Hohenheim Energy Manager  [09.03.21]

By 2040, all of the state's institutions are to become climate-neutral. But is this goal achievable for the University of Hohenheim? And what is actually happening at the moment? On the occasion of Hohenheim's monthly topic "Climate Change" in the Science Year 20|21 Bioeconomy, Online Courier had a virtual coffee with Sabrina Gärtner. Fresh from university, she has been supporting the Technical and Domestic Services Department at the University of Hohenheim as the Energy Manager since 1 July 2020.

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Ms. Gärtner, what is your professional background? And what was it like getting started in Covid-19 times?

I studied decentralized energy systems and energy efficiency at Reutlingen University. Exactly one day after submitting my Master's thesis, I was able to start my job here in Hohenheim. So it was a smooth transition - and I was very happy about that, especially in view of the current situation.

Unfortunately, I only know the Hohenheim campus without students because of Covid-19. That's a bit of a strange feeling - especially when you look at photos from past years, where the big university anniversary and great summer festivals were celebrated here. In any case, I'm looking forward to seeing life on campus again and getting to know even more people in person.

However, my orientation in the Technical and Domestic Services Department has also worked very well under Covid-19 conditions. My thanks here go to my predecessor Mr. Geisler, among others, who assisted me for my first six months. I really enjoy the fact that I can now apply my theoretical knowledge from my studies in a very practical way. The University of Hohenheim is also a great size: diverse, yet manageable and personal.

What exactly are your tasks as an energy manager?

In a nutshell, energy management deals with the procurement and use of energy.

This includes energy controlling, i.e. documenting exactly how much electricity and gas is consumed in individual buildings. At the same time, I try to identify potential for optimization and initiate concrete measures. In addition to various types of billing, I also ensure that the latest legal and tax requirements are met. Since the legal situation changes very quickly, we also want to get external support for this.

Beyond energy management in the narrow sense, sustainability issues in general are also assigned to my position. Communication with employees and students is particularly important to me here. I am open to all kinds of ideas. I would also like to raise awareness of how we can all contribute to saving energy and making the university a sustainable institution through our daily behavior on campus.

The state government has stated a goal for all state institutions to be carbon neutral by 2040, which includes us as a university. What do you think: Can we achieve this?

The state wants to set an example. I think that's right and motivating. However, a lot still has to happen to achieve the goal that has been set.

Above all, structural measures are necessary. As a university, we are not directly responsible for this, but the State Office for Property and Construction is. In fact, however, the requirements of the state government have led to an increasing focus on energy and sustainability. We support this on the part of the university.

For example, a new photovoltaic system was put into operation last year on the new building of the State Apicultural Institute, which produces about 16,500 kilowatt hours of electricity per year. This is roughly equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of three 4-person households. The new building also meets the latest energy standards in other respects.

Incidentally, the first photovoltaic system on campus went into operation in 2017 on the Otto Rettenmaier Audimax. And solar energy is also to be used in all other major new buildings planned in the coming years through the university's own PV systems.

What else is happening?

The most important milestone to date was the switch to green electricity in 2011 - which enabled the university to reduce its CO2 emissions by around 50% in a single stroke.

Also worth mentioning is the installation of a combined heat and power plant in 2012 that generates electricity using natural gas. The heat generated as a byproduct is used for heating and hot water. The financing was also clever at the time: thanks to energy-saving contracting, the university did not have to put up any money for the combined heat and power plant, but was able to finance it solely through energy-saving measures on campus.

The university wants to continue this successful example in the future. Plans for a second cogeneration plant on campus are already underway.

As energy manager, what issues are keeping you particularly busy at the moment?

One of the projects that keeps me busy is the creation of energy certificates for all buildings on campus - a legal requirement comparable to the energy labels for refrigerators, for example, where you can see at a glance how energy-efficient the appliance is.

For buildings, of course, the whole thing is a bit more complex. Especially because campus buildings are not simply residential buildings. Heating, hot water, electricity, lighting, ventilation, and cooling are all taken into account. To put it simply, all of this is compared with reference values from comparable buildings to produce an assessment.

One practical challenge here is our meters, some of which are getting very old. So far, only a few of them work digitally. This means that meter reading is usually necessary on site. One project I see for the next few years is to drive forward digitalization here. This could save us a lot of time for other things.

Overall, however, the effort of documentation is definitely worthwhile: because only if we know weak points can we take targeted action - e.g., set priorities for renovations accordingly.

Another project I see is to better prepare this and other information, e.g. as part of an annual energy report or also on the homepage. I think this is important in order to bring the university members along on the path to a climate-neutral university.

You mentioned the keyword "user awareness." What is important to you in this context?

During my studies, I worked for a company that sensitized residents and employees in retirement and nursing homes to the issue of saving energy. That was a big eye-opener for me: because it showed me how much can be achieved with very little investment.

Or to put it another way: If buildings are renovated at great expense, but we waste energy carelessly in other places, we are far from being a sustainable institution.

So what points should we take to heart in everyday university life?

One important point concerns airing out rooms: Instead of keeping windows tilted for long periods of time during the cold season, it is advisable to open them completely for a short time and turn down the heating at the same time. Before going to the Mensa or the restroom, remember to turn off the screen and turn off the lights. In addition, the installation of motion detectors in the corridors could help us here.

Or thinking a bit further: Can't I perhaps do without my disposable cup in the Mensa and bring my own reusable cup instead? How about choosing meatless dishes more often, which have a better climate footprint? Can I manage to separate my waste cleanly at the university, even if I have to walk a few extra steps to do so? Or can I possibly even take it upon myself as a personal challenge to avoid plastic packaging of all kinds as much as possible?

I am enthusiastic about the great student commitment that exists here at the university on the topic. For example, we used stickers from the student group Greening Hohenheim, among other things to remind people to turn off the light switches. In recent years, there have also been campus clean-up campaigns where students have picked up trash and cigarette butts.

The AStA environmental department advocates for even more networking. The students' vision is a "Green Office" that bundles all sustainability initiatives and brings together students, administrative institutions, and academia. What do you think of the idea?

I first heard about the "Green Office" model through the students here in Hohenheim. I find the basic idea behind it exciting. We should definitely all pull together and exchange ideas even better. The students are also very important in this. The topic of sustainability should be even more visible at the university and have a high priority overall. There are certainly different ways to achieve this goal. I therefore think an exchange on how we can best achieve this as a whole university would be useful.

 

We will continue to report, thank you very much for the interview!

 

Interview: Leonhardmair / Translation: Neudorfer