Politehnica University Timișoara awarded the student dormitories excelling in responsible energy consumption.

Politehnica University Timișoara awarded the student dormitories excelling in responsible energy consumption.

The Library of Politehnica University Timișoara hosted on Monday, March 4, 2024, the announcement meeting of the results obtained within the project University Students Engaging in Responsible and Sustainable Energy Consumption, conducted by Politehnica Timișoara Foundation in partnership with Quality Management Systems Norway.

The main objective of the project was to increase the knowledge of Timișoara students regarding responsible energy consumption, foster energy-saving behaviors, and reduce the CO2 footprint in the life and activities of the Politehnica campus. To achieve these goals, various activities were organized, including student information sessions, opinion surveys, thermal scanning of dormitories, replacing light bulbs with more energy-efficient ones, etc.

At the end of this sustainability marathon, the project team announced the winners of the "Responsible Consumption Champion Dorm" competition, taking into account electricity, water, and thermal energy consumption. Dormitory 21C won in water consumption, dormitory 7C won in electricity consumption, and for thermal energy, dormitory 1MV achieved the most significant savings. The overall champion in responsible consumption across all three categories was declared dormitory 19C, whose residents will be rewarded with shopping vouchers.

Since May 2023, Politehnica Timișoara Foundation, in partnership with Quality Management Systems Norway, has been implementing a project inspired by European and international concerns about "building a more sustainable and greener future" after the COVID-19 pandemic, thanks to a funding of €196,202 provided through the Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2014-2021, under the "Energy Program in Romania."

The project, titled "University Students Engaging in Responsible and Sustainable Energy Consumption" (USE-REC), aims to increase the knowledge of Timișoara students regarding responsible energy consumption, develop energy-saving behaviors, and reduce the CO2 footprint in campus life and activities.

Studies indicate that the current generation of students values the sustainability of university campuses and appreciates institutions' efforts to incorporate harmony with the natural environment into their development policies. That is why Politehnica Foundation initiated this project to provide research- and experiment-based solutions for developing the "green campus" concept in Timișoara.

Collaboration with the Norwegian partner led to the idea of comparing the knowledge and behaviors of Timișoara students with those of their counterparts in Norway, while also seeking for best practice exchanges between the two countries concerning channeling students' ecological concerns toward practical solutions for saving electricity and reducing plastic consumption in daily life.

The project combines training programs with field applications, a summer school focusing on a sustainability-oriented lifestyle and resource economy, dormitory competitions for adopting responsible behaviors, and the development of students' skills as future active and responsible citizens in a world conscious of the need for a "green future" for Timișoara, Romania, and even Europe.

The project's objectives align with Politehnica University's interest in promoting sustainability, as defined in the United Nations' 2030 Agenda, through education, research, management, the organization of university life, and preparing young people for independent living in a society increasingly aware of the need to act under conditions of balanced use of existing/available resources and authentic intragenerational and intergenerational social equity. By implementing this project in the dormitories of Politehnica University, a decisive step is taken towards a green campus in the heart of Timișoara.