Queen Margaret University is seeking Expressions of Interest from interested Suppliers for the development of a toolkit aimed at reducing carbon emissions from the existing Higher Education estate through the application of carbon reduction life cycle costing techniques. The Project is being co-ordinated by Queen Margaret University on behalf of the Association of University Directors of Estate. (AUDE) www.aude.ac.uk.
This project and tools will support the identification and implementation of all cost-effective solutions to improve energy efficiency, reduce energy consumption and associated energy and carbon costs. In addition the project will ensure that whole life costs are taken into account within the refurbishment decision making process, providing longer term reduced operational and maintenance costs. This project should also identify opportunities arising from changes in building use and maximising space efficiency, which are not traditionally captured under refurbishment or energy opportunity assessments.
The project will seek to build a sector specific toolkit that builds on existing work carried out throughout the sector, and encompass existing building modelling experience. There is a need to build this toolkit from scratch as existing building models are limited by their own intellectual property boundaries.
The project will result in a free resource for HE institutes - a toolkit to inform HEI asset management plans and allow estate managers to easily identify options for refurbishment priorities to reduce whole life energy costs and carbon emissions, and retrofit opportunities for reducing operating energy costs, as well as opportunities arising from changes of building use and maximising space efficiency.
Further information about the University is available at www.qmu.ac.uk.
Further information about the University is available at www.aude.ac.uk.

This project and tools will support the identification and implementation of all cost-effective solutions to improve energy efficiency, reduce energy consumption and associated energy and carbon costs. In addition the project will ensure that whole life costs are taken into account within the refurbishment decision making process, providing longer term reduced operational and maintenance costs. This project should also identify opportunities arising from changes in building use and maximising space efficiency, which are not traditionally captured under refurbishment or energy opportunity assessments.
The project will seek to build a sector specific toolkit that builds on existing work carried out throughout the sector, and encompass existing building modelling experience. There is a need to build this toolkit from scratch as existing building models are limited by their own intellectual property boundaries. The project will, therefore, seek to capture lessons from the private sector, other parts of the public sector and overseas. It will complement and build upon the policy development around sustainable matters and provide practicable measures for the sector. The information required for input into the tool may also stimulate further investigation into areas not previously considered for potential improvement, and may work to promote internal accountability and responsibility for energy savings throughout the organisations.
The project will result in a free resource for HE institutes - a toolkit to inform HEI asset management plans and allow estate managers to easily identify options for refurbishment priorities to reduce whole life energy costs and carbon emissions, and retrofit opportunities for reducing operating energy costs, as well as opportunities arising from changes of building use and maximising space efficiency.
The deliverables form the project would include:-.
— A dedicated project website, containing reports and other findings from the project, — A final report containing the detailed findings from the data analysis, including any quick wins, — A best practice guide containing case studies of where energy and emission reductions have been successfully applied within refurbishment projects in the HE sector and lessons learned, — A fully functional tool with a user finally interface and access to databases and relevant indices, — A toolkit user guide, — A workshop day aimed at University estate departments (and consultants).
It is anticipated that the project will be broken into 4 work stages, likely to comprise: — Work Stage 1: Development of background datasets: on both building characteristics and energy efficiency measures, and associated life cycle cost information.
Indicative timescale: 4 months; indicative budget 40,000 pounds.
— Work Stage 2: Development of toolkit framework: Building of model and development of base case scenarios.
Indicative timescale: 5 months, indicative budget 60,000 pounds.
— Work Stage 3: Model outputs and Marginal Abatement Cost Curve development.
Indicative timescale: 2 months, indicative budget: 35,000 pounds.
— Work Stage 4: Pilot of Toolkit.
Indicative timescale: 4 months, indicative budget 15,000 pounds.
These work stages each have indicative budgets, as the availability of full budget commitment may dictate that we only partially progress the full work programme.
The requirement for Suppliers is to demonstrate that they are suitably qualified and have relevant experience to undertake one or all of the work stages associated with the development of this toolkit.
Estimated value excluding VAT: Range: between 100 000 and 150 000 GBP