The Western University of Timișoara (UVT) received with great joy the latest announcements about the results of the evaluations of two university infrastructure projects, promoted through the applications submitted for funding through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan and the Modernization Fund of the Ministry of Energy .

The first of these two projects is the one submitted under the title "We build for education: Dormitories of the future" and aims to build, on a plot of land in the peri-urban town of Ghiroda – a university support center in full development – ​​a new student dormitory that will comply with the requirements of nZEB plus ("a building whose energy consumption is almost equal to zero"), through through which 162 places will be secured for the students of the West University of Timișoara. The value of the investment is 52.958.278,79 lei, of which 47.235.636,22 lei non-reimbursable financing and 5.722.642,57 lei UVT contribution, a financing that will be provided by PNRR, Pillar VI: Policies for the new generation. The dormitory will be built on a plot of 5.254 square meters in the Ghiroda commune, which was transferred to the administration of UVT by the decision of the Local Council of the Ghiroda commune in September 2023. Each room will be equipped with integrated functional furniture and will be equipped with all utilities.

A second recently evaluated project was submitted for funding in the open call by the Modernization Fund of the Ministry of Energy, representing a solution to install a new capacity to produce electricity from solar sources, is the project entitled: "The development of a photovoltaic plant for the production of electricity from renewable sources, in order to ensure the self-consumption of the Western University in Timișoara, Timiș county". The value of the investment that will be provided by the Ministry of Energy is 12.843.600,54 lei, UVT's own financial contribution to this project being zero. An important result of this project will be the operationalization of a renewable energy production unit with a newly installed renewable energy production capacity of 2.168,64 kWp / 1.980,00 kW AC, through which it is estimated that a net production of primary energy of 175,80 toe/year from renewable sources, i.e. a total net production of electricity of 38.634,46 MWh in a period of 20 years. In other words, 50% of the entire annual energy consumption of UVT will be covered directly from its own renewable sources. Another result of this project aims to reduce UVT's carbon footprint by reducing greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the production of the energy necessary to carry out its own activity, and this objective will be instrumentalized by covering it with photovoltaic panels in order to ensure the electricity necessary for optimal operation of several buildings from the UVT heritage, respectively on the roofs of 25 faculty buildings, student dormitories, teaching and research bases, sports halls and facilities, or other specific spaces of the university.

UVT rector, Marilen Gabriel Pirtea: "The development, modernization and smart investments in energy technologies represent goals of great importance for UVT, the most important comprehensive university in the west of the country. For the new UVT dormitory, with 162 places, which will be built in Ghiroda, a peri-urban location in front of Timișoara that has emerged in recent years as a real hub of academic and research utilities, we obtained PNRR funding of over 10 million euros, while for the installation of photovoltaic panels on all the buildings and auxiliary spaces of UVT and for the installation of a photovoltaic plant for the production of electricity from renewable sources we obtained over 2,5 million euros, so we will be able to move to a stage advanced energy independence. We would like to thank Ghiroda City Hall for the visionary opening regarding the development of a new university campus. And through these investments, significant in terms of social and financial value, we contribute to the progress of Timisoara, strengthening the infrastructure and capabilities of our university center, the central pivot of the development of the local community in the medium and long term."

PHOTO: Rendering of coverage with photovoltaic panels at the UVT main office