www.gu.se ISCN conference 2014, Harvard/MIT, 14-06-03

"Buildings as part of development and identity of sustainable

campuses - experiences from University of Gothenburg,

Sweden"

Eddi Omrcen

Environmental manager

ISCN Conference 2014, WG 1 Buildings

Structure of presentation:

• About the University of Gothenburg

• Our context • Some cases • Reflections

www.gu.se ISCN conference 2014, Harvard/MIT, 14-06-03

8 faculties – 43 departments

• The Sahlgrenska Academy – pharmacy, medicine,

odontology and health care sciences

• The Faculty of Science

• The Faculty of Arts

• The Faculty of Fine, Applied and Performing Arts

• The Faculty of Social Sciences

• School of Business, Economics and Law

• The Faculty of Education

• The IT Faculty

• 38,000 students, 26,400 full-time students

• 179 educational programmes

• 2,130 courses

• 5,900 employees

• 381,000 square meters building area

• 600 million Euro total income/revenue

Facts

Gothenburg

www.gu.se

Göteborgs universitet idag

• Göteborgs universitet är den naturliga, gemensamma identiteten

• Framstående forskning inom starka fakultetsövergripande områden

• Undervisning av hög pedagogisk kvalitet

ISCN conference 2014, Harvard/MIT, 14-06-03

Don´t own our buildings

No ”Campus”

We need to cooperate with the city, region and other stakeholders! To physicly create Sustainable and Green campuses/buildings

Buildings at University of Gothenburg

University of Gothenburg a city university

www.gu.se

Environmental Management System (EMS)

ISO 14001 and EMAS are international standards for systematic and efficient environmental work in an organization

PURPOSE:

• A tool for systematic work

• Guarantee continuous improvements

• Reduce environmental impact

• Better resource management

• Fulfillment of the law

Certification process:

• Pilot units certified in 2004

• Whole university in 2006

ISCN conference 2014, Harvard/MIT, 14-06-03

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Policy and management

• Policy for university buildings (2012)

• Rules for implementing the policy for the university buildings (2012)

• Focus on:

- Environmental aspects

- Functionality, work environment, safety aspects

- Image and identity aspects

Sustainability group, representatives from 3 units (Facilities,

Communication, Environment)

ISCN conference 2014, Harvard/MIT, 14-06-03

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ORGANISATION AND WHO IS

MAKING THE DECISIONS

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Idrottshögskolan (School of Sport Science)

• Area: 3 600 m²

– Sports activities

– Laboratories (test/research)

– Dance studio

– Classrooms

– Offices

• Opened March 17 2011

• Environmentally Classified Building – Gold class

• Green Building

University of Gothenburg – Department of Food and Nutrition/Sport Science

National knowledge center for development in sports performance and health promoting work

ISCN conference 2014, Harvard/MIT, 14-06-03

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Basic environmental goals

• Minimized energy use

• Sustainable, renewable energy sources

• High and flexible indoor environmental quality and climate (IEQ, IAQ)

• No environmentally harmful materials or chemicals

• Sustainable materials from renewable primary sources

• A moisture-proof/humidity controlled construction

• Good premises for the tenant to contribute to low environmental impact

• Environmental profile visualized through the building design

ISCN conference 2014, Harvard/MIT, 14-06-03

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Miljöbyggnad –

Environmentally classified building

• Swedish environmental classification system for buildings

• Administrated by the Swedish Greenbuilding Council

• Adapted to Swedish conditions and building standards (BBR)

• For use on existing buildings and new constructions

• Swedish alternative to LEED, BREAM, MINERGIE…..

• GOLD – SILVER – BRONZE – CLASSIFIED BUILDING

ISCN conference 2014, Harvard/MIT, 14-06-03

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Energy saving project – with

multiple positive effects Laboratory for Experimental Biomedicine

University of Gothenburg, Sweden

ISCN conference 2014, Harvard/MIT, 14-06-

03

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Background

• The Laboratory for Experimental Biomedicine (EBM), house a large number of

animals for medical research. EBM has 9000m2 and was built in 1995-98

• The building has the highest energy consumption of all the buildings at the

university, 1325 kWh/m², which costs approx. 1,5 million USD per year.

ISCN conference 2014, Harvard/MIT, 14-06-03

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Mission for 2009-2013

• Better work environment for animal technicians !

• Increased animal welfare !

- Secured environment in the IVC-racks

- Operational alarm system of the IVC-racks

- Prevent spread of infections between cages

• Lower environmental impact !

- Reducing energy with 25% until 2013

- No use of fossil natural gas

• Economic savings !

IVC-rack Individual

Ventilated Cages

ISCN conference 2014, Harvard/MIT, 14-06-03

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Results

In a joint project, the Sahlgrenska Academy and the property owner,

Akademiska Hus, carried out several major energy efficiency measures.

• Reduces energy consumption at EBM by 24 percent between 2009 and 2012, which

corresponds to 375 000 USD per year.

• Removing the use of fossil natural gas, reduced carbon dioxide emissions from EBM

by just over 300 tons in year 2012.

• Connecting the central ventilation directly to the animal racks is an innovation,

developed by our technicians and has not been done anywhere else, as far as we know.

• This project is unique because it saves energy and money and it improves the work

environment and the animal welfare, in the same time

• During 2013, adjustments and analyses will be done in order to fulfill the first part of the

project and to set up new goals for a second part.

ISCN conference 2014, Harvard/MIT, 14-06-03

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Case: Make use of the roofs, campus as a living lab!

Assignment in the course “Environmental Management” February 2014: Your assignment is to provide recommendations to whether, and under what conditions, the school should agree to the investment in solar panels, located at the roof of the school.

Questions:

• What is the expected environmental gain, primarily in terms of GHG reductions, that follows from this investment?

• Estimate the expected incremental cash flows that follow from this investment.

• What is a reasonable rate of return (WACC) for this sort of investment? Does this initial analysis speak in favour of the investment proposal?

• Which are the critical factors?

• Are there any strategic arguments for or against this investment and that is not captured by the formal analysis above?

Next step: Finding ways to finance the investment together with the property owner based on student findings.

ISCN conference 2014, Harvard/MIT, 14-06-03

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Innovation on aspects concerning:

• Not only technical/functional aspects but also:

• Communication, image, identity

• Organisation and Cooperation (internal and external)

• Economics and finance

• Environmental and sustainability

ISCN conference 2014, Harvard/MIT, 14-06-03

Conclusion: Key to create sustainable buildings and campuses

is a collaborative approach, internal and external!

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Thank you for your attention!

ISCN conference 2014, Harvard/MIT, 14-06-03