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University of Warwick: Campus-Wide Energy Reduction
- 341,062 kWh saved annually
- 122 tonnes carbon saved per year
- 65% energy consumption reduction
- £21,000 annual savings
- 2.10-year payback period
The University of Warwick is one of Britain's leading universities with an ISO 14001-certified environmental management system. They operate a rolling programme of energy-saving measures and approached Quintex to reduce energy consumption across their campus kitchens.
The Challenge
Warwick operates three campus kitchens serving term-time schedules - breakfast, lunch, and dinner - plus conferencing facilities at weekends and holidays. Fans ran for extended hours regardless of actual cooking activity. The university needed measurable savings with a strong payback period to secure funding through Salix, which provides public sector financing for proven energy-saving technologies.
The Solution
Cheetah was installed across three campus kitchens. The system detects cooking activity and adjusts fan speeds automatically. High activity = higher fan speeds. Lower activity = reduced speeds. No cooking = minimum speeds. This matches the variable usage patterns of university catering.
The Results
Annual savings: 341,062 kWh, 122 tonnes of carbon, and £21,000 in costs. The 65% energy reduction achieved a 2.10-year payback period, meeting Salix funding criteria. Additional benefits include reduced maintenance costs and extended fan and motor lifespan. The successful payback enabled the university to secure Salix funding and reinvest savings into further energy projects.
Key Benefits
Warwick reduced energy consumption by 65% by matching ventilation to actual cooking demand instead of running fans constantly. The project met both environmental and financial goals while maintaining kitchen performance across varied operational schedules.