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Sustainable buildings and Energy

KTH activities such as education and research require premises such as labs, offices and teaching areas. KTH works continuosly to reduce its energy use based on set climate targets, which is done in collaboration with the property owners.

Checklist

Reduce energy use- a mission for everyone

Everyone can contribute to reducing KTH's energy use. Every kWh counts!

In particular, keep in mind to:

  • Switch off your KTH work computer and computer monitor and any other devices at your workplace before you go on holiday.​​
  • Turn off equipment in standby.​
  • Turn off all lighting (except emergency lighting) in unmanned premises.​
  • Unplug the charger before you go home.​
  • When you're at the office, don't keep windows open, only ventilate briefly if necessary. Remember to close the window afterwards.

Read more:

Energy saving tips (pdf 548 kB)

Reduce Energy Use - A Mission for Everyone at KTH (pdf 226 kB)

Energy plans for buildings

Energy saving measures by KTH and Akademiska Hus in 2023

KTH and Akademiska hus collaborate on buildings and energy issues. Examples of joint measures are:

  • Operational optimization of ventilation, temperature and lighting
  • Night walking: Energy monitoring of the activity during the evening
  • Degree projects with a focus on specific buildings on the KTH Campus
  • Implementation of tests to advance the switching off of lighting in certain corridors

For example, during the night walk carried out in the spring of 2023, some areas for improvement was noted. Fume-hoods were not closed, lights were not turned off, windows were open and screens in meeting rooms were not turned off.

During the summer of 2023, buildings on KTH Campus were closed and operating hours were adapted to a lower occupancy rate in buildings that were open.

2023 energy and results

KTH's sub-targets for sustainable buildings and climate impact

Sub-target results: KTH's climate impact from energy use in comparison with 2015 and 2019
​​​​​- Reduced by 25 percent (from 584 CO2e to 440 CO2e) per annual workforce
- Reduced by 25 percent (from 167 CO2e to 126 CO2e) per full-year student
- Reduced by 19 percent (from 7.7 CO2e to 6.3 CO2e) per square meter

The share of renewable energy was 97% of the total energy usage at KTH. Total energy used from low-carbon sources = 223160 GJ. Energy produced by solar panels from KTH:s buildings was a total of 407 130 kWh. See Akademiska Hus information regarding solar panels on campus.

Water consumption 2023: 162966 m3 (0,58 m3/m2), an increase of almost 140 % compared to 2022

The property owners (see below) anually produce an energy plan that describes the measures taken to reduce energy use in the buildings. The Energy Plan 2023 (docx 62 kB)  (only in swedish) describes the measures that have been implemented by Akademiska hus during 2022, which relate to electricity, heating and cooling. Read more about KTH's energy use in reporting to the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency .

Read more about KTH's energy saving mission and summer shutdown here: Reduce energy use - a mission for everyone at KTH (pdf 192 kB)

Read more about KTH's energy use and saving here: Energy use and saving at KTH (pdf 793 kB)

Collaboration 

KTH operates on 5 campus areas in the Stockholm region. KTH does not own its buildings, but rents them from the property owners Akademiska Hus, Hemsö and Samhällsbyggnadsbolaget. Close cooperation with them is a prerequisite for carrying out the work to ensure that the buildings are sustainable and climate-adapted in accordance with KTH's sustainability and climate goals.

KTH collaborates with Akademiska Hus on a strategic level through the so-called "Strategic Collaboration Forum". Within the framework of the forum, goals have been set regarding collaboration around education and research, as well as campus-related issues. An update of the goals takes place annually in December, with the CEO of Akademiska Hus and KTH's headmaster.

Within the framework of the collaboration with Akademiska hus, the following projects and measures have been taken in 2023:

  • Research and education projects that KTH and the property owners collaborate on in the Live-In Lab: Completed R&D projects | KTH Live In Lab
  • Ongoing modernization of the KTH Chemistry building. Completed in 2024.

Additionally, collaboration takes place in the ongoing administration on various substantive issues, e.g. energy, renovations, waste, biological diversity, etc.

Beyond the university

 KTH works closely with its property owner Akademiska Hus, which strives for delivered energy to be 100% fossil-free (Akademiska Hus) , and collaborates with universities in a network established within the climate framework  to contribute to reduced climate impact in society.

In October 2023, it was announced that Stockholm is one of the cities to have its climate plan approved by the EU, making it the first city to receive the EU Mission Label. KTH was one of the organisations to sign the Climate City Contract that led to the award. A Climate City Contract describes the city's commitment to accelerating the transition to a climate-neutral and sustainable city. It includes an action- and investment plan to move this work forward. The EU's Climate City Contract has been inspired and developed from the national Climate Contract 2030, designed by KTH's strategic innovation programme Viable Cities (read more Stockholm first to get the EU Mission Label )

Indoor climate

KTH has signed a 'green lease' agreement with Akademiska Hus for house 43:35 Bergs, where the project "indoor climate as a service" is included. In this project, Akademiska Hus will use artificial intelligence to control the indoor climate. The project is temporarily paused.

Within the research collaboration between KTH and Akademiska Hus, an industrial doctoral student has had a new business model developed and implemented with the aim of providing an agreed indoor climate with the lowest resource use based on a suitable level of digitalisation. The research has so far resulted in three research articles:

Energy mapping

For every building at KTH with Akademiska Hus as landlord, there is a detailed energy mapping. This includes, among other things, proposed measures to reduce energy consumption. Akademiska Hus is currently reviewing older energy mappings to re-evaluate suggested measures. In addition, a night walk to identify energy waste was carried out in 2023.

Technology platform

In the technology platform, there are feature requirements, e.g. requirements for U-value on walls/windows for energy-efficient construction. The technology platform's document is available on Akademiska Hus' publication page: All publications | Akademiska Hus

Environmental construction

In the case of new constructions and redevelopment, KTH demands that environment and sustainability aspects are included in the project. The environmental certification Miljöbyggnad sets requirements on the building's environmental performance and energy consumption. Of the buildings KTH uses, nine are certified according to Miljöbyggnad; four as gold and five as silver. Read more about what a certification according to Environmental Construction means: What is Environmental Construction? | Swedish Green Building Council