Since October, ETH Zurich has been implementing energy-saving measures in order to actively avoid a potential energy shortage. The current outlook for the extent to which the energy shortage will affect Switzerland is better than feared, but the situation remains very tense and saving energy is still important – not least because of higher energy prices.
In October, ETH Zurich launched targeted measures to reduce its gas and energy use, focusing on room temperatures, hot water and lighting. According to the latest statistics, gas usage in October 2022 was in fact much lower than in previous years.
It was not just the reduction measures that played a role; one crucial factor was the record high temperatures. October 2022 was the warmest October in Switzerland since records began. As the average daily temperature never fell below 12°C, the heating requirements were very low. The warmer temperatures are therefore currently helping to save on heating-related energy.
ETH Zurich supports the Federal Council’s goal to reduce gas consumption by 15 percent from October 2022 to the end of March 2023. The university is therefore following the recommendation to convert dual-fuel installations from gas to fuel oil as preparation for a possible gas shortage. The Executive Board has now given approval for ETH to procure the required volume of fuel oil. These measures primarily affect the Hönggerberg campus, as the Zentrum campus mostly uses district heating from the Hagenholz waste incineration plant. The gas usage graph, updated every month, is published at www.ethz.ch/save-energy.
Over 350 energy-saving measures implemented
To date, over 350 individual energy-saving measures have been implemented at ETH, with no negative impact on teaching, research or facilities. Among the responses, there were some inquiries from ETH members who wanted to know why even after 1 October, hot water was not completely switched off in some buildings and some lighting that was not absolutely necessary was left switched on. This is because the various buildings have very specific requirements and automation levels, and the hot water and lights can’t be switched off at once for all buildings.
In the HCI research building, which houses the Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences and the Department of Materials, for example, it turned out that in a wing where the hot water had been completely turned off, water had to be reheated locally in one of the infrastructure facilities. As this made the energy balance worse, the hot water in this wing was turned back on. This example highlights how even seemingly straightforward measures for ETH buildings are often more complicated to implement than expected. “We ask ETH members for their understanding for the fact that we can’t produce a comprehensive plan for the whole winter because the situation is continuously changing. We would like to thank everyone helping to save energy at ETH for the flexibility they have shown,” says Dominik Brem, Head of Engineering and Systems.
Saving energy also reduces the financial burden
ETH will continue to implement its energy-saving measures, even if a recent study suggests that the probability of power supply in Switzerland being seriously affected is lower than previously estimated, external pageas the Swiss Federal Council announced on 2 November 2022 (in French). To assess the situation, the government drew on a external pagestudy from Swissgrid (in German). The external pagenational grid company concluded that an energy shortage might only occur towards the end of winter 2023. “This is certainly good news,” says Dario D’Ercole, Head of the ETH Energy Shortage Task Force, “but unfortunately the enormous increase in electricity prices means there will be no easing of the financial burden on ETH Zurich.”
The cost per kilowatt hour of electricity will be more than double 2022 rates – and it is not just the next year that will be affected. Due to price developments and the staggered procurement of electricity – over three years – electricity costs are unlikely to fall to their pre-2022 level even after 2023. To reduce the burden on ETH Zurich’s electricity budget, the Energy Shortage Task Force will therefore work with the departments and technology platforms to identify further ETH-wide saving measures and work on coordinated implementation (details will be communicated separately at a later date).
Further information
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