Much of the building is occupied by the Faculty of Science and Engineering, which has grown significantly in recent years. Various laboratories and teaching spaces have been added, along with ETpathinder – a miniature version of the Einstein Telescope. Work has also recently begun on a new lecture room that will accommodate around 250 students.
“At peak times, we already use more electricity than our contract with the grid operator Enexis allows”, says Ivo Maessen, programme manager for sustainable real estate at UM. “They aren’t happy about it, but there’s just no other way.” The new lecture room will only add to the problem: “At full occupancy, there will be almost twice as many people in the building as there are now. They and their devices will generate a lot of heat. This means much more energy is needed for cooling, especially in summer.” While several university buildings are already “pushing the limits” in terms of energy consumption, the situation is most urgent at DUB30.
The solution, says Maessen, is to generate energy on-site through solar panels. But it isn’t as easy as simply placing them on the roof: “We also need space for other installations, and the roof won’t be able to support the weight.” Hence the plans for an “energy wall”, integrating solar panels into the building’s glass façade. This will be a first in Maastricht for such a large building, De Limburger reported last week. According to the newspaper, members of the city’s Aesthetics and Heritage Committee were “delighted” with the plans. The energy wall will be the same colour as the current façade, giving the weathered exterior an “aesthetic refresh without altering its appearance”, says Maessen.
A further advantage is that the building’s existing “shell” – “the dark panels with insulation behind them surrounding the concrete structure” – was due for replacement anyway, Maessen notes. “A lot of heat escapes through it. The new setup could save around 85,000 cubic metres of natural gas a year. That’s already more than half of UM’s target to reduce its total gas consumption by 135,000 cubic metres by 2035.” Research shows that together with other measures, such as a more energy-efficient heating and cooling system, glass with better insulation and a reversible heat pump, the building could eventually be completely gas-free, says Maessen. “This aligns with the municipality’s ambition to fully phase out natural gas by 2050.” He expects the tender process to be launched next month, with construction likely to begin at the end of this year or early next year.
Over the next fifteen to twenty years, other university buildings will also be upgraded. “Energy walls certainly won’t be possible everywhere, but better insulation and more efficient systems are. We still need to work out the exact schedule, though – it’s incredibly expensive, and the logistics need careful planning.”