissions from electricity consumption and reduce reliance on imported electricity.

Outcomes of the ISP strand

57 HEIs were awarded funding under the ISP fund.

• More on outcomes of the first round

Evaluation of the Revolving Green Fund

In 2010 we commissioned an evaluation of the Revolving Green Fund. This showed that the fund is successfully meeting its aims by providing a major mechanism for HEIs to invest in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

• 'Evaluation of the Revolving Green Fund: a report to HEFCE'

Further information

For more information on sustainable development contact Andrew Smith, tel 0117 931 7001, e-mail sustainabledevelopment@hefce.ac.uk.

Page last updated 16 November 2012