Natural gas-free USP another step closer
In a letter of intent, Utrecht 木瓜福利影视, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht 木瓜福利影视 of Applied Sciences, SSH and the International School Foundation have expressed their intention to realise a collective thermal-energy storage system together. This system will enable all their buildings on the Utrecht Science Park (USP) to be heated and cooled sustainably in the future. Collective thermal-energy storage is a major step towards the ambition of a natural gas-free USP by 2040. It is also a great way to work together.
With the support of the municipality and province of Utrecht, the aforementioned USP partners are working to make energy use in the USP more sustainable. Various organizations are already taking steps towards sustainability, including building insulation and solar panels on roofs, and there are already buildings connected to thermal energy storage. They have also conducted research into possible sustainable energy sources, techniques and solutions needed to become natural gas-free in 2040. In order to achieve this goal, the switch to sustainable sources of heat and cold must be made on a larger scale and the infrastructure must be adjusted accordingly.
CO2 savings
In thermal-energy storage, cold or heat is stored in the ground. The demand for cold and heat in buildings is never completely equal. This imbalance is currently dealt with by (gas) boilers. By linking several buildings together with thermal-energy storage, the imbalance in one building can be compensated by the surplus cold or heat from another building. In this way, organisations help each other, less energy is lost and less, if any, fossil fuels are required. This results in CO2 savings and a lower energy bill.
Cooperation agreement
The USP partners intend to confirm the cooperation with an agreement. A selection procedure for a contractor will also start at that time. If everything goes according to plan, construction of the thermal-energy storage will start in early 2023.