Exemplary

Ultra-low temperature freezers typically preserve biological samples at -80°C. To do so, they require as much electricity as a four-person household. The Department of Biochemical and Chemical Engineering is now raising the temperature by 10°C in a pilot model. This allows energy savings of more than 20%. Contact: marco.aras@tu-dortmund.de

Computers use unnecessary electricity if they are not shut down after use. The Department of Statistics saves energy by automatically shutting down running computers in student workrooms every evening. Contact: nachhaltigkeit@statistik.tu-dortmund.de

Servers need to be cooled all year round to prevent overheating. The ITMC has been testing how far the temperature can be increased since 2022: It was gradually increased from 20°C first to 22°C, then to the current 24°C. The aim is to reach 27°C by 2028.  

In the ITMC Data Center, servers can be cooled up to 30% more efficiently than in conventional server rooms. Here, cold air is delivered directly to the devices without mixing with the room or exhaust air. The Faculty of Mathematics has already moved its servers there, and more may follow. Contact: service.itmc@tu-dortmund.de

Servers consume a lot of energy, partly because they cannot simply be switched off when idle. Virtualization allows hardware to be shared so that utilization and energy efficiency are improved. The ISF has already virtualized its machines and shares the infrastructure of the ITMC. Imitators are welcome! Contact: service.itmc@tu-dortmund.de

Due to physical activity, the room temperature in the sports halls can be reduced to 17°C. The exception is the gymnastics room, as courses of the relaxation program also take place there.

In a pilot project, the Department of Biochemical and Chemical Engineering has made the air exchange of new laboratories more flexible: A high air exchange rate is now only switched on when work is actually being carried out with hazardous substances such as organic solvents. If such substances are not used in normal operation, a lower air exchange rate is used regularly.

In the Department of Biochemical and Chemical Engineering, a central compressed air system was converted so that its exhaust heat can be used to heat seminar rooms in the chemical engineering building. This works by using of a heat recovery system in which the exhaust heat from the compressed air is used to preheat the ventilation system.

Since 2025, the exhaust heat of the large-capacity computer LIDO4 is used to heat the building at Otto-Hahn-Straße 12. The normal heating system of the building will only be switched on when the outside temperature falls below 3°C. The computer is also equipped with a high-temperature cooling system: It can be cooled with outside air up to 35°C. This can save up to 2,300 MWh of energy per year.