Reducing the ecological footprint of the State Polytechnic University of Carchi

Abstract

In the State Polytechnic University of Carchi UPEC, an impact is generated in the environment due to the daily activities carried out by the administrative staff, teachers, students and the university community in general, therefore, it seeks to provide the university community with tools to generate changes in their habits and also encourage the use of new practices in their spaces that help reduce the impacts that it generates on the environment,  for which, through the GISS Sustainable Society Research Group, a series of actions and strategies to mitigate the ecological footprint in the university. In the strategy of the reasonable use of energy, it is sought through energy saving and efficiency of the UPEC university campus, to contribute favorably to said goals. The equipment used both inside the buildings and outside that use electrical energy for its operation has been analyzed and it has been determined that they must be replaced with technologies that are more friendly to the environment, which is why 1.413 tube fluorescent luminaires are replaced by LED luminaires inside the buildings and 63 lighting lamps in green areas by LED lamps powered by photovoltaic energy,  allowing an estimated annual energy saving of 82. 603,58 KWh/year, avoiding the emission of 18.63 tons of CO2 contributing to the improvement of air quality and reducing the ecological footprint of the university campus by 5,25 hectares per year.