Published during London Climate Action Week 2026, the video focuses on the PALS “Living Lab” project at 26 Bedford Way, which is using real-time energy data to identify practical ways to cut unnecessary energy use.
The project, supported through UCL Grand Challenges, brings together members of the UCL PALS Green Team, UCL Estates and researchers from across PALS to explore how small behavioural and operational changes can deliver meaningful sustainability benefits.
Using 26 Bedford Way as a pilot site, the team examined energy use linked to air conditioning, lifts and computer rooms. One intervention identified avoidable overnight cooling demand on a single floor and led to changes in air conditioning scheduling. This saved approximately 12,500 kWh of energy and around £3,700 per year.
John Draper, Head of Administration at UCL PALS, who received the UCL Grand Challenges funding for the project, said: “The project involved developing a living lab model to help UCL use its extensive energy consumption data more effectively to reduce unnecessary usage across the estate, which could then be applied to the wider UCL. Not only are we saving money, but we are also contributing significantly to improving the sustainability of both UCL and the wider world.”
The Living Lab approach connects research with real-world campus operations, helping UCL use its existing data more effectively to reduce waste. The project has also helped embed energy reduction into local building discussions, with sustainability now a standing item in Building User Group meetings.
The video also explores how PALS researchers are investigating the everyday choices that shape energy use, including how people move through buildings and whether better understanding of the built environment could encourage greater use of stairs over lifts.
The project reflects the wider aims of UCL Grand Challenges, which tackles complex global, national and local issues through interdisciplinary research and collaboration. Through the Grand Challenge of Climate Crisis, UCL brings together expertise from across disciplines to develop evidence-based solutions that support people, communities and the planet.
Watch the video: Surprising Ways to Live More Sustainably (and Save Money)
Find out more about UCL Grand Challenges and the UCL PALS Green Awareness team.