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Description
The Democritus University of Thrace was the first Greek polyhedral regional university (initially in the cities of Xanthi and Komotini and later in Alexandroupolis and Orestiada). Many of the University’s buildings are old with insufficient use of Renewable Energy Sources (RES). The objective of the project is the implementation of RES technologies (Solar thermal air-conditioning, Photovoltaics, Biomass heating, etc.) into a wide range of the Community’s buildings (Student’s Dorms, Restaurant, Lecture Hall, and Supporting Buildings). Specialized education activities will be performed as well as practical training on RES demonstrations. Suitable dissemination material will be produced (website, flyers, CDROMs, USBs etc.). The project is expected to achieve the increase of RES consumption and to strengthen awareness and education in the sustainable use of energy. The main beneficiary of the project will be the community of University with publicity activities also generating awareness among the broader public.
Summary of project results
The interventions included in REUNI project aims to increase the use of Renewable Energy Sources and to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) within the Democritus University of Thrace (DUTH). The newly installed RES technologies cover the heating, cooling and electricity (partly) demand for eight buildings of students’ halls of total capacity of 592 beds and of total area of 11,355.74 m2, as well as one restaurant (1,012.36 m2) with daily capacity of 398 students, one amphitheatre (1,941.21 m2) of average monthly visits of 550 persons and one machinery building. The total area of the building complex is 14,819.09 m2.
The integrated interventions of RES technologies to the local “Community” of DUTH result in:
- Total increase of renewable energy consumption by 2,481.64 MWh/year (Target: 2373.61 MWh)
- Reduction of 797.83 tons of CO2eq emissions per year (Target: 636.41 tons)
- Organisation of 3 events within the framework of bilateral relations (Target: 3)
The implementation of project REUNI concluded to elimination of the consumption of heating oil that was replaced by a mixture of Renewable Energy Technologies resulting in more than 50% increase of the share of RES in the energy mix of the building complex. In addition, the project REUNI improved the thermal comfort and living standards of the students’ halls tenants, dramatically reduced the operation costs of the buildings for energy and reduced the carbon footprint of the building complex and of DUTHs in general. Finally, through dissemination, networking and publicity actions, the project achieved the awareness rising of the local community including among other students of School of Engineering of DUTH and students of primary and secondary schools of the region.
Outputs delivered:
- A hybrid solar/biomass system for heating, domestic hot water and cooling of students’ hall buildings and one amphitheater that consists of a solar collectors of 1,32 ΜWth, a biomass boiler of 1,15 MWth, an absorption chiller of 316,52 KWc and thermal energy storage system of 40 m3 (hot water)
- A geothermal heat pump system of 276 KWth for heating and cooling the restaurant of DUTH’s facilities
- An autonomous rooftop PV system of 51,48 KWp for partial cover of the electrical demand of one students’ hall building (G2) • An electrical bicycle charging station connected to the autonomous rooftop PV system
- An electrical bicycle charging station connected to an autonomous vertical axis wind turbine system of 1KW
- Data acquisition system
- Information material