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University of Macau implements green concept in the new campus

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Over the years, the University of Macau (UM) has paid special attention to environmental protection and energy saving issues. The new campus under construction in Hengqin Island will incorporate the green concept, being a quiet pedestrian-dedicated campus, with few cars. UM is also committed to reducing carbon emissions in the new campus, to create a comfortable living and learning environment for the teaching staff and students.

 

UM´s new campus adheres to the “people-oriented” design concept and embraces a barrier-free campus culture, by offering multi-level walking routes, to encourage staff and students to walk and move on bicycles. The new campus will also implement vehicle and pedestrian sorting, under which vehicles will not be allowed to enter the pedestrian area, to ensure safe and comfortable walking and to provide a quiet living and learning environment.

 

The new campus will offer multi-level landscaping that integrates water bodies, green surface, artificial hills, ecological corridors, a courtyard, indoor planting and a sky garden. Besides, the complex will also stress the conservation and ecological elements. For instance, there will be a large number of indoor and outdoor greening, with small fruit trees or small-scale farming, as well as tree-lined trails and corridors, to present a quiet education environment filled with cultural tastes.

 

Constructions have always exerted a significant impact on environmental protection and energy conservation. UM´s new campus will use environmentally-friendly, non-polluting and non-radioactive construction materials. Substantial natural lighting and natural ventilation have been taken into account in the design of the complex, in addition to using such conventional methods as shading and insulation to reduce power consumption.

 

Besides, the new campus will have in place electricity-saving water supply, hot water, air-conditioning, lighting and solar electricity storage systems. A sewage treatment plant will be installed at the north side of the complex, to treat the campus´ wastewater. Recyclable water will be used for irrigation of plants and to replenish the water bodies inside the campus. UM is currently considering the implementation of an advanced building management system (BMS) to efficiently manage the air-conditioning, lighting, water supply, draining, hot water and electricity systems, to save water and electricity in a scientific manner.

 

University of Macau has for many years stressed the importance of environmental protection and energy saving. In 2008, UM has formally set-up a comprehensive quality control and environment management system. In the same year, UM successfully obtained the ISO 14001:2004 certification, thus becoming a model in environmental protection and energy saving for other institutions in Macao.

 

As early as mid-2006, UM has already linked-up all the air-conditioning chilled water pipes of the main buildings in the existing campus and connected them to the two water-cooled chillers in the Ho Yin Convention Center, so that the operations of the chillers could become more efficient, thereby resulting in savings in electricity expenses, of around Two Hundred and Eight Thousand Patacas per year. The University authorities have also installed water-cooled chillers at the University Library, to replace the air-cooled chillers, saving about 20% in electricity expenses. All offices in the University complex currently use a variable frequency-driven central air-conditioning system that automatically switches-off supply of air-conditioning to the University offices every day at 1:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. The classrooms at the University Library use fan-coil units (FCU) to replace air cabinets, so that air-conditioning in the classrooms can be independently regulated, to reduce waste.

 

With regards to lighting, UM is already using energy-saving lamps, T5-type fluorescent tubes and LED lights in all its premises, having replaced previous non-energy-efficient lighting devices and removed part of the excess lamps. Also, sensor control devices are installed in the toilets, corridors and stairways to automatically switch off the lights when there is no one around.

 

University of Macau has also installed capacity cabinets in the electricity switch rooms at the K. C. Wong Building and the University Library for reactive power compensation. Many old-style elevators will be replaced by the more energy-saving micro-computer controlled variable voltage variable frequency (WWVF) elevators and the environmental-friendly gearless traction elevators that do not need to replace gear oil. In order to promote new energy-saving technologies, the University´s Sports Complex has installed an energy-saving combined solar and air-source thermal pump system to replace the previous electricity water-heating system, for the production of heat from renewable solar energy and compensated by electricity when the storage of solar energy is insufficient. With the introduction of the new system, an annual saving in electricity bill of around Five Thousand Patacas can be expected.

 

Furthermore, University of Macau will actively participate in the upcoming 2010 Macao International Environmental Protection Cooperation Forum and Exhibition (2010MIECF), to exhibit the planning of the new campus and divulge the environmental-related strategies and facilities to be incorporated therein. UM will also avail of the opportunity to introduce to the visitors and experts from all over the world the measures adopted by the University in the promotion of environmental protection.

 

MIECF, an annual environmental protection event in Macao since 2008, is co-ordinated by the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) and the Environmental Protection Bureau (DSPA) and co-organized by the Governments of Nine Provinces in the Pearl River Delta and the Government of Hong Kong SAR, with the special support of the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Environmental Protection of the People´s Republic of China. The 3-day event will agglomerate exhibitors, professional buyers, experts, scholars and the general public from all over the world, to further promote Macau as the environmental protection industry platform between China and the international market.


30/03/2010