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19 September 2023 | Story University of the Free State | Photo Supplied
Staff from UFS University Estates: Engineering Services; Obakeng Mocwana, Ben Mhlomi, Sibusiso Lediga, Waylon Kruger, Alain Isaacs, and Nicolaas Esterhuysen.

Last year, the University of the Free State (UFS) launched a progressive institutional strategy, which contains bold but achievable goals to maximise its impact on society. Vision 130 expresses the institution’s intent and commitment to be acknowledged by peers and society as a top-tier university in South Africa, ranked among the best in the world. It highlights key focus areas for the period leading up to 2034 when the university celebrates 130 years of existence. A set of key values have been identified to guide UFS strategies and operations – with sustainability occupying a central space.

As an institution of teaching and learning, research, and engagement, the UFS wants to use its strategic position to drive sustainability issues by establishing green campuses and adopting sustainable built environment practices.

It aims to renew, rejuvenate, regenerate, and revisit facilities and infrastructure. This includes a commitment to implementing energy-saving and effective water management initiatives for greater sustainability.

Solar energy

A flagship renewable energy project is the installation of solar plants across the three UFS campuses in response to the call for urgent solutions to load-shedding problems, and promoting sustainable, clean energy solutions.

The microgrid installation on the Qwaqwa Campus in the Eastern Free State is one of the biggest solar-diesel hybrid systems in South Africa, enabling this campus to keep running despite excessive power interruptions in the region.

The installed grid-tied solar plants operate without batteries on all three campuses, giving the university an optimal configuration between capital cost and payback period.
The UFS has saved up to R32,5 million since the first solar plant was commissioned in 2017. This will soon increase substantially with the commissioning of two large new ground-mounted solar plants on the Bloemfontein Campus.

Waterwise landscaping

Changing environmental conditions are putting precious water resources under strain across the world – especially in drought-prone sub-Saharan Africa.  

The UFS has been implementing innovative waterwise and greywater initiatives over the past couple of years in response to continuous local drought conditions and sporadic water restrictions, replacing large expanses of lawn with hard elements and paving, as well as waterwise indigenous plants, including a range of hardy succulents. 

Rainwater harvesting systems have been fitted at all residences and academic buildings. Other water-saving initiatives include greywater systems installed at residences, waterless urinals in administrative and academic buildings, water restrainers, pressure control systems (reducing the volume of water) and push-button systems instead of taps.  

Encouraging energy-saving results

A clear indication that the energy-saving measures are yielding positive results is that energy consumption has decreased with 14,5% since 2017, even though the gross surface area of the university has grown with 8,8%.

UFS carbon emissions have shown a significant reduction over the years – from 0.115 CO2/m2 in 2013 to 0.088 CO2/m2 in 2022 – making it a frontrunner in low carbon emissions among South African higher education institutions.  This is mainly due to the implementation of energy-efficient strategies and solar generation, effectively minimising energy consumption. 

The UFS not only prioritises sustainability as a fundamental institutional focus, but also actively engages in numerous projects that contribute to a more sustainable world, aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. In this way, it lives up to its mission to be a research-led, student-centred, and regionally engaged institution that contributes to development and social justice through the production of globally competitive graduates and knowledge. 

Energy-efficient buildings

The UFS has thorough guidelines for pursuing sustainability in its built environment, with factors such as energy efficiency given meticulous consideration when new buildings and structures are planned. The university also measures and tracks energy consumption in all its existing buildings.

On the Bloemfontein Campus, the multi-functional Modular Lecture Building offers flexible teaching and learning spaces, where large numbers of students exchange knowledge and information in an environment enhanced and supported by electronic media. This facility is considered a hub for innovative learning, recently receiving a National Merit Award from the South African Institute of Architects (SAIA). Adjudicators noted that the building sets a benchmark for rational planning and technical efficiency and helps to complete the campus urban framework through its placing and material choices.

The building incorporated various energy-saving measures in its design, including building orientation to optimise exposure to sunlight in spaces where it matters, seasonal sun control, double glazing and louvres for energy conservation, rainwater harvesting and storage on the roof of the building, trees and waterwise landscaping.

This facility forms part of an endeavour to create a cohesive campus identity that improves the university’s core business, and exemplifies its emphasis on innovation and excellence.

The UFS has adopted technical guidelines for building design and development, following the rating systems and tools developed by the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA), which are used for the certification of sustainability performance in the built environment. These guidelines, which apply to indoor environmental quality, energy, materials, land use ecology, emissions, innovation, and water, among others, form part of the measures used when new buildings are developed.
 
Research on water and water quality 

In line with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), several UFS researchers are involved with important research efforts on water and water quality, including:

• Centre for Environmental Management: The use of freshwater algae to treat acid mine drainage or domestic wastewater.
This research, which has earned a coveted NSTF-South32 award, focuses on a more circular use of resources where waste is reduced and resources are recycled, which has driven a paradigm shift within the scientific community about wastewater solutions.

• Centre for Mineral Biogeochemistry: Developing sustainable water treatment options using biogeochemical processes in engineered technology.
The UFS has established a Mineral Biogeochemistry Research Infrastructure Platform as part of a national initiative to promote the science of biogeochemistry as a strategic objective in South Africa. It also focuses on agricultural bio-augmentation research with industry partners to help ensure long-term food security in Africa.

• Institute for Groundwater Studies (IGS): Research on fractured rock aquifers, industrial and mining contamination, groundwater governance and groundwater resource. 

The IGS water research laboratory has ISO 17025 accreditation from the South African National Accreditation System (SANAS) for all its methods, setting it apart in the field of contract research on water-related topics in the mining and industrial sectors.


 

 

WATCH: UFS' Sustainable Energy Initiatives



News Archive

2010 World Cup: An opportunity for nation-building
2010-05-11

Pictured from the left, front are: Prof. Labuschagne and Prof. Cornelissen. Back: Prof. Kersting, Prof. Teuns Verschoor (Acting Senior Vice-Rector: UFS) and Dr Ralf Hermann (DAAD).
Photo: Mangaliso Radebe

“The 2010 FIFA World Cup creates a window of opportunity for nation-building in South Africa that could even surpass the opportunity created by the 1995 Rugby World Cup.”

This was according to Prof. Pieter Labuschagne from the University of South Africa, who was one of the three speakers during the lecture series on soccer that were recently presented by the Faculty of the Humanities at the University of the Free State (UFS), in conjunction with the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), under the theme: Soccer and Nation Building.

Prof. Labuschagne delivered a paper on the topic, The 2010 Soccer World Cup in South Africa: Nation Building or White Apathy?, highlighting the critical issue of how sport in South Africa was still largely supported along racial lines.

“We are still enforcing the separateness of rugby as a sport for whites and soccer as a sport for blacks,” he said.

He said a high degree of animosity against soccer existed among whites because they felt rugby and cricket were being singled out by parliament as far as transformation was concerned. He said that could be the reason why a large number of South African whites still supported soccer teams from foreign countries instead of local Premier Soccer League teams.

“Bridging social context between different racial groups is still a major problem, even though patriotism is comparatively high in South Africa,” added Prof. Norbert Kersting from the University of Stellenbosch, who also presented a paper on World Cup 2010 and nation building from Germany to South Africa, drawing critical comparisons on issues of national pride and identity between the 2006 World Cup in Germany and the 2010 World Cup.

“Strong leadership is needed to utilize the opportunity provided by the 2010 World Cup to build national unity as former President Nelson Mandela did with the Rugby World Cup in 1995,” said Prof. Labuschagne.

Although acknowledging the power of sport as a unifying force, Prof. Scarlett Cornelissen, also from the University of Stellenbosch, said that, since 1995, the captivating power of sport had been used to achieve political aims and that the 2010 World Cup was no different.

Amongst the reasons she advanced for her argument were that the 2010 World Cup was meant to show the world that South Africa was a capable country; that the World Cup was meant to solidify South Africa’s “African Agenda” – the African Renaissance - and also to extend the idea of the Rainbow Nation; consolidate democracy; contribute to socio-economic development and legitimize the state.

“We should not place too much emphasis on the 2010 World Cup as a nation-building instrument,” she concluded.

She presented a paper on the topic Transforming the Nation? The political legacies of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

The aim of the lecture series was to inspire public debate on the social and cultural dimensions of soccer.

DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst) is one of the world’s largest and most respected intermediary organisations in the field of international academic cooperation.
Media Release
Issued by: Mangaliso Radebe
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2828
Cell: 078 460 3320
E-mail: radebemt@ufs.ac.za  
11 May 2010
 

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