Sustainabiltiy across the city

During the summer of 2016, solar panels were being installed on the Dr. Meurerhuis, Amsterdam Business School, Faculty of Science Building, the Nicolaes Tulphuis and Amsterdam University College.  The panels serve as one component of the UvA-AUAS Energy Efficient Plan, which aims at collectively using 30% less energy in the year 2020 than in 2005. 

Less energy, more efficiency

Among other measures, major steps are being taken in the way of using 100% green electricity (a combination of the solar panels and wind energy), the use of a geothermal heat pumps to regulate the temperature of buildings at Science Park, Roeterseiland and the Amstel campus and stricter controls of the air conditioning systems in buildings so that they are only heated or cooled when necessary and actually in use.

The project was arranged through a partnership with OVG Real Estate. With a combined surface area  of around 4.100 m² (or around one-third of Dam Square) across the five locations, the energy return from the solar panels is estimated to be around 600.000 kWh per year (roughly enough energy to power the equivalent of 200 households). This makes the project one of the largest of its sort in the Amsterdam area, while also contributing to the goals of reducing CO₂ output and saving on energy costs.

The solar panels at AUC are slated to be fully operational by late September.