Assessing the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on the energy consumption of university buildings
Exceptional pandemic lockdown measures enabled singular experiments such as analysing the energy consumption of vacant buildings. This paper assesses the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on the energy use of academic buildings. For this purpose, weather-adjusted energy use was compared before and dur...
| Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | article |
| Publication Date: | 2022 |
| Country: | España |
| Institution: | Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) |
| Repository: | UPCommons. Portal del coneixement obert de la UPC |
| Language: | English |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:upcommons.upc.edu:2117/360734 |
| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/2117/360734 https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2021.111783 |
| Access Level: | Open access |
| Keyword: | College buildings Energy consumption COVID-19 Lockdown Avoided energy Academic buildings Universities Edificis universitaris Energia -- Consum Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Energies::Gestió de l'energia::Estalvi energètic |
| Summary: | Exceptional pandemic lockdown measures enabled singular experiments such as analysing the energy consumption of vacant buildings. This paper assesses the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on the energy use of academic buildings. For this purpose, weather-adjusted energy use was compared before and during the lockdown, including different levels of lockdown restrictions. Results obtained for the 83 academic buildings of Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya - Barcelona Tech (UPC) reveal that the avoided energy consumption amounted to over 4.3 GWh during the post-pandemic year. However, the results indicate that academic buildings were still using approximately 46.9% of their typical energy consumption during strict lockdown. This revelation emphasizes the high environmental burden of buildings, regardless of whether they are occupied. |
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