The Technical University of Munich (TUM) is taking a major step toward sustainable energy. A new CO2-neutral heating system is being installed on the Garching research campus to supply the numerous buildings and facilities. This will save 30,000 tons of CO2 per year in the future – and at lower operating costs than before. A contract to this effect has been signed with the energy service provider GETEC.
The key to this is the intelligent use of what is already available: waste heat. In future, most of the heating will come from the Leibniz Supercomputing Centre, a facility of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities on the research campus. Its high-performance computers generate considerable heat and require complex cooling systems. In the future, this energy will be fed into the campus’ local heating network.
Additional heat will be obtained via geothermal energy, i.e., hot thermal water from underground in Garching. Heat pumps and electric boilers will also be used. Only for the absolutely necessary purpose of ensuring security of supply in the event of a power failure will there be a new, particularly efficient gas boiler.