Sustainability Practices on University Campuses : Case Study of Zhejiang University and KTH Royal Institute of Technology

Abstract: This report provides an analysis of the energy consumption and a study of the sustainabilitywork regarding buildings at Zhejiang University, ZJU, and the Royal Institute of Technology,KTH. Three students from KTH performed a field study at ZJU in Hangzhou, China, in theyear of 2017. By interviewing actors at KTH and ZJU and studying the differences in conditions, policiesand regulations the results shows how the sustainability work regarding buildingsdifferentiates between the universities. The result of the study shows that both universitieshave national goals, policies and regulations they have to follow that give different incentivesto encourage sustainable development. KTH and Sweden also needs to consider laws andpolicies of the European Union, EU. KTH and Akademiska Hus, AH, have sustainabilitygoals of their own while ZJU only have provincial goals in addition to the national. If ZJUwants to be a leading university in the field of sustainable development, the authors suggestthat they make sustainability goals of their own. AH is the property owner at KTH campus and they decide what kind of energy sources to usein their buildings. They cooperate with KTH to establish the sustainability work while ZJUowns all their buildings, which makes them in charge of the sustainability work themselves.To evaluate properties in terms of sustainability, KTH uses Miljöbyggnad certification andZJU is using the Three Star System. The authors have concluded that the difference in prerequisites between the two countriesmakes it difficult for ZJU to use the same amount of renewable energy in their buildings asKTH. If ZJU would like to use only renewables they need to produce it themselves. ZJUmonitors 150 of their 500 buildings, while AH monitors all buildings at KTH. The authorsrecommend that ZJU put sensors in all their buildings to monitor the energy consumption inorder to get a fair image of the situation in terms of energy use.