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Office of Occupational Health and Safety, Animal Welfare and Environmental Protection

economic sustainability

Technical operation electricity, supply Hubland-Campus...

An energy study commissioned by the University/the State Building Authority is currently being carried out, which is looking at the future energy supply and future energy generation at the University of Würzburg. The results of this study are not yet available to the university (as of spring 2020).

One possible model will also be the use of combined heat, power and cooling (CHP), whereby electricity (power) is generated very economically, efficiently and sustainably and the waste heat generated in the process is used in the district/local heating network or, after conversion, as cooling is utilised.

Power generation at the Sailershäuser Wald GmbH community wind farm

Areas of the University Forestry Office have been leased to Bürgerwindpark Sailershäuser Wald GmbH since autumn 2015. This involves around 4.5 hectares, on which 6 wind turbines are located. In total, this wind farm consists of 10 wind turbines, which cover around half of the electricity needs of private households in the Hassberge district.

JMU is endeavouring to further reduce its energy consumption. To this end, a whole series of measures have already been implemented over the past few years:

  • The continuous replacement of conventional lighting technology with LED technology. The entire exterior lighting has already been replaced.
  • Retrofitting of switch-off devices for lighting(presence detectors) in the buildings, in some cases also outdoors
  • Optimisation of control processes using the implemented building management system.
    e.g. temperature control depending on attendance in lecture halls/seminar rooms, switching down heating systems at the turn of the year to save energy.

A pioneering example of this is the pilot project in Bavaria in the Wittelsbacherplatz building, which was promoted by the Bavarian State Ministry of the Interior's Supreme Building Authority.

  • 19% (226 MWh) in heat consumption,
  • electricity consumption by 23% (36 MWh)
  • CO emissions by 20% (69 tonnes)

were achieved (the figures relate to the 2016/17 period and have remained at approximately the same level since then).

Energy savings and other sustainability goals cannot only be achieved during ongoing operations, but must also influence construction planning and the realisation of construction measures. JMU can point to some successes here:

  • The energy standard of new and existing buildings (refurbishment) falls below the EnEV 2009 by at least 30% (building envelope) - cf. 2011 Council of Ministers resolution for public buildings
  • Where possible, JMU participates in funding programmes for energy-efficient building refurbishment (see above example of building at Wittelsbacher Platz)
  • Photovoltaic roof systems are installed where possible
  • Centralised rainwater management at Hubland Campus North: green roofs, surface rainwater drainage and infiltration (B-Plan specification) are current options. These are already being implemented as part of the current construction measures and will also be incorporated into future planning.
  • The master plan of the University of Würzburg envisages a clear prioritisation of the pedestrian/cycle path network at Hubland (goal: Hubland North as a quasi "car-free campus" in the future)
  • Environmentally friendly short-distance mobility is facilitated by concentrating locations.

Department 3.3 (Purchasing) consistently aligns procurement, particularly for consumables and office supplies, with sustainability criteria. This is done, for example, by purchasing environmentally friendly and resource-conserving products, e.g. pens, adhesive film, whiteboards with a high recycled content or in "eco versions".

  • Paper: Recycled paper is standard at JMU in the office and sanitary areas. Since 1 April 2019, only white recycled paper can be procured for office use via JMU's internal procurement tool, the webshop.The paper types all have the "Blue Angel" label and consist of 100% recycled paper. The only exception is 120, 160 and 250 g. paper, where no recycled paper is available on the market (special recycled paper is also expected to be available from 04.2020 and will be included in the webshop. The exception will therefore no longer apply). The University of Würzburg is included on page 70 of the Paper Atlas 2020, which shows the sustainable paper procurement of German universities through the use of recycled paper with the "Blue Angel" label.
  • Whiteboards: Items that are 99% recyclable and consist of 50% recycled material were put out to tender for the "Whiteboards" framework agreement.
  • Office supplies: When drawing up the specifications for the office supplies framework agreement, a recycling option was sought for each item. For most items, an eco-variant could also be found (e.g. ballpoint pens; It was also found that the ecological variants are often better economically, as they are cheaper.This means that higher-priced sustainable products can be offset.
  • Procurement tool eVergabe: All procurements from 25,000 euros net are processed via the "eVergabe" portal.
    This means that bidders no longer have to submit paper bids, and all communication with bidders takes place electronically by email.
  • IT equipment: Electricity consumption was included in the evaluation of bids for all tenders.
  • Planned projects that will reduce paper consumption, among other things:
    -electronic invoice processing
    -document management system
    -authorisation platform

Department 3.3 Purchasing regularly carries out market analyses in order to procure more environmentally friendly and resource-saving products.
Corresponding procurement recommendations are also passed on to the departments and these criteria are communicated to suppliers and manufacturers during procurement.

A wide range of media technology equipment, including the corresponding accessories, is available to borrow free of charge from the computer centre. The offer includes a wide range of media technology equipment - from recording devices, projectors, screens, digital cameras, audio systems with microphones and mixers and laptops to 60-inch monitors and video production sets. The current range is available in the online equipment hire system. The computer centre also advises on the optimal use of media technology. The power consumption of equipment is included in the evaluation of all tenders.

JMU pursues a comprehensive concept of waste separation and recycling.

Standard household waste

At several JMU locations, containers are available for the separation of standard household waste. Waste paper, residual waste, organic waste and waste for the yellow bag are separated.

  • Waste paper is sent for paper recycling
  • Organic waste is composted
  • The contents of the yellow bag are taken to WRG
  • Residual waste is disposed of by incineration (Würzburg waste-to-energy plant).

There are glass containers at a few locations that separate used glass into the colours brown, green and white. Used glass is also intended for recycling.
JMU also has the option of disposing of electrical and electronic waste or sending it for recycling.
JMU also recycles polystyrene moulded parts and packaging chips by passing them on to appropriate recycling companies.

Hazardous waste

Hazardous waste is always disposed of via the Technical Operations department. In addition to chemicals from the laboratories, other hazardous waste such as metallic mercury, waste oil, batteries, asbestos and fluorescent tubes are collected. The Centre for Waste Disposal and Recycling stores this waste securely for final disposal or recycling by external companies.

Recycling

The recycling of solvents is one of the most important concepts at the Waste Disposal and Recycling Centre. Waste canisters containing organic solvent waste can be analysed using gas chromatography. If redistillation is an option for the contents, the contents of the canister are freed of impurities using rotary evaporators and distillation units. The pure solvent can also be virtually dehydrated using a dewatering system. The solvent recovered in this way is made available to university staff for reuse.

JMU promotes the resource-conserving and sustainable mobility of its students and employees with a range of different, interlinked measures:

  • The Free State of Bavaria offers its employees the "Job Ticket" from Deutsche Bahn. This offers a discount of 13% on ICE connections and a discount of 18% on all other connections compared to the basic price of the DB annual ticket. The job ticket for JMU employees is managed by the State Office of Finance in Würzburg. In 2019, 230 Jobtickets were issued to JMU employees (as at 07/2019 - the current figures will be published in August 2020). The confirmation (official seal) of the employment centre required on the order form can be obtained from the Human Resources Department, Ref. 4.1. The DB Job Ticket can also be ordered online.
  • The Mobil company travelcard - valid on all buses, trams and trains in the Mainfranken transport network (VVM) - is a personal annual travelcard and therefore non-transferable. It is valid for any number of journeys between the specified start and destination honeycomb in the entire network and in all honeycombs in the fare zone. In addition, the whole family (one additional adult and all own children up to and including the age of 14) can travel free of charge on the entire network and in all honeycombs in the fare zone at the following times:
    • Monday to Friday from 6.00 pm (on school days)
    • all day on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays
    • and all day from Monday to Friday without school (e.g. Bavarian school holidays)
      The Mobil company travelcard is an annual ticket. The annual fare is deducted in instalments of one twelfth per month from your salary by the pay office of the State Office of Finance in favour of VVM. How the ticket price is calculated can be found on the VVM website. The Mobil company travelcard can only be obtained from the Würzburg office of the State Finance Office. JMU employees can find the application form and a detailed information sheet in the JMU administration ABC under the keyword: Mobil Firmen-Abo.
  • DB Jobticket
  • Together with their enrolment (for a fee), students receive a "Semesterticket" for the respective semester. "Semesterticket"which includes free travel on public transport in Würzburg and the surrounding area during the period of validity.
  • JMU welcomes the planned expansion of the tram connection to the Hubland Campus (line 6) and is in contact with the city of Würzburg in this regard.
  • The expansion of the number of (partly covered) bicycle parking spaces in the university area will take place as part of the ongoing construction work on the Hubland Campus and the renovation of existing buildings.
  • E-mobility In the course of current construction and renovation measures, charging stations for e-cars are to be provided in the campus area by an external provider. So far, the project has failed due to financial feasibility - the regional public provider has not (yet) stepped in and the university does not have the funds to finance publicly used charging stations. JMU is hoping for a positive development here ...
  • The renovation of the underground car park at Hublandincludes the construction of 9 charging points for electric vehicles, which will be financed via the "major construction project".
  • JMU is gradually replacing its vehicle fleet with electric and hybrid vehicles. The President's official car is also a hybrid vehicle, which leads to predominantly e-mobility, especially in the - frequently occurring - short-distance inner-city traffic.
  • The university already has e-bikes in use for technical operations or central service departments (e.g. AGTU staff unit), both on the Hubland Campus and in the area of the New University on Sanderring. In addition, some chairs also use e-bikes. Company bicycles are mainly available for employees of the Technical Operations Service Centre who are out and about on the Hubland Campus.
  • The university currently has 2 "pure" e-vehicles (Peugeot Partner vans, Institute of Virology and Computer Centre).
  • Whenever new company cars are purchased, it is currently being checked whether internal vehicle swaps (e.g. vans) will free up capacity and whether an e-vehicle can be prioritised.