There was double success for the University of Aberdeen's Estates and Facilities team at the national Energy Management Awards, held last week in London.
Energy Manager Tristan Wolfe picked up the Energy Manager of the Year award, while Graduate Energy Engineer Rose Lyne was highly commended in the Junior Energy Management Professional category.
The pair were given the added honour of being asked to speak to delegates from companies, local authorities, public bodies, and even an army regiment, on their experiences of energy management in the university sector.
The awards mark the culmination of two years of hard work for the pair, who have played a key role in the development of the University’s 2016-21 Carbon Management Plan, which aims to reduce the University’s emissions by 20 per cent over the period.
Since his appointment in 2015, Tristan has acted as a champion for energy efficiency and introduced a string of measures that have led to a reduction in the University’s carbon emissions of over 2,600 tonnes, while significantly reducing the cost of utilities charges.
Commenting on his experiences, Tristan said: “Striking a balance between our environmental footprint and our operational need is a difficult challenge, and would not be possible without the cooperation and understanding of all colleagues across all sectors of the University.
“I am grateful for the assistance, understanding and behavioural change I’ve experienced in my time here, and hope to continue to make future inroads into our carbon footprint and environmental impact.”
Among Tristan’s various actions when he took up his post was to create an internship scheme, which Rose successfully applied for last year.
Since starting the role she has made a major contribution to the creation of the Carbon Management Plan, and her invaluable contribution to this and other projects has resulted in the creation of a graduate energy engineer scheme.
Rose said: “Receiving this award is a fantastic honour, and very gratifying considering I only entered the energy management sector in the summer of 2016.
“I am incredibly grateful for the various learning experiences that I’ve been given by colleagues throughout Estates and Facilities which has helped me reach this point. Hopefully I can keep pushing forward with carbon emission saving projects and win another award next year!”
Congratulating the pair, Bob Philp, Deputy Director (Operations), Estates and Facilities, said:
“I am delighted that Tristan and Rose have been recognised with these awards, which is testament to all they have achieved in a relatively short period.
“Through our Carbon Management Plan and other initiatives, our aim is to place the University of Aberdeen at the forefront of energy management in the university sector in the UK. It is thanks to the efforts of Tristan, Rose, and the wider energy team that we are well on our way to doing so.”