Sustainable Energy Model in Tecnocampus Higher Education …
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ing the role of HEIs from both global and local “-or glocal-” perspective will be
required to give a comprehensive answer to this approach.
The literature provides several strategies aimed at moving HEIs toward new campuses modelled on a glocal framework. The Living Lab approach first explored by
W. J. Mitchell, K. Larson and A. Pentland at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has emerged as an attractive and useful methodology for addressing this
transition. This approach aims to integrate users and actors for the co-creation of
complex solutions in evolving real-life scenarios (von Geibler et al. 2014). Robinson
et al. (2011) identifies that the campus understood as a living laboratory infrastructure is essentially an extension of the strong traditional university model. The critical
difference between both models is that while in the standard model university activities (research, teaching, applied learning, outreach, and institutional management
mainly) take place within areas with well-defined boundaries, this new approach
proposes a review of the traditional role of interaction among departments and collaborative partnerships providing new forms of trans-disciplinary working to address
problematic issues.
This paper focuses on describing the sustainable energy model of the Tecnocampus Higher Education Smart Campus, which undertakes the promotion of a local
district heating and cooling from renewable sources of energy and the implementation of appropriate actions aimed at energy saving and improvement of energy
efficiency while covering climate requirements. In this contribution, the proposed
model is applied at one of the buildings of the HEI belonging to the Tecnocampus.
The rest of the paper is organised as follows: Sect. 2 briefly introduces the Tecnocampus technology park and the proposed Living Lab approach for extending the
performed sustainable energy system. Section 3 presents a detailed description of
the Tub Verd clean energy provider and the strategies and activities aimed at a better
energy performance. Section 4 shows outcomes and discussion and Sect. 5 and last,
draws general conclusions and future lines.
2 Tecnocampus Living Lab
The Tecnocampus Mataró-Maresme Foundation (hereafter, Tecnocampus or TCM) is
a Technology and Innovation Park, fully recognized as a member of the International
Association of Science and Technology Parks (IASP). The mission of the TCM
is to contribute towards the economic and sustainable development of the region,
acting as a driving force behind the generation of knowledge, training, business
and innovation, fully fulfilling the standards of most scientific and Business Parks
stated in the literature (Zhang 2005; Lööf and Broström 2008; Yang et al. 2009).
The TCM Park is composed by a Higher Education Institution affiliated to Pompeu
Fabra University that integrates three faculties (polytechnic, economics and nursery
studies) and a cluster of technological companies, creating the pursued dynamic
environment of education, collaboration and innovation. The HEI has been designed
and perceived not only as a member but also the nuclear part of the Tecnocampus,
779
ing the role of HEIs from both global and local “-or glocal-” perspective will be
required to give a comprehensive answer to this approach.
The literature provides several strategies aimed at moving HEIs toward new campuses modelled on a glocal framework. The Living Lab approach first explored by
W. J. Mitchell, K. Larson and A. Pentland at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has emerged as an attractive and useful methodology for addressing this
transition. This approach aims to integrate users and actors for the co-creation of
complex solutions in evolving real-life scenarios (von Geibler et al. 2014). Robinson
et al. (2011) identifies that the campus understood as a living laboratory infrastructure is essentially an extension of the strong traditional university model. The critical
difference between both models is that while in the standard model university activities (research, teaching, applied learning, outreach, and institutional management
mainly) take place within areas with well-defined boundaries, this new approach
proposes a review of the traditional role of interaction among departments and collaborative partnerships providing new forms of trans-disciplinary working to address
problematic issues.
This paper focuses on describing the sustainable energy model of the Tecnocampus Higher Education Smart Campus, which undertakes the promotion of a local
district heating and cooling from renewable sources of energy and the implementation of appropriate actions aimed at energy saving and improvement of energy
efficiency while covering climate requirements. In this contribution, the proposed
model is applied at one of the buildings of the HEI belonging to the Tecnocampus.
The rest of the paper is organised as follows: Sect. 2 briefly introduces the Tecnocampus technology park and the proposed Living Lab approach for extending the
performed sustainable energy system. Section 3 presents a detailed description of
the Tub Verd clean energy provider and the strategies and activities aimed at a better
energy performance. Section 4 shows outcomes and discussion and Sect. 5 and last,
draws general conclusions and future lines.
2 Tecnocampus Living Lab
The Tecnocampus Mataró-Maresme Foundation (hereafter, Tecnocampus or TCM) is
a Technology and Innovation Park, fully recognized as a member of the International
Association of Science and Technology Parks (IASP). The mission of the TCM
is to contribute towards the economic and sustainable development of the region,
acting as a driving force behind the generation of knowledge, training, business
and innovation, fully fulfilling the standards of most scientific and Business Parks
stated in the literature (Zhang 2005; Lööf and Broström 2008; Yang et al. 2009).
The TCM Park is composed by a Higher Education Institution affiliated to Pompeu
Fabra University that integrates three faculties (polytechnic, economics and nursery
studies) and a cluster of technological companies, creating the pursued dynamic
environment of education, collaboration and innovation. The HEI has been designed
and perceived not only as a member but also the nuclear part of the Tecnocampus,