The Menai Science Park (M-SParc), based on Anglesey, is Wales’ first dedicated science park. Part of Bangor University, it opened in 2019 to foster innovation and entrepreneurship through offering laboratory and office space, business support and links with universities and research institutes.
M-SParc’s aim is to provide a lasting legacy of sustainable economic growth for North Wales, helping local communities benefit from the low-carbon technologies and infrastructure emerging around them. The approach is rooted in the area’s culture and geography and the park is a key part of its foundational economy.
The vision
In 2021, M-SParc’s Egni team was formed to oversee decarbonisation. As the understanding and definition of Net Zero expanded however, so too did the team’s remit – moving beyond just low-carbon energy to thinking around engagement, influence and how to involve others.
As Debbie Jones, Low Carbon Innovation Manager and project lead, explains:
“We were giving lots of decarb advice to SMEs and wanted to take the same journey ourselves. Although we have a massive asset in the building, we operate independently of Bangor University and have many of the same challenges as SMEs in terms of budget pressures and keeping things going. By being transparent in our Net Zero journey, we can help others.”
The team set a goal to not only become the first UK science park to reach Net Zero, but to become an exemplar for other SMEs to follow.
Project goals
Having already trebled the park’s initial solar capacity of 40kW and improved energy efficiency through use of thermal imaging cameras and the ‘Dim the Spark’ behaviour change campaign, M-SParc received an Ynni Cymru grant in 2024 to:
- Install ten rooftop air source heat pumps (270 kW) to decarbonise the heating and hot water systems
- Add an additional 35 kW to the solar PV array
- Enhance the Building Management System (BMS) to improve data granularity and transparency
- Act as an exemplar to support others on the Net Zero journey
Impact
By April 2025, all installations were complete, including the enhanced BMS to allow more efficient data collection and monitoring. As a result, Scope 1 emissions were brought to zero and Scope 2 emissions were also reduced.
The team are now on track to reach their Net Zero target in advance of 2030 with an 86% reduction achieved to date.
The Park had also lived up to its mission for collaboration and innovation with several aspects of the project developed through tenant collaboration and local labour and supply chains used throughout.
Insights
“The deeper you go into Net Zero, the more data you need.”
As well as optimising M-SParc’s own energy use, the enhanced BMS will also support the wider engagement needed to reach net zero – in this case potentially metering tenant energy use so that efficiencies can be incentivised through direct charging and gamification.
The team also recognised the need for cross-organisation awareness and buy-in from the start of the decarbonisation process. Providing Carbon Literacy training to staff and tenants had been one of the tools employed to create shared understanding of the climate crisis and the need for sustainable energy use.
Finally, despite the scale and ambition of the project, the team has sought to ensure that it does not detract from other sustainability priorities. Initiatives such as such as tree-planting and habitat creation have also been integrated.
Challenges
Inevitably, the journey undertaken by the M-SParc team was not all plain sailing. The challenges included:
- Location – close proximity to residential areas and the A55 had ruled out wind turbines at an early stage, leading to the focus on solar PV and heat pumps
- Grid capacity – the original vision of sharing energy with the local village or industrial park next door had to be put on hold due to grid connection cost and waiting times
- Finance – the size of a loan needed for heat pump installation meant pay-back times that were too challenging for an SME to commit to. The grant was therefore essential and brought additional value in that the group could focus on an integrated system combining renewable energy generation with decarbonised heat, energy storage, zero carbon transport and smart controls, rather than individual technologies in isolation.
- Timeframe – project delivery took place within a very short timeframe. Having an already-scoped plan, existing procurement frameworks and lean management structures alongside a period of fine weather helped.
- Technical complexity – this was an ambitious project. The complexity of adding to previous solar arrays and installing heat pumps was helped by the support and know-how of a delivery group, led by Rhodri Daniel, Low Carbon Innovation Officer, that included many M-SParc tenants.
What’s Next?
As hoped, the Net Zero journey has already sparked collaboration with tenants and others in the foundational economy, and the team are actively seeking more. A potential roof-mounted turbine, underground wiring, additional sensors, internship opportunities, and local school engagement are all currently being explored.
Also being considered are:
- Battery storage – a 1MW battery would enable M-Sparc, and a second building currently under development, to be completely energy self-sufficient
- At 86% towards Net Zero, can hard-to-abate emissions be offset through biodiversity gains?
Advice
As well as achieving their own target the M-SParc team are also keen to share their learning around decarbonisation and the journey to Net Zero as widely as possible to businesses and communities, sharing impact, pitfalls and successes.
In terms of advice for others undertaking a similar project, the team found that, in their case, preparedness was essential so that plans could be implemented as soon as the funding opportunity was identified.
Although challenging in terms of resources and capacity, Debbie’s advice would be:
“Take the project to the very edge of what’s possible before the grant – and commit to the plan.”
Contact egni@m-sparc.com or visit https://m-sparc.com/grow-with-us/egni/ to find out more.
