Energy

The topic of Energy consists of two interconnected elements: energy consumption and energy generation.

• Energy consumption concerns how much energy our buildings use for heating, cooling, lighting, ventilation and equipment, and how far we can reduce the demand in line with the Paris Proof targets for the education sector.
• Energy generation concerns how we generate energy on and around campus, and how we maximise the use of externally sourced renewable energy where we cannot generate it ourselves.

Energy consumption and indoor climate & comfort are closely linked, and the two do not always align. Ventilation requirements, thermal comfort and air quality all affect how much energy our buildings use. Health and comfort are addressed as a separate topic, and the choices we make around energy need to keep working in tandem with that effort.

BUas is on a clear path towards a fully Paris Proof campus. Our goal: an energy intensity of 70 kWh/m² per year across all three campus buildings — Ocean, Frontier and Horizon — combined with an ongoing reduction in CO₂ emissions. Ocean has already reached this milestone. Frontier and Horizon are close behind. To bring all three buildings into line, BUas is working with Haskoning to develop a phased technical roadmap. This roadmap maps out the energy measures with the greatest impact, not only in terms of CO₂ reduction but also for improving the health, comfort and wellbeing of everyone who studies and works on our campus, and everything that lives there.

The challenges here are real: heritage-building constraints, significant investment, long payback periods, budget approval cycles and open questions about our district heating supplier's transition timeline. We will document the decisions, the trade-offs involved and the issues we are still working through.