High Tech Campus Eindhoven has set itself an ambitious goal: become the most #SustainableCampus in Europe. One of the three strategic pillars we have defined to accomplish this is 'Environmental Friendly'. This is what we are doing to make our Campus even more environmental friendly.
Anne van Wijchen, the author of this blog, asks the facility coalition of High Tech Campus Eindhoven the required integrated solutions for this strategic pillar so that we always take the next step towards the most sustainable campus.
In our previous blog we spoke about our ambitious goal to Europe's most #SustainableCampus. We developed a blueprint especially for this goal, which is based on three strategic pillars. Which important initiatives do we already have in place and what are our ambitions to achieve our goal? In this blog we will talk about the first pillar: Environmental Friendly.
On March, 6 we're hosting the first #SustainableCampus Hackathon! Click the button below to register and save the date:
What are we doing at the moment and what have we done already? Energy is a big factor in our sustainable campus story. For example, we have a closed water management system at HTCE, Royal Philips is turning two buildings into gasless and we are busy with installing movement sensors that automatically shuts down lights and heating when rooms are not used.
Also very High Tech Campus is our urge to share. We love to share our thoughts and knowledge, but also our energy. We have a plan to share heat with our environment like swimming pool Tongelreep in cooperation with municipality Eindhoven by heating up drinkwater pipelines and give our Campus residents the possibility to take buy solar panels for their home at a favorable rate. These are the same kind of solar panels of which we are placing 20.000 pieces on all the Campus roofs in the beginning of 2020.
Becoming the greenest Campus in Europe, where do we start? By a green design of the buildings themselves. At this moment, 77% of all Campus buildings has Energy label A-C and we are aiming for a Well Gold and Breeam certification for new buildings.
And then we have the whole surrounding of the buildings. Promoting biodiversity is an important part of our ambition. We have a farmhouse with garden for social activities and growing vegetables for serving food in the restaurant, an insect hotel, sensors at the foot of new trees that measure when the trees need water and our grassland is managed by living lawnmowers, grazing sheep. And that are just a couple of the initiatives on our Campus to reach our goal.
By purchasing a compost machine we turn swill and coffee drip into compost with which we fertilize our plants. All the compost that is left over, the Campus residents can take home. Sharing is caring! We recycle our shredded paper into paper towels and toilet paper for Campus bathrooms. We will reduce all the waste from the kitchens located on the Strip with 9%, and that’s just the beginning!
By reducing and recycling our waste, we would like to create a closed loop and make our ecological footprint as little as possible. We will ensure that all coffee cups are collected separately, are reducing the use of fossil fuels with 50% and collect carbage for waste separation. 99.7% of all Campus waste is processed in separate streams. We also install smart applications to make it easier and more accessible for everyone to become more sustainable. By example, we install sensors in waste containers and trash bins that measure when they are full and need to be emptied.
Although it’s not nothing, we wouldn’t be the smartest squared kilometer if we didn’t have big ambitions to take ‘Environmental Friendly’ to a whole new level. We’ve set ourselves some high goals to make the Campus as environmental friendly as possible. Why create a green Campus why it can also be evergreen? For example we have 100% green electricity and gas on the whole Campus and we will build a charging station for hydrogen cars.
Our parking garages will be fully lightened by smart LED lighting, all the plants have an irrigation system with rainwater from basins and the new parkings will be outfitted with nesting walls for breeding swallows. As top of range we are investigating the installment of wind turbines on or near campus grounds.
Pretty much, right? We are very excited for the future, join us!
On March 6, we're hosting the first #SustainableCampus Hackathon! So click the button below to register and save the date:
In the following two blogs we'll dive deeper into the two other strategic pillars: great place to work and accelerate innovations. Stay tuned!