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Upgrade buildings to higher energy efficiency
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Upgrade buildings to higher energy efficiency
Qassim University is upgrading its existing buildings to higher energy efficiency. With the National Energy Services Company (Tarshid) it is installing 5,137 kW of solar panels on the rooftops of its buildings and retrofitting 29 buildings for an expected energy saving of 22%, alongside LED lighting, sensors, insulation, automatic doors and ENERGY STAR appliances across the campus.
Tarsheed launches the project to install solar panels in the buildings and facilities of Qassim University.
The National Energy Services Company (Tarsheed) and Qassim University have launched a project to install solar panels and systems on university buildings and facilities. The system size is 5,137 kilowatts, with a targeted energy savings of 8.6 million kilowatt-hours annually. Through this project, Tarsheed aims to increase energy efficiency and reduce energy consumption through solar energy, and generate energy for self-consumption in all university buildings and facilities, in accordance with best practices and the highest international standards. The project was launched on 4 March 2025.
Energy-efficiency measures in university buildings
Qassim University is working on its responsibility towards reduction of greenhouse gas emission and effective use of energy. Therefore, it supported the use of energy efficiently in all buildings of the university. During the previous period plans for efficient use of energy were set followed by actions that support the efficient use of energy. These include the following:
- Switch to LED lighting.
- Since KSA has a sunny wheatear throughout the year, which helps in using daylight for buildings lighting during the day. Qassim University uses the daylight as a source of light in designing of its buildings which interns reduced the use of and lamps during the day.
- Use of automatic doors which will lower the loss of cooled air which in turn lower the energy loss consequently.
- Use ENERGY STAR-rated appliances.
- Set A/Cs in university campuses to efficient temperatures.
- Use lighting with sensors in building.
- Service HVAC systems annually for peak performance.
- Insulate water heaters and pipes.
- Seal and insulate windows, doors, and attics to prevent heat loss or gain.
- Insulating of building walls to reduce energy loss.
- Increase the awareness on energy saving among university’s community.
Tarshid energy-efficiency retrofit of 29 university buildings
As part of its energy-efficiency projects, the National Energy Services Company (Tarshid) launched a project to upgrade the energy efficiency of the existing buildings and facilities of Qassim University. The project covers 29 university buildings with an expected energy saving of 22%, equivalent to more than 66,000 barrels of oil equivalent per year. It is expected to avoid more than 23,000 tonnes of carbon emissions every year, an environmental impact equal to planting more than 397,000 seedlings per year. Together with the rooftop solar project, it forms the University’s plan to upgrade its existing buildings to higher energy efficiency.
Installation of solar panels on university buildings
The photos document the installation of the 5,137 kW solar system implemented with Tarshid on the rooftops of existing university buildings and facilities: lifting the panels to the roofs, the rows of panels installed, the distribution map of the panels across university buildings, and the panels at the College of Engineering. The system is expected to generate about 8.6 million kWh of clean electricity every year on the University’s own buildings, reducing the electricity it buys from the grid.
Solar panels on campus walkway shade canopies
Solar panels have been mounted on the shade canopies that cover the pedestrian walkways between university buildings, adding clean-energy generation to existing campus structures alongside the rooftop solar project.
Qassim University rises in the UI GreenMetric ranking
Al-Watan newspaper reported that the University reached 48th place worldwide in the UI GreenMetric ranking, citing its use of energy-saving lighting and smart technologies to reduce electricity waste.
“Green Universities” workshop during Environment Week
The Saudi Press Agency reported that the University ranked first in Saudi Arabia and 61st worldwide in the UI GreenMetric ranking, scoring 1,825 points in the Energy and Climate Change criterion.