Good variety of ideas and questions about energy saving from the Aalto community
Our experts answer questions from the Aalto community
Blow the whistle on energy guzzlers on the campus of Aalto University!
Building a sustainable future is one of our shared values. Significant energy saving measures have been taken on the campus for several years, but now we also need your help. We challenge the entire campus community to join an energy saving effort and to share the best energy saving ideas.
Actions supporting sustainable development have been taken on Aalto University’s campus for a number of years. Saving energy is one of the most significant of these, and now the global energy crisis has further increased the importance of saving measures.
The properties on the Otaniemi campus vary a great deal in terms of age, size and use. Even minor changes on sites that consume plenty of energy bring considerable savings. The actions of property users also have a large impact, especially in buildings with many users.
We, as the whole Aalto community, have joined the nationwide Down a Degree campaign – and we want all Aalto students and employees and campus users to join in. Read the text below on everything that has already been done on campus and what we have planned, and share your best saving tips and report on the energy guzzlers on our campus!
Ventilation adjustments have been reviewed on campus before, especially in recent years. Sensible ventilation reduces both electricity and heat consumption. Ventilation modernization at, e.g. the Valimohalli at Puumiehenkuja 3, Otakaari 4, and Maarintie 8 have yielded several percent savings in the properties' electricity consumption, without undermining the users’ conditions in the buildings.
Control ventilation equipment will also be adjusted in other buildings on the campus. We also encourage everyone to reduce ventilation from open windows.
Energy-efficient lighting has a considerable impact on the energy consumption of buildings. During the past ten years, we have shifted to energy-saving LED lighting in, e.g. Maarintalo, Maarintie 8, a part of Otakaari 1, and in numerous outdoor lights. We also install LEDs when lights in a property must be replaced.
Motion sensors are utilized in lighting. Users of the premises are instructed to switch off unnecessary lighting. A lighting control project is currently underway at Väre, for example. We also pay attention to outdoor and advertisement lighting.
Indoor temperatures will be reviewed during the 2022 winter and adjusted where necessary. Also, heat recovery will be optimised.
Metro block (A Block, School of Business, Väre) energy consumption has been carefully studied since its completion, and areas of improvement have been found in control of both building service systems and the geothermal heat system. The area of the block is so large that even minor control measures can produce significant savings. Artificial intelligence has also been utilised in control of building automation more extensively.
In renovation projects, the sustainability perspective is already taken into account automatically. Good examples of this include the renovations of Dipoli, A Grid (Otakaari 5), Vuorimiehentie 2, and A Blanc, for instance. These have resulted in the excavation of new geothermal heat wells on the campus.
Rakentajanaukio 4, which was constructed in 1959, is one of the oldest buildings on campus. The most recent energy-related measure on the site is balancing the radiator network. Similar actions are taken elsewhere on campus also.
Ecological measures are carried out in other ways too, by replacing solutions that consume plenty of energy with smart ones, such as replacing oil heating at Metsähovi with geothermal heat.
The pressure level of tap water has been reduced throughout the campus. We have also ensured that the temperature of the hot water is not too high.
It is easier to save water, electricity and heat in each building when you can see the building-specific consumption as an easy visualisation. The next time you visit a building on our campus, touch an info screen and look at the consumption data of every building there. The visualisation of consumption details of properties was implemented in cooperation with Aalto students’ ITP project team.
Most of us can affect energy saving in the facilities we use by adjusting the temperature and lighting of our working spaces, for example. This can be done in most properties on campus. We have also instructed people to switch off unnecessary electrical devices, take advantage of energy saving settings, and remove unused charges from wall outlets.
In the spirit of energy saving, campus saunas will be closed temporarily.
Read more about Aalto University’s and ACRE’s energy saving objectives for next year.
Saving energy is a common mission for every one of us! Share your best ideas and put your questions to the campus experts below (registered users only).
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