Students at the Amsterdam Science Park save 100 euros a year since their student houses have been phased out of gas. The sustainability drive therefore yields benefits in several respects. During the construction of the last student complex, a heat and cold storage (TES) was installed that they share with the company on the other side of the street.
The WKO works as follows. The neighbors of Nikhef, an institute for physics, such as elementary particles and nuclear energy, need cooling for their computer systems. That cooling water heats up and disappears underground in a kind of thermos flask, until students need heat. Cold water from the student complexes is then drained back to Nikhef.
In addition, there are heat pumps on the roof, so that the 800 students per complex can take a hot shower. But the sustainability campaign does not stop there, says Guido van Poppel of DUWO student housing in the television program Pak An Groen. The common areas are furnished with second-hand furniture in consultation with the students.
There are also plenty of experiments, such as in Delft with the collection of sewage water in huge bags, which serve as the basis for a water pump. Those so-called ‘shit bags’ save 40 to 50 percent of the gas.
Grab an Green
More and more North Hollanders are taking action to tackle climate change. Residents change their lifestyle, buy responsibly and insulate their homes. Entrepreneurs see opportunities and break new ground with sustainable products and services. You can see it on TV every Tuesday in the program Pak An Groen.
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