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Alumni & Students Drinks Singapore

Alumni & Students Drinks Singapore 17 July 2022 16:30 till 18:30 | Add to my calendar ID, the study assocation of the faculty of Industrial Design Engineering is visiting Singapore and would love to meet up with local alumni at an informal borrel on Sunday 17 July from 4.30-6.30 pm . Ena Voûte , Dean of the faculty of Industrial Design Engineering will give you an update of what is currently happening at your university and professor Frido Smulders will join as well. Are you interested in catching up with fellow alumni and to meet our students? Then register and we will update you on the location soon. About ID's study trip - Flight Case. Flight Case is a yearly international summer programme by the faculty of Industrial Design Engineering of Delft University of Technology. The programme aims to connect companies with 28 carefully selected Master's students and two leading professors in Industrial Design Engineering. We will team up with various companies to tackle their challenges and to create dynamic and innovative solutions as well as lasting connections for future collaborations. This experience consists of two main periods: an in-depth research preparation in The Netherlands and an action phase at the corporation location.

Graduation Sander Schouten

Graduation Sander Schouten 23 August 2022 14:00 till 15:30 | Add to my calendar

Echo: energy-producing education building

Echo: energy-producing education building Echo is an interfaculty teaching building on the TU Delft campus. The building will be energy-producing, including user-related energy consumption, such as for laptops, lighting and food & beverage facilities. Among other things, the building has solar panels, effective insulation and a thermal storage system. These features are a stepping stone towards achieving TU Delft’s sustainability goal of being a CO2-neutral and circular campus by 2030. The building offers a range of education spaces tailored to the various approaches to teaching and studying. There are seven teaching rooms, most of which will have a flexible layout. For example, the biggest lecture theatre (with seating for 700) can be divided into three smaller spaces and there are over 300 study places where students can work independently or in groups. Besides this, the food & beverage facilities will offer diverse options for visitors to the surrounding campus area. The robust and open design will afford the outside world a view of the teaching and learning going on inside. Moreover, Echo is an attractive place for getting together, both inside and outside the building. The building’s underground bicycle park will ensure that the surrounding area remains open and uncluttered. This area is upgraded with plenty of greenery, small parks and water features. You can read more information about Echo here .

Online career workshop for young alumni (up to 5 years after graduation)

Online career workshop for young alumni (up to 5 years after graduation) 26 July 2022 20:00 till 22:00 - Location: Online via zoom | Add to my calendar Summer is here and this could be a good time to reflect on your (young) career. If you are questioning whether you are on the right career path, our upcoming online workshop can be of help. Am I on the right path? - navigating your career and finding fulfilment on 26 July from 20.00- 22.00 CEST . How do you know if you're on the right career path? Maybe that’s a question that pops up every once in a while, or maybe it’s at the forefront of your thinking. After all, many of us wonder: “Is this the right role for me?” “How come I’m not always feeling fulfilled in a job that seems great?” “Should I change organisations, or even fields, at the risk of making another choice that isn’t quite right?” “And how would I even begin to do that….?” This workshop provides you with tools to navigate these questions and your answers. Whether you are actively searching for your next challenge, considering to make a move but don't know how, or just feel stuck in your career. This workshop helps you move forward in the direction that’s right for you. Trainer Madeleen Stamm is a personal leadership and career coach with more than a decade of experience in coaching and recruiting engineers. Fee The fee for this workshop is 20 euros Register After you complete the registration form, you will receive a link to the payment webpage. Your registration is only final after we have received your payment.

New boiler in cogeneration plant brings TU Delft Campus step closer to sustainable heat supply

New boiler in cogeneration plant brings TU Delft Campus step closer to sustainable heat supply The TU Delft cogeneration plant is the striking edifice that houses three powerful boilers which heat the entire campus. In the summer of 2021, a new high efficiency boiler weighing 50,000 kilos was installed in the plant. The whole operation went virtually unnoticed. Although having said that, the rare zebra fish in the Applied Physics building may have noticed that something was going on (more about this later). The new boiler brings TU Delft a step closer to a sustainable heat supply. The heat supply at TU Delft Boiler 8 (1973): 35MW Boiler 9 (1993): 15MW Cogeneration (2012): 4MW Boiler 10 (2021): 15MW The new high efficiency boiler Weight: 50,000 kilos (plus 40,000 litres of water) Supplier: Standard Fasel, Standardkessel factory Delivery: December 2021 Specifications: - pilot light setting of 1 MW - flue gas recirculation - economiser Unique building Building 43 on Leeghwaterstraat 36 is a unique, some would say mysterious, building. Everyone who works or studies at TU Delft is familiar with it, but very few have seen it up close. And fewer still have thought about the crucial role that this building plays in supplying the campus with heat. The cogeneration plant dates back to 1957. It initially burned coal to heat the area, which explains the unusual roof construction. There used to be a crane on the roof to lift coal from the ground into the shaft, which is why the roof is V-shaped. It could take some 200 cubic metres of coal. From coal to gas via oil Later on, the campus buildings were heated by oil. Later still, gas-powered boilers supplied the heat. Ever since the building was completed, every boiler has been given a number. Old boilers were regularly replaced by more efficient or more powerful models. The most powerful boiler (boiler 8) was installed in 1973 and is right behind the entrance. This boiler has a maximum capacity of 35 Megawatt (MW). Two cogeneration units are positioned to the right of it. The powerful motors with dynamo provide both electricity and heat: 4MW. Behind that, the heat leaves the power plant through four wide pipes and flows into the campus buildings along 16 kilometres of pipes. The highest water temperature is for the buildings that are oldest in terms of energy efficiency. Lower water temperatures (still around 80 degrees) are enough to heat the better-insulated buildings. Four pipes running side-by-side convey the cool water back to the plant, where it is reheated by the boilers. Boiler 9, which arrived in 1993, is further along in the building. The capacity of this boiler is 15 MW. The room next to it houses the very latest source of heat for the cogenerator, flashing blue and still only half unwrapped. Installed in 2021, high efficiency boiler number 10 generates 15 MW. Replacing old boilers Why did we need this new boiler? There are two important reasons. Firstly, the old boilers were no longer fit for purpose. The new boiler has been installed on the spot where boilers 5 and 6, dating from 1962 and 1963, stood. Boiler 5 was fairly quiet, but kept springing leaks. The manager of the cogeneration plant spent too much time trying to keep it going. Boiler number 6 worked well, but didn’t meet the latest standards for emissions so we couldn’t use it for more than 500 hours per year. It was only used as a back-up option. Ready for renewable sources of heat The second reason for this purchase concerns TU Delft’s sustainability goal. TU Delft is working hard to make its campus more sustainable and to minimise its impact on the environment. By 2030, TU Delft wants to be a carbon-neutral, circular campus. This means that in the future, the campus must be heated using renewable sources of heat. Although the new boiler is gas-powered, in the long term it should be compatible with renewable heat sources. Eventually, it will only be used for extra capacity during peak times, i.e. periods when the buildings suddenly need a lot of extra heat. Geothermal energy is promising The use of geothermal energy is a promising new development. Not only because a usable source of heat can be found at a depth of over two kilometres under Delft, but also because it gives TU Delft, as a university of technology, a unique showcase on its campus for contributing to developing knowledge on geothermal energy. The source is the subject of a large-scale research programme, which is focusing on safe and responsible options for scaling up the use of geothermal energy as a source of clean energy. There is a plot of empty land between the sustainable car park that was opened in 2021 and the cogeneration plant. Once the business case has been completed and the collaborative partners have agreed on the strategy, this piece of land could be used to drill for geothermal heat. This is renewable heat. The process involves pumping warm water to the surface, extracting the heat to heat the campus, and returning the cooled water into the ground, where it is reheated in a natural way. A space has been reserved next to the new high efficiency boiler in the cogeneration plant for installations that will be needed for geothermal energy. When the new boiler was connected, future compatibility with geothermal heating technology was also taken into account. A substantial energy system Making the heat source more sustainable is only one step towards making the heat supply to the campus greener. The buildings need to be insulated more efficiently so that less heating, at a lower temperature, is needed. There is a stronger focus on the facility management systems as a means of taking stock of what is happening in which building, and when. This is important as it determines the temperature that the cogeneration plants must send to the buildings. The new buildings, such as Echo, are already sustainable and work with thermal storage. In an additional move, pipe heat exchangers are being replaced with plate heat exchangers. Some sixty of these heat exchangers convey the heat from the grid to the building circuit. The new heat exchangers are much more efficient and so lower-temperature heat can be conveyed to the buildings and the temperature will only need to be raised slightly when it passes from the grid into the building. This will save energy. The pipes must also be fully insulated, to minimise heat loss. Luckily, the pipes in the campus heat grid are already well insulated. All in all, this is a substantial energy system, in which all of the elements are interconnected. Set of requirements for the new boiler Before purchasing the new high efficiency boiler, a team of staff from TU Delft Campus and Real Estate and the cogeneration plant asked themselves the following question: how much capacity do we need for the future, assuming that sooner or later, we will be able to add a renewable heat source? At least 10 MW, they decided. Together with the renewable heat source, the new boiler can heat all thirty of the buildings connected to the heat grid. Pilot light setting The team then drew up a detailed set of requirements that the new heat source would have to satisfy. One of the most important requirements was that the boiler must still work at a very low capacity of around 1 MW. This pilot light setting means that the boiler will be compatible with renewable sources of heat in the future, as extra heating. It is possible to control the amount of extra heat needed very accurately, so that this boiler never uses too much gas. Other boilers need a minimum capacity of 3 MW. Economiser and flue gas circulation Efficiency was another requirement. The new boiler must be the most efficient of its type. An ‘economiser’ helps in this respect. An economiser ensures that the cool water from the grid cools the excess flue gases. At the same time, the gases pre-heat the cold water slightly on its way back to the boiler. This will save energy. The latest generation of boilers are also fitted with a system for flue gas recirculation. Unburned flue gases are returned to the boiler and burned again. This reduces emissions. Standard Fasel The best supplier for the boiler was identified. Standard Fasel had the boiler built in the factory of the German Standardkessel. A delegation from TU Delft attended the Factory Acceptance Test. The boiler was ‘put under pressure’. It was subjected to a staggering 30 bars, for a long period. This was followed by the Site Acceptance Test, where the same test was repeated at the intended site. Any irregularities, such as untidy welds, can be repaired directly. This wasn’t necessary for this particular boiler and all in all, the development stage of the boiler went fairly smoothly. The tests carried out during the process guaranteed the safety. Complex nature of increasing sustainability Once the boiler had been installed, it was not simply a question of flicking a switch. The boiler is part of an expansive, particularly complex, energy system, in which everything is interconnected. To illustrate the complexity of the system: some of the pipes in the system had to be rerouted before the new high efficiency boiler could be installed. To do this, in the spring of 2021, the heat in the electricity grid had to be switched off for a few hours at the weekend. This prompted a flurry of emails to the cogeneration plant. They were sent by the Faculty of Applied Physics. Somewhere in their building, a number of very rare zebra fish were swimming around in an aquarium with water at a highly regulated temperature. They were needed for research purposes, but the temperature of their water was in jeopardy. This is just one example of how critical the heat supply to the campus can be. Step towards the future Most of the work was carried out in the 2021 long vacation. On 1 September, the heating system was up and running again. In late 2021, when the electrical parts of the boiler had been connected and the final adjustments had been made, the new boiler was finally switched on, representing a major step towards the heat supply of the future.

Generating our own energy with 4,000 solar panels

Generating our own energy with 4,000 solar panels TU Delft ultimately aims to generate 50% of its energy itself. When it comes to electricity, solar panels (photovoltaic or “PV” panels) offer an attractive solution. It is easy to combine such panels with existing buildings and facilities. Solar panels are currently being installed on the flat roofs of buildings. However, the quality of solar cells – which can be integrated into walls, windows and window frames – is improving steadily, and they are getting cheaper. This means opportunities for the future. There are some 4,000 solar panels on the roofs of twelve buildings on campus. They have a joint capacity of 1.1 megawatts and generate an average of 900 megawatt hours a year. However, even if solar panels were installed on the roofs of all buildings on campus, it would still not be possible to achieve the ultimate goal of generating 50% of all required energy using PV panels alone. That being said, electricity from solar energy still appears to be the best approach to make TU Delft 50% self-supporting. As mentioned above, techniques for integrating solar cells into a range of materials and parts of buildings, such as windows, roof coverings and cladding, are constantly improving. The latest developments also mean that the cells no longer have to be south-facing; they can generate energy irrespective of which point of the compass they are facing. And panels are also ever getting cheaper. Check here to see how much energy the solar panels at TU Delft are currently generating. You can also see the lifetime yield and the corresponding CO 2 reduction. Developments are rapid, so it may be possible for TU Delft to introduce other sustainable technologies in the future. Generally speaking, more space is required for wind turbines, and that kind of space is not available on campus. However, research is being conducted into the introduction of small, efficient wind turbines. Since January 2017, it has been TU Delft policy only to purchase sustainable Dutch electricity, generated by wind turbines off the coast of the Netherlands . Pulse Solar panels are also installed on the roof of Pulse , the energy-neutral teaching building (building number 33a). The 490 panels (750 m2), generate 150,000 kWh per annum. They generate sufficient energy to supply the whole building with electricity.

Biodiversity on campus

Biodiversity on campus Early in 2000, as students tucked into their sandwiches sitting atop the TU Delft Library, the newly grassed roof of the building was a source of inspiration, providing impetus to make the campus even greener. More and more space was created for green areas, recreation and places to meet. The central road intersecting the campus disappeared and the parking spaces were moved to the rear of the buildings. In 2008, Mekelpark was added: a green space for staff and students to meet and relax. TU Delft is keen to connect the nature on its fringes with the green heart of the campus, with a focus on nature values. Plans for this are underway – plans that are seeing increasingly close collaboration between colleagues from Plants Maintenance and the Campus Development department. TU Delft is also working hard when it comes to biodiversity. Chemicals are no longer used to treat weeds on pavements. Flower seed blends are sown where possible, helping to support the insect population. Alongside roads including Leeghwaterstraat and Huismansingel, flower strips have been sown with varieties already naturally present in the area. Poppies for example, but also daisies, clover and certain types of thistle. All these flowers attract bees and butterflies. René Hoonhout, Plants Maintenance team leader: “More insects means more birds. Varieties naturally found here will flourish and will also help to improve biodiversity. And aside from that, it is of course nice to take a stroll in your lunch break and be able to enjoy the nature on campus.” On the outskirts of the campus, nature is being left completely to its own devices, and the management of these areas is as sustainable as possible. For example, to the south of the campus, a flock of sheep keeps the grass trimmed.

Providing reliable, affordable and sustainable energy for all campus buildings

Providing reliable, affordable and sustainable energy for all campus buildings Sander Snelleman - Head of Energy department At Campus Real Estate & Facility Management at TU Delft, Sander Snelleman is responsible for the energy systems on the campus. His aim is to provide reliable, affordable and sustainable energy for all buildings on campus. ‘If we want to succeed in the energy transition, it’s important not to rule any solutions out.’ So what is his strategy for the coming years? Heating: away from natural gas towards geothermal heating and thermal energy systems Currently, buildings on campus are mainly heated by gas. But we can reduce the amount of gas we consume to heat our buildings by focusing on sustainable energy sources. This will also reduce TU Delft’s carbon emissions. For example, there are plans for a geothermal heat source that could reduce gas consumption by at least 50%. The aim is to make maximum use of geothermal energy through optimisations. For example, the option of high temperature storage is being looked at so that in wintertime we can use residual geothermal heat left over from the summer. In the long run, we might only need to use gas in extreme weather conditions. New buildings are being developed with unprecedented levels of insulation, meaning they will need less heating than ever before. Those buildings are equipped with thermal energy storage. The advantage of this system is that in addition to providing sustainable heating, it can also provide cooling. Whenever buildings are due for large-scale renovation work, we will take a critical look at the best solution for heating. Since existing buildings increasingly need cooling too, the transition to thermal energy storage would be an obvious choice. The options being explored for sustainable cooling on campus include aqua-thermal heating. Once every building on campus has been renovated or modernized and they are all insulated to a high standard, no more high-temperature heat will be required, only low-temperature heat. That means that geothermal energy will be a good solution for the energy transition, helping to reduce our consumption of gas. This will create more opportunities for alternative fuels such as hydrogen. Electricity: demand is increasing, but so are the options for generating it sustainably TU Delft is predicted to see an increase in its electricity consumption in the years to come. This is due to increasing demand for cooling, electrical charging and research facilities. The heat and cold storage systems and other air-conditioning systems will also require electricity. TU Delft currently purchases sustainable electricity from Luchterduinen offshore wind farm, located 23 kilometres out to sea near Noordwijk and Zandvoort. More and more sustainable electricity is generated on campus too, but the growing demand for electricity on campus means that more generating capacity is required. The university could generate its own electricity in various ways. Firstly, it could expand the capacity of its solar panels. Roofs on campus often already have solar panels fitted, so the focus is on exterior walls and other smart solutions. Secondly, the options for generating wind energy on campus are also being looked into, together with scientists from the university. Wind turbines cause vibrations that could disrupt scientific research, so the challenge is to enable wind energy without disrupting research on campus. Collaboration between Campus Real Estate & Facility Management and university scientists will be crucial in this regard. In order to carry out a scan of the solar potential of the campus, there has been a successful partnership with scientists from TU Delft, as in several other projects. An independent and campus-wide energy network: affordable and reliable In addition to aiming for sustainable heat and electricity and thereby reducing carbon emissions – TU Delft is aiming to become a carbon-neutral campus by 2030 – energy reliability and affordability are also priorities for TU Delft. The turbulence of the energy market and increasing pressures on the energy network mean that it is important to develop an energy system that is as self-contained as possible and that it is campus-wide. That will maximize the availability, reliability and affordability of energy. If the campus had its own energy network, an energy-supplying building – such as Echo – could automatically supply energy to other users on the campus network without any involvement from third parties. The options for storing electricity in the network are currently being examined too, in order to absorb peaks in power production and respond to potentially variable energy prices on the market. The grid capacity would be expanded in the southern part of the campus to include the new developments taking place there, and energy could be exchanged between buildings there, too. A smart grid is a prerequisite for the ongoing development of the network and to enable energy exchange. Finally: never rule anything out When it comes to the energy transition, it is important not to rule any solutions out. After all, we are seeing one development and innovation after another in the field of energy. A solution that might seem unviable or too costly today could become a promising new avenue tomorrow. Furthermore, it is crucial to continue to take steps in the energy transition and keep working for societal impact and a better society.

Graduation Jessica Nguyen

Graduation Jessica Nguyen 02 September 2022 15:30 till 17:00 | Add to my calendar

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Alumni & Students Drinks Singapore

Alumni & Students Drinks Singapore 17 July 2022 16:30 till 18:30 | Add to my calendar ID, the study assocation of the faculty of Industrial Design Engineering is visiting Singapore and would love to meet up with local alumni at an informal borrel on Sunday 17 July from 4.30-6.30 pm . Ena Voûte , Dean of the faculty of Industrial Design Engineering will give you an update of what is currently happening at your university and professor Frido Smulders will join as well. Are you interested in catching up with fellow alumni and to meet our students? Then register and we will update you on the location soon. About ID's study trip - Flight Case. Flight Case is a yearly international summer programme by the faculty of Industrial Design Engineering of Delft University of Technology. The programme aims to connect companies with 28 carefully selected Master's students and two leading professors in Industrial Design Engineering. We will team up with various companies to tackle their challenges and to create dynamic and innovative solutions as well as lasting connections for future collaborations. This experience consists of two main periods: an in-depth research preparation in The Netherlands and an action phase at the corporation location.

Graduation Sander Schouten

Graduation Sander Schouten 23 August 2022 14:00 till 15:30 | Add to my calendar

Echo: energy-producing education building

Echo: energy-producing education building Echo is an interfaculty teaching building on the TU Delft campus. The building will be energy-producing, including user-related energy consumption, such as for laptops, lighting and food & beverage facilities. Among other things, the building has solar panels, effective insulation and a thermal storage system. These features are a stepping stone towards achieving TU Delft’s sustainability goal of being a CO2-neutral and circular campus by 2030. The building offers a range of education spaces tailored to the various approaches to teaching and studying. There are seven teaching rooms, most of which will have a flexible layout. For example, the biggest lecture theatre (with seating for 700) can be divided into three smaller spaces and there are over 300 study places where students can work independently or in groups. Besides this, the food & beverage facilities will offer diverse options for visitors to the surrounding campus area. The robust and open design will afford the outside world a view of the teaching and learning going on inside. Moreover, Echo is an attractive place for getting together, both inside and outside the building. The building’s underground bicycle park will ensure that the surrounding area remains open and uncluttered. This area is upgraded with plenty of greenery, small parks and water features. You can read more information about Echo here .

Online career workshop for young alumni (up to 5 years after graduation)

Online career workshop for young alumni (up to 5 years after graduation) 26 July 2022 20:00 till 22:00 - Location: Online via zoom | Add to my calendar Summer is here and this could be a good time to reflect on your (young) career. If you are questioning whether you are on the right career path, our upcoming online workshop can be of help. Am I on the right path? - navigating your career and finding fulfilment on 26 July from 20.00- 22.00 CEST . How do you know if you're on the right career path? Maybe that’s a question that pops up every once in a while, or maybe it’s at the forefront of your thinking. After all, many of us wonder: “Is this the right role for me?” “How come I’m not always feeling fulfilled in a job that seems great?” “Should I change organisations, or even fields, at the risk of making another choice that isn’t quite right?” “And how would I even begin to do that….?” This workshop provides you with tools to navigate these questions and your answers. Whether you are actively searching for your next challenge, considering to make a move but don't know how, or just feel stuck in your career. This workshop helps you move forward in the direction that’s right for you. Trainer Madeleen Stamm is a personal leadership and career coach with more than a decade of experience in coaching and recruiting engineers. Fee The fee for this workshop is 20 euros Register After you complete the registration form, you will receive a link to the payment webpage. Your registration is only final after we have received your payment.

New boiler in cogeneration plant brings TU Delft Campus step closer to sustainable heat supply

New boiler in cogeneration plant brings TU Delft Campus step closer to sustainable heat supply The TU Delft cogeneration plant is the striking edifice that houses three powerful boilers which heat the entire campus. In the summer of 2021, a new high efficiency boiler weighing 50,000 kilos was installed in the plant. The whole operation went virtually unnoticed. Although having said that, the rare zebra fish in the Applied Physics building may have noticed that something was going on (more about this later). The new boiler brings TU Delft a step closer to a sustainable heat supply. The heat supply at TU Delft Boiler 8 (1973): 35MW Boiler 9 (1993): 15MW Cogeneration (2012): 4MW Boiler 10 (2021): 15MW The new high efficiency boiler Weight: 50,000 kilos (plus 40,000 litres of water) Supplier: Standard Fasel, Standardkessel factory Delivery: December 2021 Specifications: - pilot light setting of 1 MW - flue gas recirculation - economiser Unique building Building 43 on Leeghwaterstraat 36 is a unique, some would say mysterious, building. Everyone who works or studies at TU Delft is familiar with it, but very few have seen it up close. And fewer still have thought about the crucial role that this building plays in supplying the campus with heat. The cogeneration plant dates back to 1957. It initially burned coal to heat the area, which explains the unusual roof construction. There used to be a crane on the roof to lift coal from the ground into the shaft, which is why the roof is V-shaped. It could take some 200 cubic metres of coal. From coal to gas via oil Later on, the campus buildings were heated by oil. Later still, gas-powered boilers supplied the heat. Ever since the building was completed, every boiler has been given a number. Old boilers were regularly replaced by more efficient or more powerful models. The most powerful boiler (boiler 8) was installed in 1973 and is right behind the entrance. This boiler has a maximum capacity of 35 Megawatt (MW). Two cogeneration units are positioned to the right of it. The powerful motors with dynamo provide both electricity and heat: 4MW. Behind that, the heat leaves the power plant through four wide pipes and flows into the campus buildings along 16 kilometres of pipes. The highest water temperature is for the buildings that are oldest in terms of energy efficiency. Lower water temperatures (still around 80 degrees) are enough to heat the better-insulated buildings. Four pipes running side-by-side convey the cool water back to the plant, where it is reheated by the boilers. Boiler 9, which arrived in 1993, is further along in the building. The capacity of this boiler is 15 MW. The room next to it houses the very latest source of heat for the cogenerator, flashing blue and still only half unwrapped. Installed in 2021, high efficiency boiler number 10 generates 15 MW. Replacing old boilers Why did we need this new boiler? There are two important reasons. Firstly, the old boilers were no longer fit for purpose. The new boiler has been installed on the spot where boilers 5 and 6, dating from 1962 and 1963, stood. Boiler 5 was fairly quiet, but kept springing leaks. The manager of the cogeneration plant spent too much time trying to keep it going. Boiler number 6 worked well, but didn’t meet the latest standards for emissions so we couldn’t use it for more than 500 hours per year. It was only used as a back-up option. Ready for renewable sources of heat The second reason for this purchase concerns TU Delft’s sustainability goal. TU Delft is working hard to make its campus more sustainable and to minimise its impact on the environment. By 2030, TU Delft wants to be a carbon-neutral, circular campus. This means that in the future, the campus must be heated using renewable sources of heat. Although the new boiler is gas-powered, in the long term it should be compatible with renewable heat sources. Eventually, it will only be used for extra capacity during peak times, i.e. periods when the buildings suddenly need a lot of extra heat. Geothermal energy is promising The use of geothermal energy is a promising new development. Not only because a usable source of heat can be found at a depth of over two kilometres under Delft, but also because it gives TU Delft, as a university of technology, a unique showcase on its campus for contributing to developing knowledge on geothermal energy. The source is the subject of a large-scale research programme, which is focusing on safe and responsible options for scaling up the use of geothermal energy as a source of clean energy. There is a plot of empty land between the sustainable car park that was opened in 2021 and the cogeneration plant. Once the business case has been completed and the collaborative partners have agreed on the strategy, this piece of land could be used to drill for geothermal heat. This is renewable heat. The process involves pumping warm water to the surface, extracting the heat to heat the campus, and returning the cooled water into the ground, where it is reheated in a natural way. A space has been reserved next to the new high efficiency boiler in the cogeneration plant for installations that will be needed for geothermal energy. When the new boiler was connected, future compatibility with geothermal heating technology was also taken into account. A substantial energy system Making the heat source more sustainable is only one step towards making the heat supply to the campus greener. The buildings need to be insulated more efficiently so that less heating, at a lower temperature, is needed. There is a stronger focus on the facility management systems as a means of taking stock of what is happening in which building, and when. This is important as it determines the temperature that the cogeneration plants must send to the buildings. The new buildings, such as Echo, are already sustainable and work with thermal storage. In an additional move, pipe heat exchangers are being replaced with plate heat exchangers. Some sixty of these heat exchangers convey the heat from the grid to the building circuit. The new heat exchangers are much more efficient and so lower-temperature heat can be conveyed to the buildings and the temperature will only need to be raised slightly when it passes from the grid into the building. This will save energy. The pipes must also be fully insulated, to minimise heat loss. Luckily, the pipes in the campus heat grid are already well insulated. All in all, this is a substantial energy system, in which all of the elements are interconnected. Set of requirements for the new boiler Before purchasing the new high efficiency boiler, a team of staff from TU Delft Campus and Real Estate and the cogeneration plant asked themselves the following question: how much capacity do we need for the future, assuming that sooner or later, we will be able to add a renewable heat source? At least 10 MW, they decided. Together with the renewable heat source, the new boiler can heat all thirty of the buildings connected to the heat grid. Pilot light setting The team then drew up a detailed set of requirements that the new heat source would have to satisfy. One of the most important requirements was that the boiler must still work at a very low capacity of around 1 MW. This pilot light setting means that the boiler will be compatible with renewable sources of heat in the future, as extra heating. It is possible to control the amount of extra heat needed very accurately, so that this boiler never uses too much gas. Other boilers need a minimum capacity of 3 MW. Economiser and flue gas circulation Efficiency was another requirement. The new boiler must be the most efficient of its type. An ‘economiser’ helps in this respect. An economiser ensures that the cool water from the grid cools the excess flue gases. At the same time, the gases pre-heat the cold water slightly on its way back to the boiler. This will save energy. The latest generation of boilers are also fitted with a system for flue gas recirculation. Unburned flue gases are returned to the boiler and burned again. This reduces emissions. Standard Fasel The best supplier for the boiler was identified. Standard Fasel had the boiler built in the factory of the German Standardkessel. A delegation from TU Delft attended the Factory Acceptance Test. The boiler was ‘put under pressure’. It was subjected to a staggering 30 bars, for a long period. This was followed by the Site Acceptance Test, where the same test was repeated at the intended site. Any irregularities, such as untidy welds, can be repaired directly. This wasn’t necessary for this particular boiler and all in all, the development stage of the boiler went fairly smoothly. The tests carried out during the process guaranteed the safety. Complex nature of increasing sustainability Once the boiler had been installed, it was not simply a question of flicking a switch. The boiler is part of an expansive, particularly complex, energy system, in which everything is interconnected. To illustrate the complexity of the system: some of the pipes in the system had to be rerouted before the new high efficiency boiler could be installed. To do this, in the spring of 2021, the heat in the electricity grid had to be switched off for a few hours at the weekend. This prompted a flurry of emails to the cogeneration plant. They were sent by the Faculty of Applied Physics. Somewhere in their building, a number of very rare zebra fish were swimming around in an aquarium with water at a highly regulated temperature. They were needed for research purposes, but the temperature of their water was in jeopardy. This is just one example of how critical the heat supply to the campus can be. Step towards the future Most of the work was carried out in the 2021 long vacation. On 1 September, the heating system was up and running again. In late 2021, when the electrical parts of the boiler had been connected and the final adjustments had been made, the new boiler was finally switched on, representing a major step towards the heat supply of the future.

Generating our own energy with 4,000 solar panels

Generating our own energy with 4,000 solar panels TU Delft ultimately aims to generate 50% of its energy itself. When it comes to electricity, solar panels (photovoltaic or “PV” panels) offer an attractive solution. It is easy to combine such panels with existing buildings and facilities. Solar panels are currently being installed on the flat roofs of buildings. However, the quality of solar cells – which can be integrated into walls, windows and window frames – is improving steadily, and they are getting cheaper. This means opportunities for the future. There are some 4,000 solar panels on the roofs of twelve buildings on campus. They have a joint capacity of 1.1 megawatts and generate an average of 900 megawatt hours a year. However, even if solar panels were installed on the roofs of all buildings on campus, it would still not be possible to achieve the ultimate goal of generating 50% of all required energy using PV panels alone. That being said, electricity from solar energy still appears to be the best approach to make TU Delft 50% self-supporting. As mentioned above, techniques for integrating solar cells into a range of materials and parts of buildings, such as windows, roof coverings and cladding, are constantly improving. The latest developments also mean that the cells no longer have to be south-facing; they can generate energy irrespective of which point of the compass they are facing. And panels are also ever getting cheaper. Check here to see how much energy the solar panels at TU Delft are currently generating. You can also see the lifetime yield and the corresponding CO 2 reduction. Developments are rapid, so it may be possible for TU Delft to introduce other sustainable technologies in the future. Generally speaking, more space is required for wind turbines, and that kind of space is not available on campus. However, research is being conducted into the introduction of small, efficient wind turbines. Since January 2017, it has been TU Delft policy only to purchase sustainable Dutch electricity, generated by wind turbines off the coast of the Netherlands . Pulse Solar panels are also installed on the roof of Pulse , the energy-neutral teaching building (building number 33a). The 490 panels (750 m2), generate 150,000 kWh per annum. They generate sufficient energy to supply the whole building with electricity.

Biodiversity on campus

Biodiversity on campus Early in 2000, as students tucked into their sandwiches sitting atop the TU Delft Library, the newly grassed roof of the building was a source of inspiration, providing impetus to make the campus even greener. More and more space was created for green areas, recreation and places to meet. The central road intersecting the campus disappeared and the parking spaces were moved to the rear of the buildings. In 2008, Mekelpark was added: a green space for staff and students to meet and relax. TU Delft is keen to connect the nature on its fringes with the green heart of the campus, with a focus on nature values. Plans for this are underway – plans that are seeing increasingly close collaboration between colleagues from Plants Maintenance and the Campus Development department. TU Delft is also working hard when it comes to biodiversity. Chemicals are no longer used to treat weeds on pavements. Flower seed blends are sown where possible, helping to support the insect population. Alongside roads including Leeghwaterstraat and Huismansingel, flower strips have been sown with varieties already naturally present in the area. Poppies for example, but also daisies, clover and certain types of thistle. All these flowers attract bees and butterflies. René Hoonhout, Plants Maintenance team leader: “More insects means more birds. Varieties naturally found here will flourish and will also help to improve biodiversity. And aside from that, it is of course nice to take a stroll in your lunch break and be able to enjoy the nature on campus.” On the outskirts of the campus, nature is being left completely to its own devices, and the management of these areas is as sustainable as possible. For example, to the south of the campus, a flock of sheep keeps the grass trimmed.

Providing reliable, affordable and sustainable energy for all campus buildings

Providing reliable, affordable and sustainable energy for all campus buildings Sander Snelleman - Head of Energy department At Campus Real Estate & Facility Management at TU Delft, Sander Snelleman is responsible for the energy systems on the campus. His aim is to provide reliable, affordable and sustainable energy for all buildings on campus. ‘If we want to succeed in the energy transition, it’s important not to rule any solutions out.’ So what is his strategy for the coming years? Heating: away from natural gas towards geothermal heating and thermal energy systems Currently, buildings on campus are mainly heated by gas. But we can reduce the amount of gas we consume to heat our buildings by focusing on sustainable energy sources. This will also reduce TU Delft’s carbon emissions. For example, there are plans for a geothermal heat source that could reduce gas consumption by at least 50%. The aim is to make maximum use of geothermal energy through optimisations. For example, the option of high temperature storage is being looked at so that in wintertime we can use residual geothermal heat left over from the summer. In the long run, we might only need to use gas in extreme weather conditions. New buildings are being developed with unprecedented levels of insulation, meaning they will need less heating than ever before. Those buildings are equipped with thermal energy storage. The advantage of this system is that in addition to providing sustainable heating, it can also provide cooling. Whenever buildings are due for large-scale renovation work, we will take a critical look at the best solution for heating. Since existing buildings increasingly need cooling too, the transition to thermal energy storage would be an obvious choice. The options being explored for sustainable cooling on campus include aqua-thermal heating. Once every building on campus has been renovated or modernized and they are all insulated to a high standard, no more high-temperature heat will be required, only low-temperature heat. That means that geothermal energy will be a good solution for the energy transition, helping to reduce our consumption of gas. This will create more opportunities for alternative fuels such as hydrogen. Electricity: demand is increasing, but so are the options for generating it sustainably TU Delft is predicted to see an increase in its electricity consumption in the years to come. This is due to increasing demand for cooling, electrical charging and research facilities. The heat and cold storage systems and other air-conditioning systems will also require electricity. TU Delft currently purchases sustainable electricity from Luchterduinen offshore wind farm, located 23 kilometres out to sea near Noordwijk and Zandvoort. More and more sustainable electricity is generated on campus too, but the growing demand for electricity on campus means that more generating capacity is required. The university could generate its own electricity in various ways. Firstly, it could expand the capacity of its solar panels. Roofs on campus often already have solar panels fitted, so the focus is on exterior walls and other smart solutions. Secondly, the options for generating wind energy on campus are also being looked into, together with scientists from the university. Wind turbines cause vibrations that could disrupt scientific research, so the challenge is to enable wind energy without disrupting research on campus. Collaboration between Campus Real Estate & Facility Management and university scientists will be crucial in this regard. In order to carry out a scan of the solar potential of the campus, there has been a successful partnership with scientists from TU Delft, as in several other projects. An independent and campus-wide energy network: affordable and reliable In addition to aiming for sustainable heat and electricity and thereby reducing carbon emissions – TU Delft is aiming to become a carbon-neutral campus by 2030 – energy reliability and affordability are also priorities for TU Delft. The turbulence of the energy market and increasing pressures on the energy network mean that it is important to develop an energy system that is as self-contained as possible and that it is campus-wide. That will maximize the availability, reliability and affordability of energy. If the campus had its own energy network, an energy-supplying building – such as Echo – could automatically supply energy to other users on the campus network without any involvement from third parties. The options for storing electricity in the network are currently being examined too, in order to absorb peaks in power production and respond to potentially variable energy prices on the market. The grid capacity would be expanded in the southern part of the campus to include the new developments taking place there, and energy could be exchanged between buildings there, too. A smart grid is a prerequisite for the ongoing development of the network and to enable energy exchange. Finally: never rule anything out When it comes to the energy transition, it is important not to rule any solutions out. After all, we are seeing one development and innovation after another in the field of energy. A solution that might seem unviable or too costly today could become a promising new avenue tomorrow. Furthermore, it is crucial to continue to take steps in the energy transition and keep working for societal impact and a better society.

Graduation Jessica Nguyen

Graduation Jessica Nguyen 02 September 2022 15:30 till 17:00 | Add to my calendar
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Moving the Closet

You simply cannot miss it, it is big and magenta: the Pink Closet . On 12 November 2024 the Pink Closet will head to the Main Hall of the TU Delft Library for the first time! The Pink Closet will take its place at the Nook, where it will feature as part of the Studium Generale programme on loneliness. More information on events that coincide with and incorporate the Pink Closet at TU Delft Library will soon be available on the website of Studium Generale .

Green ammonia remains a challenge, but researchers make significant progress

The production of ammonia, essential for fertiliser production, is responsible for almost 1.5% of global carbon emissions. This needs to be greener, which is why researchers have been looking for sustainable alternatives for years.

"Measuring brain activity through the skull with ultrasound opens new doors"

PhD Candidate Rick Waasdorp is looking for ways to correct the distortion caused by the skull when using Ultrasound technology. ‘’My goal is to develop an adaptive method for skull corrections that automatically measures the skull of new patients.’’

NWO funding for flexible power demand in electrically driven industry

NWO is funding two projects to explore ways to make the power demand of industry more flexible, allowing it to better align with future energy supplies. One of these projects, “DEFLAME,” is led by Machteld van den Broek from TU Delft.

Students Amos Yusuf, Mick Dam & Bas Brouwer winners of Mekel Prize 2024

Master students Amos Yusuf, from the ME faculty (Mick Dam, from the EEMCS faculty and graduate Bas Brouwer have won the Mekel Prize 2024 for the best extra scientific activity at TU Delft: the development of an initiative that brings master students into the classroom teaching sciences to the younger generations. The prize was ceremonially awarded by prof Tim van den Hagen on 13 November after the Van Hasselt Lecture at the Prinsenhof, Delft. They received a statue of Professor Jan Mekel and 1.500,- to spend on their project. Insights into climate change are being openly doubted. Funding for important educational efforts and research are being withdrawn. Short clips – so called “reels” – on Youtube and TikTok threaten to simplify complex political and social problems. AI fakes befuddle what is true and what is not. The voices of science that contribute to those discussion with modesty, careful argument and scepticism, are drowned in noise. This poses a threat for universities like TU Delft, who strive to increase student numbers, who benefit from diverse student populations and aim to pass on their knowledge and scientific virtues to the next generation. It is, therefore, alarming that student enrolments to Bachelor and Master Programs at TU Delft have declined in the past year. Students in front of the class The project is aimed to make the sciences more appealing to the next generation. They have identified the problem that students tend miss out on the opportunity of entering a higher education trajectory in the Beta sciences – because they have a wrong picture of such education. In their mind, they depict it as boring and dry. In his pilot lecture at the Stanislas VMBO in Delft, Amos Yusuf has successfully challenged this image. He shared his enthusiasm for the field of robotics and presented himself as a positive role model to the pupils. And in return the excitement of the high school students is palpable in the videos and pictures from the day. The spark of science fills their eyes. Bas Brouwer Mick Dam are the founders of NUVO – the platform that facilitates the engagement of Master Students in high school education in Delft Their efforts offer TU Delft Master Students a valuable learning moment: By sharing insights from their fields with pupils at high school in an educational setting, our students can find identify their own misunderstandings of their subject, learn to speak in front of non-scientific audiences and peak into education as a work field they themselves might not have considered. An extraordinary commitment According to the Mekel jury, the project scored well on all the criteria (risk mitigation, inclusiveness, transparency and societal relevance). However, it was the extraordinary commitment of Amos who was fully immersed during his Master Project and the efforts of Brouwer and Dam that brought together teaching and research which is integral to academic culture that made the project stand out. About the Mekel Prize The Mekel Prize will be awarded to the most socially responsible research project or extra-scientific activity (e.g. founding of an NGO or organization, an initiative or realization of an event or other impactful project) by an employee or group of employees of TU Delft – projects that showcase in an outstanding fashion that they have been committed from the beginning to relevant moral and societal values and have been aware of and tried to mitigate as much as possible in innovative ways the risks involved in their research. The award recognizes such efforts and wants to encourage the responsible development of science and technology at TU Delft in the future. For furthermore information About the project: https://www.de-nuvo.nl/video-robotica-pilot/ About the Mekel Prize: https://www.tudelft.nl/en/tpm/our-faculty/departments/values-technology-and-innovation/sections/ethics-philosophy-of-technology/mekel-prize

The ENHANCE Diversity Seed Fund

Are you a student at TU Delft or another ENHANCE university with a passion for promoting diversity and inclusion? The ENHANCE Diversity Seed Fund is your chance to turn that passion into action. ENHANCE provides funding to support innovative, student-led projects that address key challenges related to inclusion and diversity within our academic communities. Key Details: Funding Available: Up to 1500 Euros per project in the 1st round! Eligibility: Students from ENHANCE member universities. Staff can also join student-led initiatives. Application Deadline: 8 January 2025. More information: Join the online Information Event on the 26 November 2024 16:00-17:00 CET on Zoom . More information: enhanceuniversity.eu/diversity/diversityseedfund/

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