Universities for green energy!

The universities of Lower Silesia and the Opole region want to eliminate their carbon footprint, generate green energy and increase energy efficiency. Among other things, a photovoltaic farm is planned.

Acting on the initiative of the University of Wrocław and the Wrocław University of Technology, on November 10, 2022, the rectors of the universities of the Wrocław and Opole regions signed a letter of intent at the University of Wrocław setting up the Interuniversity Green Energy Group. The group will jointly apply for the EU funds connected with renewable energy in order to be not only a consumer of green energy, but also its producer.

Among the signatory universities are:

University of Wrocław, Wrocław University of Technology, Wrocław Medical University, Wrocław University of Life Sciences, Wrocław University of Economics, Eugeniusz Geppert Academy of Fine Arts in Wrocław, Academy of Physical Education in Wrocław, University of Opole, and Opole University of Technology.

During the meeting, the President of the College of Rectors of the Universities of Wrocław and Opole regions, Rector of the Karol Lipiński Academy of Music in Wrocław, Prof. Krystian Kiełb, thanking the Rector of the University of Wrocław, Prof. Robert Olkiewicz for the initiative to establish the Green Energy Group, said: “I wish us all that this project will succeed as we plan, so that, from the perspective of many years, this moment will be remembered as a moment of momentous importance for all our universities.”

“The formation of the Green Energy Group is an opportunity to obtain both national and European funds for the development of green energy sources,” said Zbigniew Budziszewski, Chancellor of the University of Opole, who represented our university at the meeting on November 10. "At our university, we are trying to pursue this policy systematically. We are thinking, for example, of building a photovoltaic system that would provide power for the lights for our campus Orlik pitch, or installing photovoltaic panels on the roof of the Spójnik Hall of Residence and on the wall of the Kmicic Hall of Residence. The large area of land that our university owns in Prószków offers a great potential for photovoltaic farms, but this is a problem for the future. However, we want to actively participate in the renewable energy trend.”   

Damian Mroczynski, Director of the Development and Asset Maintenance Unit at the University of Wrocław, one of the initiators of the concept, said: “We should not only be consumers of energy, but become producers of energy. Together with the Wrocław University of Technology, we thought of creating a group that would produce green energy. Today, the first such a large group of universities in Poland has been established, and it will produce energy from its own photovoltaic farms or wind power plants, aiming for zero-emission.”

Katarzyna Lach, Administrative Director of the Wroclaw University of Technology and initiator of the project on the part of the Wroclaw University of Technology, added: “Once the letter of intent has been signed, we can start to act officially. We want to establish the legal status of the group. The war in Ukraine and the energy crisis have triggered huge EU programmes that will provide financing. These programmes will also push universities towards all sorts of green initiatives, including renewable energy. This is a trend we want to be part of.”