Aarhus University (AU) has just had solar cells installed on the roofs, which will generate 86,000 kWh of electricity annually, which is equivalent to the electricity consumption of 20 Danish households. This makes perfect sense in relation to the university's goal of reducing the CO2 footprint of its buildings. However, AU itself has not paid for the solar cells. They have been crowdfunded.
The solar cells have thus been purchased and paid for by the university's students and employees and by the citizens of Aarhus and provide a return every year through the electricity they produce. They are, as part of the EU-funded pan-European research project AURORA.
Behind the installation is the cooperative-based energy community Universitetets Energifællesskab F.M.B.A. (UEF), founded by students and employees at Aarhus University in 2023.
The project aims to create an incentive to support the green transition of energy production and create a sustainable university by providing the opportunity to buy shares in solar cells that can replace traditional energy consumption at the university.
- We are proud to have gained 120 members in the past year who have crowdfunded a 98 kWp solar cell system, and we are especially happy about the participation of students who live in apartments and do not have the opportunity to have their own solar cell system or cannot afford a large system, says Andreas Jacobsen, chairman of UEF and PhD student at Aarhus University.
Also ensures learning
The project, which has been implemented in collaboration with the building owner FEAS Erhverv P/S and the company 1KOMMA5° Danmark, not only delivers clean energy, but also functions as a learning tool for students and researchers at the university.
The solar cell plant is equipped with monitoring technology that provides real-time data for studies of renewable energy. The project also demonstrates how energy communities organize themselves at Danish universities.
- We are incredibly happy to be able to contribute to projects of this size. It shows how a modern university like Aarhus University can benefit from solar energy to create a greener educational environment, achieve financial gain and contribute to a more sustainable world, all while making renewable energy more accessible and 'hands-on' for students, says Christopher Ovesen, co-founder and partner at 1KOMMA5° Denmark.
Marta Victoria, associate professor at Aarhus University's Department of Mechanical Engineering and Production and member of the UEF board, sees AURORA as a kind of pilot project that will hopefully spread to even more green projects at the university and the rest of society.
- This is the first solar cell guild at a university in Denmark. The road to getting there was not easy, but we have shown that it is possible. Now many other universities, hospitals and public administrations can set up their own solar cell guilds, she says.
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