The University of Turin, through its GreenOffice, UniToGO, has undertaken numerous initiatives to reduce its climate-altering emissions and move towards decarbonisation.
In order to start energy efficiency actions in collaboration with EURIX, the Campus Luigi Einaudi (CLE) complex was identified because it is the main emitter of CO2, producing nearly 15% of the entire University’s emissions.
The implementation of our EOS3 suite resulted in two interventions, which focused on improving the efficiency of both air conditioning and lighting systems.
With regard to the first intervention, we chose a smart and automatic regulation of the heating and cooling systems; in this way, it was possible to keep the temperature constant within the comfort bands, in winter and in summer, while still ensuring compliance with the comfort standards required.
After this, we focused on improving the efficiency of the Air Handling Units (AHUs). The regulation of each AHU on the Campus has been fine-tuned to favour a rational use of energy, adapting the operation of the system to the external climatic conditions. As of 2022, the AHUs are switched on according to the hourly schedule of the classrooms, with pre-heating calibrated to ensure comfort at the start of each lecture.
This optimization has achieved savings results with peaks of 80% during exam sessions and 30% during class periods.
The second intervention involved the lighting of the rooms, which was adjusted according to the times of occupancy of the spaces and the academic calendar; during the hours of actual attendance, the lights in classrooms and offices can be turned on or off, but outside those hours, they are automatically turned off. Significant electricity savings were then achieved by refining the nighttime switching of service lights, which are necessary to enable vigilance and cleaning services. To curb this consumption, a mobile APP shared with the nighttime operators was developed to allow them to turn on the lighting of only the areas of interest and for the time of the intervention.
This smart regulation allows a 90% decrease in nighttime lighting consumption, without compromising work activities.
Considering the excellent results in terms of energy savings, it is planned to extend these actions to other UniTo sites, with possible adaptations depending on the buildings and type of facilities involved.
UniTo GreenOffice is the coordination and project structure for the University’s energy and environmental sustainability policies.
Link to the article: Energy efficiency at Campus Luigi Einaudi thanks to EURIX.
