Akademiska Hus is making a record-breaking investment in renewable energy at Lund University. Several new photovoltaic plants will be installed, including the company's single largest ever with a capacity of 450,000 kWh of environmentally friendly electricity each year. Together with already existing plants in the area, the annual production will total just over 2 million kWh. Thus, Campus Lund will also be the campus area in the country with the largest solar production.
Since 2007, Akademiska Hus has continuously provided Sweden's campus areas with photovoltaic systems as part of reducing the amount of energy delivered and instead investing in renewable energy sources. In recent years, the number of facilities on campus around the country has increased significantly and now the company is taking another extensive green step forward to create even more sustainable campus areas.
Akademiska Hus is investing approximately SEK 14 million in nine new photovoltaic facilities at Lund University, including on the roofs of the Language and Literature Center, Eden, Annexet and Geocentrum buildings. The largest facility is located on the roof of the Biomedical Center (BMC), which will cover an area of approximately 2,500 m2 and which, when in operation, will produce as much as 450,000 kWh per year. This makes it Akademiska Hus' single largest solar cell facility ever.
- The record-breaking investment that Akademiska Hus is now making means that we have installed solar cells on virtually all roofs that are suitable for solar cells within our property portfolio in Lund. It is proof that we put a lot of effort into achieving a more sustainable energy supply and that we, together with Lund University, contribute to a fossil-free society. More solar cells also ensure electricity production and electricity use that takes place close to each other, which reduces transmission losses in the electricity networks, says Magnus Öhrman, group manager in energy and technology at Akademiska Hus.
Objectives of climate neutrality
Akademiska Hus has high climate goals and has decided on a zero vision for its climate footprint. Akademiska Hus has previously installed solar cells in Lund at the buildings Ekologi, Maxlab, Kemicentrum, Biologicentrum, Byrålogen and the company's own office, Glosken. In total, the already existing and the nine new plants will annually produce just over 2 million kWh of environmentally friendly solar. The energy will be used in its entirety within Akademiska Hus' properties on campus for ventilation, pumps, lighting and other property installations. It corresponds to the average consumption for a hundred normal-sized villas or to drive about three laps around the world by electric car.
- Akademiska Hus' investment in solar cells is in line with Lund University's environmental and sustainability goals and contributes to local electricity production. The placement of the solar cells on rooftops also means that land does not need to be used for electricity production, says Claes Nilén, environmental manager at Lund University.
- Lund University must act as a role model when it comes to sustainability and a wise use of energy resources follows the global goals. Measures such as these are therefore not only an investment in the future, they also increase the university's credibility in sustainability issues, says Heiko Herwald, vice dean with responsibility for sustainability issues at the Faculty of Medicine.
The nine new photovoltaic systems will be installed on an ongoing basis starting in December 2021 and are planned to be operational by the summer of 2022.
About Akademiska Hus and solar cells
At present, Akademiska Hus has a total of 90 facilities in its property portfolio, which annually generates 8.2 million kWh of sustainable electrical energy for Swedish universities. In the next few years, the real estate company plans to take further steps by installing more facilities that, when completed, will contribute to Akademiska Hus' total amount of solar electricity amounting to more than 12 million kWh per year.