Sustainable Construction

A university’s energy use is determined by the size of the university, i.e. the number of buildings, the amount of floor area in square metres, the actions of individual users and the business operations. As the university grows, and the complexity of teaching and research also increases, energy consumption rises and thus also the burden on the environment.

 

Electricity and gas use

Based on the figures for 2005, the University of Groningen’s annual consumption has been calculated: 42,500,000 kWh of electricity, 8,000,000 m³ of gas and 140,000 m³ of water. As the number of buildings, square metres of floor area and students and staff, currently 22,500 and 5,000 respectively, increases, energy consumption and the burden on the environment have also increased. The total costs for energy – electricity and gas – in 2006 were nearly EUR 10 million. 

 

Reducing energy consumption 

Given the pressure on energy supplies and rising energy prices, it is crucial to limit energy use as much as possible in accommodation and new construction. Following an initiative by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, all Dutch universities have committed to reducing their expected energy consumption in the period 1996-2006 by 14%. Over and above this, the University of Groningen as a high level knowledge institute and Research Centre feels honour-bound to use energy sensibly and treat the environment with respect.

 

Opportunities at the University of Groningen

In the period 2006-2014, the University of Groningen will be installing a heat exchanger (WKO – Warmte-Koude Opslag) at the Zernike complex, to which eight buildings belonging to the University of Groningen and the Hanze University Groningen will be connected. A small-scale WKO was realised under the University Library in 2006.

Concrete core activation will be used in the new Teaching Institute of the Faculty of Medical Sciences.

 

What is a heat exchanger (WKO)?

Storing heat and cold in the ground is an environmentally friendly and energy-saving alternative for a conventional cooling installation. Significant savings can also be made on the heating front.

WKO works as follows. Cold, available in quantity in winter in the form of cold outside air or cold surface water, is stored in the ground. The stored cold can be used in the summer to cool equipment and rooms. In the summer the heat that is released when generating cooling can be stored in the ground and reused in the winter. Residual heat, for example from a heat pump or combined heat and power installation, can also be stored and reused later.

The situation at the Zernike complex turned out to be suitable for the installation of a WKO facility. 

 

What is concrete core activation? 

Concrete core activation is a heating and/or cooling system that uses the building’s mass, usually applied in the utility building . Water pipes are installed in the middle of the concrete floor. These keep the floors and the ceilings at a constant temperature. One condition is that there must be good temperature exchange by means of open ceilings. Concrete core activation has a number of important advantages.  

 

Energy requirements and sustainability of construction materials 

For new buildings, the energy requirements and the sustainability of the materials suggested by the architect will be tested in advance by external bureaux.

Energy-efficient and sustainable materials will be encouraged, but may not lead to increased costs. This is because the University of Groningen is highly aware of the fact that the public funding it receives is primarily intended for teaching and research.  

 

Construction at the Zernike Complex 

On 7 December 1999, the University of Groningen presented its urban development vision for the construction and renovation of a high-quality science park. The press release described it as follows: ‘A campus with lots of trees. High-quality architecture with a distinctive identity. A park surrounded by moat-like water features. Above all, on a human scale with lots of variety. These are the characteristics of the extensive upgrading the Zernike Complex in the north of the city of Groningen will be undergoing in the next ten years.’

 

Step-by-step development 

The renovation and construction are being conducted in phases. Upgrading and redesigning the area will take several years. The first pile for the Zernikeborg was officially sunk on 11 December 2000. The actual construction work has been spread out over 10 years in the following order: additional construction for the University Services Department (2001), Zernikeborg (2000-2001), Bernouilliborg (2004-2007), Biology (2006-2008), Chemistry (2006-2009) and Life Sciences (Linnaeusborg) (2008-2010).

 

Zernikeborg

On 11 December 2000, the first pile was sunk for the Zernikeborg. This was the first step towards realising these ambitious plans. To coincide with this, the University of Groningen presented ‘Tussenstand’ [Progress report], an expansion of the plans presented in 1999. With over 90,000 m² of construction work and a budget of over NLG 385 million, the Zernike Complex plans are the largest construction project in the history of the University of Groningen. 

 

Life Sciences

In the coming years, the University of Groningen will build what to all intents and purposes is a completely new Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. The Biologisch Centrum, currently in Haren, will move to the eastern part of the Zernike Complex, where it will develop further close to the Chemistry buildings. The current teaching buildings and chemistry laboratories will make way for new ones. BioMade, the institute for molecular nanotechnology, will also be built in this area.

  

Insulation 

The design includes well-insulated plaster walls with a vapour-resistant effect. The windows will be relatively small and well insulated. The outside of the building, which will have a timber-frame construction, will be covered by aluminium plates over steel wool and fibreglass. The roof will be concrete covered by a layer of insulation and a cover slab of aluminium. This construction method is also very well insulated.

Construction of the Medical Faculty teaching building

Concrete core activation

Water that has been heated by use in the UMCG will be cooled to 40 degrees Celsius and then pressed into the waterpipes under the floors of the Teaching Building. This will result in simple and cheap heating. In reverse, cool air can be transported back to the UMCG.

Special ventilation system

A large grille in the façade of the building allows air from outside to enter. This air is heated inside, and dispersed throughout the building in a resourceful way. This is a simple and cheap system and has the added advantage that no radiators are needed in the teaching or working areas. Adaptations to the weather are made with the help of sensors and on the basis of preinstalled settings.