The University of Twente uses energy every day. Our organization works in many ways to reduce energy consumption. As a result, energy consumption on campus fell by some 39% between 2005 and 2021, even though the university has grown considerably in that time. We will continue working on this in the coming years, aiming for a CO2-neutral campus in 2030. You can contribute by limiting your own energy consumption as much as possible. Here is how you can help:
- Turn off the lights when you leave, even when a room is equipped with a sensor (they leave the lights on for up to 30 minutes after a room is empty)
- Turn off screen monitor & screen in meeting/lecture room (except in Teams-rooms)
- Turn off your laptop or PC
- Prevent standby power consumption: don’t leave appliances on standby, but turn them off and unplug them
- Close fume hoods when you’re done with your work
- Take the stairs instead of the lift when able
- Don’t leave windows open unnecessarily, especially when the heating is on
- Lower the heating by one degree and wear a sweater
- Close doors and windows when you leave a room
- Switch off or remove unnecessary equipment
Do you see unnecessary energy consumption that you cannot solve yourself? Then report this to your building's service desk.
Impact
UT minimises the impact of our remaining energy consumption: since this year, UT has been running on completely green electricity and we heat almost all our buildings via Ennatuurlijk's sustainable heat network. UT is also working to reduce its remaining gas consumption. During the recent renovation, for example, Citadel was taken off the gas and connected to the heat network and the cold circle.
Energy consumption on campus from 2005 to 2021
Urgency
Of course, much more needs to be done to further reduce our energy consumption. This has become even more urgent with the current energy crisis. As a result, the cost of our energy consumption is expected to increase by more than €10 million in 2023.
The SEE programme and CFM's Maintenance & Real Estate Department, among others, are working on projects to further reduce energy consumption. If a building is renovated, sustainability is always included as an important issue. Further, the lowering of the temperature in central areas to 19 degrees since April this year is a well-known measure. Other projects include reviewing the (night-time) ventilation and humidification of laboratories together with lab managers and investigating the possibility of putting the campus coffee machines on standby mode at night. Several faculties have also started initiatives to reduce their own energy consumption.
Energy data platform
Curious about the energy consumption of UT as a whole, or just your building or faculty? On UT's Energy Data Platform you can view and live track our energy consumption.
Questions or comments
Do you have any questions, comments or suggestions following this article? If so, please contact the SEE programme at sustainability@utwente.nl.
