'The greenery is a strong asset to Scion DTU, and we think Scion DTU should be just as green on the inside as it is outside', says Frederik Nielsen, service technician at Scion DTU.

More than green trees

When you look out the windows of the science park, you are struck by the green colour from trees and bushes. The green touch is of great value to Scion DTU, and if it were up to Frederik Nielsen, service technician at Scion DTU', the greenery should be reflected behind the façade as well; in buildings and technical installations. He is working on a concrete energy saving project at the Scion DTU domicile at 13 Agern Allé – one of the initiatives of Scion DTU's environmental policy.

'We have chosen to start with our own domicile and thus practice on our own turf. The objective is to help our clients with energy optimisation and the first move is to know the actual consumption. By means of that we will find out where to begin. The actual project focuses on electricity in particular. We measure all electricity being used in the house and, not least, when – and that pays off', says Frederik Nielsen about the project that will save energy and expences for Scion DTU.

680 sq metres make up Scion DTU's domicile that holds 107 spotlights that each use 35 watts currently. Using new LED bulbs, the consumption could be reduced to 5 watts per spotlight! This alone will give an annual saving of DKK 7-9,000. There are, of course, costs connected with the replacement. This is a non-recurring cost of DKK 32,000, which is profitable after four years'.

The alarm system controls the electricity
Frederik Nielsen says that also the standby electricity in the building is being scrutinised: 'We use the alarm system of the building to control the standby electricity used by our big printers. This means that everything is turned off when the last employee leaves for the day, and it turns back on as the building comes to life in the morning. This saves a whole night's worth of electricity'.

Behaviour and communication
The environmental policy is very much about changing habits and about communication, and therefore this is also a focus area of the particular project of saving energy at 13 Agern Allé: 'For instance, it is important to use table lighting instead of turning on 25 lamps in the ceiling if you need light one day. We obviously have to communicate with the employees efficiently and affect their actions, just as we wish to publicise the consumption on the internet. Again, this is to make the employees aware and affect their behaviour – perhaps also when they are not at work', says Frederik Nielsen.

A fume cupboard consumes electricity equivalent to an entire house
However, Scion DTU's environmental policy is not just targeted at the employees that reside in the domicile at 13 Agern Allé. Part of the policy deals with enabling Scion DTU to give better advice to its tenants, both when it comes to the reconstruction of existing buildings and construction of new buildings: 'The building regulations are constantly being restricted, the energy prices go up, and the environment is suffering. We need to keep abreast of the development', says Frederik Nielsen and continues to talk about a specific project he is currently working on for a client:

'One of our major clients wishes to reduce its energy consumption. The company uses fume cupboards in its laboratories, and a fume cupboard consumes electricity equivalent to an average house. The company has 20 fume cupboards! This obviously has a great effect on the total energy consumption. A change in behaviour is immediately evident on the bottom line – both positively and negatively. This client spends approx. DKK 2.4 million per year on electricity and if we are able to cut away 10%, both the company and the environment win', Frederik points out.

Great personal motivation
Frederik makes no secret of his personal involvement in the work with turning Scion DTU's environmental policy into concrete actions: 'To me it is an incredibly exciting development. The 'contest' to find the most optimised technical solution is a highly motivational factor for me. At the same time, we are good at discussing concrete solutions and, not least, to praise each other when we see positive results'.