Aau must save energy
News
Published online: 21.09.2022
As a consequence of the government's new energy saving plan, the temperature in AAU's buildings will be lowered to 19 degrees by 1 October, all unnecessary lighting will be switched off and significant savings on power consumption are on the way. Campus Director Mogens Juul Møller points out that this is everyone's responsibility and encourages staff and students to come up with ideas.
By Lea Laursen Pasgaard, AAU Communication. Translated by LeeAnn Iovanni, AAU Communication. Photo: Shutterstock
Staff and students can start to get out their warm sweaters because Aalborg University (AAU) is facing a colder winter this year. To mitigate the consequences of rising energy prices in Europe, the government has decided that all public buildings must turn the temperature down to 19 degrees by 1 October. This is one of the measures that the government has introduced as part of a larger national energy saving plan that Dan Jørgensen (Social Democrat), Minister for Climate, Energy and Utilities, presented at a press conference on 8 September.
- We are changing the temperature from 22 to 19 degrees, and it is clear that for some staff and students who do sedentary work, this will mean a less comfortable indoor climate. We need to wear warmer clothes when we are on campus. The sun might shine in, and when several of us gather in one place the temperature often rises, but we are not allowed to heat our buildings up to more than 19 degrees, says Mogens Juul Møller, Director of Campus Service at AAU.
In addition to turning down the heat and reducing the operating time for heating and ventilation, AAU and the other universities are required to turn off all unnecessary lighting in all buildings and outdoor lighting of facades, park areas, etc. Campus Service is therefore currently working on creating an overview of where on campus in Aalborg, Esbjerg and Copenhagen the university can save on lighting.
For AAU, heating prices are relatively stable because a large part of the supply comes from surplus heat from electricity production, waste incineration and production facilities in industry. The greatest economic uncertainty at present is associated with increases in the price of electricity. According to Mogens Juul Møller, we need massive savings on electricity consumption.
- The extreme changes in energy prices are already straining the university's operating budget, and we should expect that the risk of further increases and budget overruns is high. So it is incredibly important that all of us help reduce the university's energy consumption together, says the campus director.
In response to the existing energy and supply crisis, the rector and pro-rector have taken the extraordinary step of allocating ten million kroner of the university's equity to avert the consequences of rising energy prices in 2023.
- This means that there will not be a hiring freeze in 2023 due to the rising energy prices, which several people have asked about, adds Mogens Juul Møller.
In addition, Campus Service has recently been working on mapping a number of possible initiatives in the short, longer and long term. These measures will be discussed at a meeting of the University's Main Joint Consultation Committee on 3 October.
Subsequently, the university proposes involving its own research experts, staff and students in identifying where savings can be made. Campus Service is setting the stage for a major energy saving campaign and encourages staff and students to already be thinking about energy-saving behaviour – for example, turning off lights, screens or equipment when not being used, and sharing facilities such as refrigerators and freezers where possible.
You will be able to read ongoing coverage of energy savings here at AAU Update – and where you can contribute with your ideas.
Find inspiration for energy savings on the Danish Energy Agency's website (in Danish)