December 14, 2017
Even if something is good, it can always be better. LED lights, motion detectors, efficient pumps, two combined heat and power plants for generating electricity – Jacobs University has already been keeping an eye on its energy consumption for years. However, there are more than 30 buildings on its premises. The university aims to reduce its consumption of electricity and gas in its buildings by another five percent compared to 2015 levels by 2020. That is the objective of the collaboration with Müller Beckmann. The Münster-based consulting firm assisted the university in the introduction of DIN EN ISO 50001, the most demanding of all energy management systems.
“Those in charge already have a high level of expertise in the area of energy management”, says Rebekka Handrup, Division Manager of Energy Management at Müller Beckmann. “The managers and the responsible department have a common understanding when it comes to energy efficiency and environmental protection. For this reason, numerous energy-related measures, such as reducing CO2 emissions, have been implemented in recent years”. The new standard now provides a uniform, standardized framework for energy management. A control cycle was introduced in which the university continuously monitors its energy consumption and reviews the effectiveness of newly introduced energy-saving measures. The system passed its first monitoring audit a few days ago.
“The efficient generation, distribution and use of energy in the long term is important to us”, says Andreas Pape, Head of the Infrastructure department at Jacobs University. Recording and analyzing power generation and consumption levels, deriving and implementing measures to increase efficiency, and then controlling them is the recipe for success when it comes to energy management. However, it is not only about technical measures, it is also important to raise awareness. The reason for this is that, in contrast to an industrial enterprise, the human factor at the university has a major impact on energy consumption. The university, therefore, raises the awareness of its students by encouraging energy-efficient and environmentally-friendly behavior at the beginning of the academic year, thereby making a contribution to sustainability and the careful handling of resources even beyond the campus.
More information:
www.jacobs-university.de