Dominik Stollenwerk, what exactly does the Sustainable Facility Management division do?
In a nutshell, we find out where the energy is needed, ensure that it is procured on the market and we track how energy use is developing as RWTH continues to evolve. We are also the link between the University management, staff units and Department 10 for all matters pertaining to energy.
The department consists of two specialist areas that complement each other: one determines, localizes and collates RWTH’s energy use and the measurement data for this, while the second is responsible for the procurement of energy (electricity, district heating, and natural gas) and further processing all the measurements for the energy quantities that RWTH requires for its operations. We work closely with the other specialist areas in the department that are responsible for the energy measuring equipment. We operate the energy database, in which all purchases and consumption are systematically recorded, and we compile statistics that are used to create RWTH’s sustainability report and climate protection concept. In cooperation with the Financial and Administrative Services division of Facilities Management, we also deal with the statutory reporting obligations for energy use and emissions trading.
Which topic are you most concerned about at the moment?
We are currently being affected by the legal and regulatory requirements for our reports and measurement data, as these are constantly becoming more complicated. These also present a number of challenges in terms of the quantity and quality of the measurements. This report is a good example of the fact that reporting on energy use is much more transparent and public these days, and this is something that we very much welcome. The issue of energy has been with us for the last 20 years, and structured energy recording has been around for all that time. The structures we now have in place and the varying designs of energy distribution systems make carrying out an RWTH-wide evaluation considerably more difficult. Our current focus is on being able to monitor our own PV systems very well and we are continuing to work on automatically recording measurement data. We hope that the new software tool that is going to be introduced will make things much easier here, as it will significantly improve system and data recording, maintenance and documentation. To this end, we are currently processing the existing data on the supply and metering infrastructure so that we can start the new system with a significantly better and more comprehensive database.
What is the biggest challenge?
Around 2000 energy meters (heating, cooling, electricity, water) are currently installed on RWTH premises. The distribution among the buildings varies significantly: we have huge buildings that only have five meters and relatively small buildings that have as many as 50 meters. In addition, the technology used in the buildings is at completely different levels due to the fact that the buildings are regularly modified, which unfortunately makes standardized automatic evaluation very difficult to carry out. The sheer volume of measurement data and the large number of different recording and transmission systems create a complex situation that presents us with major challenges. Another point is the infrastructure in many parts of the University, which in some cases is significantly outdated. We cannot simply swap out the meters here, as would be the case in perfectly prepared new buildings, and this means that what would otherwise be a simple meter exchange quickly turns into a major project. This ties up resources for us and for our specialist departments, since they then cannot be used for other important activities, so modernizing the measurement infrastructure will become a major challenge in the coming years. Here we also have to work closely with the owners, as RWTH does not own a large proportion (approx. 85%) of the buildings in which we are responsible for University operations.
What will the building operation of tomorrow look like?
For most users, it will be no different from today, but there will be significantly more transparency regarding the use of the system and greater system operation efficiency in the building. On the one hand, this requires better system monitoring and closer coordination with the users of the buildings so as to determine which conditions are applicable. On the other hand, adjustments to the control system will be necessary, as many of the buildings and their control systems were planned, commissioned, and in operation long before the current occupants were even part of RWTH. The building automation settings, usage times and control logic variables must adapt to the constantly changing usage profiles of the buildings. There is great potential for efficiency and comfort gains here, but these can only be exploited if we cooperate closely with the users. To make this possible, we have developed the Energy Efficiency Challenge to get people talking to each other.
Thank you for answering the questions!