Students determine CO2 saving potential

100 per cent of H-BRS’ energy usage comes from renewable energy sources, but there is still room for improvement

5,500 square metres of roofing and 7,660 square metres of carpark are suited to generating energy at the H-BRS Sankt Augustin campus. How many solar panels would fit onto these areas? How much sustainably produced energy could be generated? How high is the CO2 reduction potential? In 2021, Bachelor’s degree students in Sustainable Engineering were able to investigate the answers to these questions. “We could have asked a company to calculate this for us, but our students proved that they were capable of doing it themselves. They’re our biggest and best potential,” says Dieter Franke, professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Technical Journalism, with satisfaction.

Our own photovoltaic system

As initiator of the project, he instructed the students to determine the CO2 emissions caused by electricity consumption and heat supply at the Sankt Augustin campus in the reference year 2019, and to calculate the feasibility of becoming CO2 neutral. “The university uses green energy and as a result has a good CO2 balance. Having our own photovoltaic system would be even better. It could cover the consumption of the entire university and feed any excess ‘green’ energy back into the public grid,” explains Nils Keller, a Bachelor’s degree student in his seventh semester. The university administration gave the students access to data on thermal energy consumption. “Fortunately, the building has good insulation. Since buying CO2-neutral gas to use for heating in Germany is difficult, alternatives must be found. As a first step we suggested using the green areas of the university to offset CO2 emissions,” reports Nils Keller. The topic and its practical relevance are what motivated him to take part in the project. Calculating the CO2 reduction potential not only fits in well with his degree subjects but is also a pressing topic at the moment. “Many companies are seeking energy consultations to determine their carbon footprint and their CO2 savings potential,” emphasises Professor Franke.

The university has taken the results on board and plans to install photovoltaic systems on the rooftops of the Sankt Augustin campus. In terms of gas supply, they are locked into ongoing contracts. As Dieter Franke says, “We’re discussing switching to carbon neutral gas and from gas heating to more environmentally-friendly technologies in the future”. The project will also be repeated at the other university campuses. Plenty of potential: The roofs, carparks and green areas at H-BRS offer sufficient space for photovoltaic systems