Clean Cambridge strives for sustainable studying

The University of Cambridge is to install a new solar array in a new 150 hectare development in North West Cambridge. The scheme will provide 1,500 affordable home for university and college staff, will house 2,000 graduates and will have 100,000 squared meters dedicated to academic and research space. As well as academic buildings, there will be a local primary school, health centre, care home and private housing.

The solar array will provide these homes and academic buildings with sustainable and clean energy. It will be a 1,500-panel and 373kW array, enough to provide clean energy to the whole development.

The solar array is just one of the sustainability measures in place.

The vision for the new development is founded on sustainability. A third of it will be open space 'to create an environmentally rich area'. 2000 trees, plants and brambles will be planted to create this richness. The homes in the development will be designed and built to the Code for Sustainable Level 5. Non-residential buildings will be designed to achieve BREEAM Excellent. The development includes the largest water recycling system in the country and will have one of the largest underground bin systems in the UK.

It's promising to see the university strive towards clean energy, but there's still more to be done, considering the universities investments in fossil fuels. The Zero Carbon Society is leading a divestment campaign.

The campaign has been backed by Cambridge MP, Daniel Zeichner, who has said 'The Divestment campaign is a significant part of the battle against climate change'.