"Together, we will succeed"

Diederik Visser is programme manager for the ambition Paris Proof - scope 2: energy consumption in our buildings will be reduced to 70 grams of emissions per square metre by 2030. This is a halving compared to the reference year 2018 and should be an intermediate step leading to Zero Emissions (no net greenhouse gas emissions) by 2040. December 2024 marks another hurdle on the road to achieving those ambitions. Diederik: "This month, our location in Delft will be off the gas, which means we can tick another box. Location Delft was already Paris Proof scope 1 and is now also Paris Proof scope 2.  But there is still a lot of work to do."

A great and fun challenge

In 2009, the Delft location of THUAS won the award for the most sustainable higher education building in the Netherlands. With a heat pump instead of a central heating boiler, the building is now completely gas-free and meets Paris Proof requirements. On the roadmap to become Paris Proof by 2030, the heat and cold management of THUAS main location on Johanna Westerdijkplein (JWP) is another important step. Diederik: "This is a great and fun challenge. The building dates back to the 1990s, when a system with a single heating pipe running through the entire building was chosen. With today's knowledge, that is an inefficient way of heating and cooling. If we could have a multi-tube system, we could, for example, make better use of the heat and cold storage we have under the pond in front of our building. There are three large doublets underneath, storage areas that we can use in winter for cold storage, by running cold water into the doublet and storing it, and in summer for heat by storing hot water. With this, we can theoretically capture at least 90% of our heat demand." This would require major adjustments, and in doing so, the biggest challenge is that The Hague is almost always in use. After all, education always comes first. You can do larger maintenance almost exclusively during the summer holidays or at night."

5,000 smart sensors 

Innovation and sustainability are given a place in THUAS existing maintenance plans wherever possible. Part of THUAS roof insulation was tackled this year and air handling units were replaced with more sustainable versions. Students carried out comfort measurements to get a better picture of what a comfortable temperature is for the building's users and to see where things could be improved. And as many as 5,000 smart sensors were installed and LED lights replaced this summer. 

"That's going to give us a lot of insight into which rooms are used when and how intensively. And you can adjust other things accordingly. A room that has not been used does not need to be cleaned, for example. Or during evening rounds, the security guard can skip that room. That saves time and therefore money. The smart sensors give off a lot of data that students do all kinds of research on.

The outcomes can further optimise our processes. And of course, there are other quick wins and small stones that contribute. "More energy-efficient machines in the technical courses, for example, other laptops, fewer printers, the weekend closure, these are all things that help. Or consider concentrating the students taking evening courses more in one part of the building so you can close a large part of the building. That too helps reduce energy consumption."

Mission Zero

Formulating the objectives in THUAS institution plan was a joint project of the university's facilities management and researchers. Peter Vermey is attached to THUAS Centre of Expertise Mission Zero. "What I find special within our university is that in achieving our sustainability goals, we work in a triangle of organisation, research and education. In the field of Paris Proof, for example, we work very closely with the Facility Management course as a knowledge centre and facility management company. Students are involved in education and research. In the Living Labs of our expertise centre, housing at The Hague has a prominent place as a topic. Students are challenged to research it, some even graduate on it.

In the area of Zero Emissions, an educational approach with 'challenges' has been adopted. "Then, for example, the challenge is: how can you reduce the use of software via the cloud and thereby contribute to the sustainability goals?" Or can we downsize our 'flower policy'? The HRM department has started working on this. New employees no longer get a flower on their first day. And every little flower helps. There are other, sustainable ways to give someone a warm welcome."

Peter: "There is a lot of personal motivation among employees, which also makes us confident that we will achieve these goals.THUAS is not so much a hierarchical organisation as a network organisation. Initiatives from within the organisation can therefore flourish more easily and find a sympathetic ear more quickly with the Executive Board."

To get a better grip on progress towards THUAS sustainability goals, the college's footprint was calculated in 2023. Peter: "That footprint was calculated on the basis of international protocols by an external party, but also with common sense. You can also get bogged down in the calculations and then the exercise misses the mark.

And all the cuts in higher education, will they affect THUAS sustainability plans? Peter: "No, I don't think so. What the Facility Management Department is doing very wisely is not seeing sustainability as a separate project, but as an integral part of maintenance and development. Early next year, we will present joint proposals to the Executive Board on how we want to achieve Paris Proof and Zero Emissions in the coming years. Actually, we go beyond Paris Proof in this, but it is about future proof, how are we sustainable in the long term? This does not immediately require huge investments over the next few years, but sensible, sustainable choices."