The number of solar modules on the roofs of the University of Oldenburg continues to grow: at the end of February, systems went into operation on the sports building, the fitness and health centre and the lecture theatre centre A14.
The peak output of the new systems is around 230 kilowatts, which corresponds to around 200,000 kilowatt hours of electricity per year. The expansion will save the university 125 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually and reduce its energy costs by 35,000 euros per year. The cost of the investment is around 330,000 euros.
The installation of the new solar power systems on the Haarentor campus is already the third milestone in terms of solar energy: from 2017 to 2019, the university installed a total of twelve photovoltaic systems with a peak output of 500 kilowatts in two stages. It started in 2017 on the Haarentor campus with the library, building A02 (the "bridge" over Uhlhornsweg), the domed roof of the lecture theatre centre and other buildings. This was followed in 2019 by the Wechloy campus, where parts of the main building and the NeSSy research building have now been equipped with photovoltaic modules.
Savings of 400 tonnes of CO₂
Following the current expansion, the peak output of all photovoltaic systems installed at the University of Oldenburg is around 740 kilowatts, which corresponds to an energy yield of around 650,000 kilowatt hours per year or the average annual consumption of around 160 four-person households. The university consumes all of the electricity generated itself. This saves around 400 tonnes of CO₂ per year. The share of electricity generated by photovoltaics in the university's total electricity consumption has thus risen to around 4 per cent.
Further systems are planned for the future, for example on the open-air hall on Uhlhornsweg, buildings A08 and A15 or on new buildings. Most of the financing is provided from the university's own funds as part of an intracting model.
