A study on the energy-saving potential of university campuses in Turkey

Abstract

Due to the large number of buildings, energy consumption in the university campuses of Turkey may tend to increase over time. In this context, their potential energy savings need to be explored. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to investigate energy savings in university campuses by applying different energy-efficient measures with simulation-based analysis. To do that, four buildings from the Balikesir University campus were the focus of the present study. The energy billing data were used to calibrate and adjust the simulation models produced from the DesignBuilder software. The results showed that an energy reduction of over 60% in the examined buildings is possible with proper energy-efficient solutions, which is considered very effective. This means that the findings demonstrate a high potential for campus building retrofitting with passive, active and combined strategies. The energy-saving potentials calculated for each building can guide university authorities to determine feasible energy-saving techniques for buildings with large energy conservation potential and forecast future retrofitting planning development in campuses.