Energy Management 

The CSU Office of General Affairs serves as the dedicated unit for promotion of a green campus. The hardware dimension includes two key projects, namely “Restoration and Protection of the Ecological Environment” and “Sustainable Buildings”. In the software dimension, we strive to create energy and resource-saving, healthy, and comfortable buildings and a campus environment conducive to environmental protection, recycling, and reuse. In 2022, the total energy consumption of the university amounted to 56,687.67GJ which represented an increase by 0.4% over 2020 (data for 2021 was deemed non-comparable due to the suspension of in-person classes as a result of the pandemic). Electricity consumption reached 14,345.84 mWh in 2022, a 0.53% reduction compared to 2020. Energy management systems had been installed in the campus area and in dorm buildings. Electrical equipment was controlled automatically through a timer switch mechanism to ensure effective energy management.

GHG Emission Management

In response to global climate governance trends and requirements, we have deployed climate governance measures with reference to TCFD (Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures). It is further planned to fully adopt the TCFD framework to gain a clear understanding of risks, opportunities, and impacts of climate change on the university’s operations. With a view to facilitating effective management of GHG emissions, we conducted our first GHG inventory in 2022 in accordance with the ISO 14064-1:2018 standards. Third-party assurance was completed in the same year. We are firmly committed to carrying out GHG inventories and commissioning assurance audits periodically. In 2022, our GHG emission totaled 7,535.88 metric tons CO2e. Category 2 Emissions which account for 94.23% of total emissions represent the main GHG emission source.

Energy Conservation Measures and Goals

With a view to implementing energy conservation policies adopted by the government and the competent authority, we actively promote various energy conservation measures and conduct short-, medium-, and long-term planning. The energy conservation measures adopted in 2022 are as follows:

• With a view to minimizing electricity waste, provision of air conditioning and power supply in regular and specialized classrooms had been limited to class time according to course schedules.

• The Hitachi chiller units of the traditional centralized AC system on the 7th floor of the Library & Information Building had been replaced with 23 variable-frequency, split-type AC units.

• Energy-saving LED light fixtures had been installed at multiple campus locations (e.g., parking lot, street lamps, and various campus buildings). Projected energy savings amounted to 8,959.93GJ.

Renewable Energy Installations

In response to global energy conservation and carbon reduction trends and requirements, local governments promote renewable energy alternatives for high power-consuming equipment through incentive or compulsory methods pursuant to applicable laws and regulations. We leased the rooftops of our campus buildings to external enterprises for the installation of solar power facilities. Phase I and II of this project had already been completed. Buildings included in this project are the Library & Information Building, the South-Campus Building, the College of Management, Early Childhood Care Building, and Industrial Engineering & Management Building. Total installed capacity amounts to 752.44KW. The Phase III Solar Power System will be installed on the rooftop of the Mechanical Engineering Building. In the future, we plan to shift our focus to energy storage facilities.

Water Resource Management

Water resources are primarily used as domestic water and for watering of campus plants and our labs. Domestic water accounts for the bulk of our water consumption. Our water intake is freshwater exclusively (≤1,000 mg/L Total Dissolved Solids). Inspections conducted with the aid of the Aqueduct tool provided by the World Resources Institute (WRI) have revealed that the CSU campus and it surroundings is a low-medium water risk area. In 2022, the total water intake of the campus equaled 70.82 million liters which didn’t include student dormitories, marking a YoY decrease of 10.21%.

Water Conservation Measures

Our water conservation goal lies in gradual improvements of water-saving equipment and reinforcement of water conservation education. Water saving and conservation concepts are incorporated into new building projects to achieve the dual goal of water preservation and sustainable use. With a view to realizing the goal of water conservation, we implemented the following measures:

The Use of Green Building Materials 

We strictly abide by the Green Building Label Accreditation Standards and are firmly committed to promoting biodiversity, maintaining greenery, and implementing on-site water retention design, daily energy conservation, CO2 and waste reduction, preservation of indoor and outdoor environments, water resource conservation, sewage and garbage improvement measures, and designated garbage collection sites (10 items). All building materials selected for the construction of new buildings conform to green building regulations. Green building concepts are incorporated into the planning and design stage.