Improving energy efficiency

The mission of UNamur Service for the Management of the Campus (SIGeC) is based on several energy-related activities:

  • the sound management of energy consumption
  • construction, renovation and maintenance of buildings

However, it remais essential to influence the community members' behaviour through awareness-raising campaigns on everyday actions that help save energy.

Campaign to raise awareness of energy and water consumption 2022-2023

To raise awareness throughout the Community as winter approaches, UNamur is launching an internal campaign starting on 1 December 2022.  Together, let's reduce our impact!  Find out more...

Energy consumption

A practice of reporting on energy consumption has been in place at UNamur for a long time. The Technical Services count the consumption of electricity, gas and fuel oil per building.
Over the years, several initiatives have been taken to reduce energy consumption through a more rational use of energy.

Electricity
  • Management system:
  • Appearance of centralized technical management allowing remote control of the start-up and shut-down of technical installations
  • Implementation of variable speed drives allowing electric motors to run at variable speeds
  • Implementation of energy load shedding by controlling quarter-hourly peaks in order to avoid peaks in electricity consumption
  • Peak shaving by a generator
  • Concentration of outdoor activities carried out at UNamur during the weekends in the same building as much as possible
  • Carrying out an energy cadastre
  • Procurement
  • Collaboration with UCL to obtain an interesting energy supply cost from ENECO where the energy produced is entirely from renewable sources
  • Installation of photovoltaic panels on the roof of the Domaine d'Haugimont buildings
  • Annual expenditure of the university of 20.000€ in green certificates
  • Appliances
  • Exclusive choice of class A equipment, sharing of photocopiers and printers by several departments
  • Replacement of infrared remote controls by wall-mounted mains controls thanks to the CaNDLE 2015 project, which has had the effect of avoiding a large consumption of batteries
  • Lighting
  • Replacement of neon and incandescent spotlights with more energy-efficient lighting
  • Replacement of the light regulator near the windows according to the luminosity
  • Installation of absence detectors in the rectorate,
  • Led lighting in the Orban Hotel
  • Reading of consumption by equipment with the help of 140 meters
Heating
  • Boilers: gas condensing, cogeneration installation
  • Insulation: progressive replacement of single glazing with double glazing
  • Ventilation: use of variable speed drives, modulation of air flow rates according to air quality, installation of energy recovery on rejected air
  • Regulation
  • Switching heating on and off according to occupancy as indicated in the room reservation system
  • Reduction of temperature set points and time windows on heating

Building Construction, renovation and maintenance

The Service for the Management of the Campus ensures that opportunities to apply sustainable development to building construction and maintenance are taken into account in projects:

  • Designing a building in line with SD at the time of construction by advocating optimal use of modular spaces
  • Properly insulating the walls of relatively traditional buildings