The EnergIST platform is an energy monitoring and targeting tool developed in-house by a close collaboration between Instituto Superior Técnico, INOV-INESC and INESC-ID, targeting the needs and wishes of the Instituto Superior Técnico. The platform obtains the energy measurements (electricity and natural gas consumption) and water consumption from the entire campus at key places. After this, the platform can identify and create baseline and other energy and water consumption trends. Based on detailed energy and water consumption information, but also in weather conditions, which are also measured, it is possible to establish the normal relationships of energy and water consumptions with respect to influential factors, such as seasonal effects, daily temperature, academic period, holidays, etc. The EnergIST platform also allows to detect and inform of early warnings of high consumption, malfunctions, or unwanted user behaviour. Data extracted may be use also for evaluating the operating practices in the campus and the results of energy management projects, or in energy consumption forecasting.
The Sustainable Campus at Técnico was first designed with the purpose of improving the overall energy efficiency in the facilities, while seeking a better energy performance and strengthening these skills throughout Instituto Superior Técnico's community. The general idea was that by increasing knowledge and awareness of campus users in fields related to their own resource consumption would be a very effective way to bring about improvements in efficient energy usage. Therefore, the option made was to put in place a project that involved the student and research community, availing the existing knowledge on energy efficiency and renewable energy sources in order to achieve a more sustainable campus.
Nowadays, the objective is to place Instituto Superior Técnico as a reference in Sustainable Campuses, with significant results in terms of reducing its own energy and water bills and the consumption of other resources, and to involve the entire academic community of students and faculty members into that effort through leveraging existing knowledge on subjects related to climate change, resource efficiency, sustainable mobility, waste management and circular economy.
In addition to the website (hyperlink in the above RI title), the Sustainable Campus also has an Instagram account.