7.2.2 Upgrade buildings to higher energy efficiency

Smart Lighting Control Upgrade in the Central Library Building, Srinakharinwirot University (2025)

Srinakharinwirot University (SWU) has a plan to upgrade its existing buildings to higher energy efficiency. Under the SWU Zero Carbon policy, the University sets an annual target to reduce electricity consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by 5%, and its measures include upgrading existing buildings with LED lighting, energy-efficient air-conditioning units (Label No. 5), automatic lighting control and solar energy systems. Rather than relying only on new construction, SWU retrofits existing buildings so that they use less energy.

2025 energy-efficiency upgrade: smart lighting control in the Central Library building

In 2025 (B.E. 2568), as part of this plan, the Central Library of SWU procured construction work to upgrade the lighting control system inside its existing Central Library building to a smart lighting control system. The invitation to bid was announced on 17 March 2025 through the Thai Government e-Procurement (e-GP) system, with a reference price of 24,610,000 THB. Two bidders submitted proposals, and the contract award was announced on 27 May 2025.

Smart lighting control systems are designed to switch and schedule lighting according to actual use, so that lights are not left on in unused spaces. Upgrading the lighting control of an existing, heavily used building such as the Central Library therefore supports higher energy efficiency and lower electricity consumption, in line with the University’s energy-saving targets.

Table 1. Key information of the energy-efficiency upgrade project

Source: Thai Government e-Procurement (e-GP), project no. 68039090133 – https://www.dataforthai.com/gproject/68039090133

Figure 1. Central Library announcement (17 March 2025): invitation to bid for upgrading the smart lighting control system inside the Central Library building, reference price 24,610,000 THB.

Source: Thai Government e-Procurement (e-GP) system – https://process5.gprocurement.go.th/egp-template-service/dwnt/view-pdf-file?templateId=84f0445f-618f-412f-9e8b-b986adca5ca2

Figure 2. Public procurement record of project no. 68039090133, showing the budget, e-bidding method, two bidders and the contract award announcement of 27 May 2025.

Source: dataforthai.com (based on government open procurement data) – https://www.dataforthai.com/gproject/68039090133

Smart energy monitoring in the Central Library building

Alongside the smart lighting upgrade, the Central Library building has a smart energy monitoring system that measures and tracks its energy use. The system’s dashboard, shown on a screen inside the library, displays in real time the power the building receives from its rooftop solar panels (installed capacity 99.45 kWp) and from the Metropolitan Electricity Authority (MEA) grid, the power and daily energy used on each floor, and the energy used for air-conditioning, equipment and lighting. It also keeps a running total of the benefits of the solar system: when the photo below was taken, the dashboard showed 58.7 tons of coal saved and 72.5 tons of CO2 emissions avoided, equivalent to 99 trees. With this information, the library can see where and when energy is used, check how much grid electricity is replaced by solar power, and follow up on energy-saving measures floor by floor.

Figure 3. Smart energy monitoring dashboard on display in the Central Library building, showing real-time power from solar panels and the MEA grid, power use on each floor, energy use for air-conditioning, equipment and lighting, and accumulated coal saved, CO2 avoided and equivalent trees.

Solar PV systems on existing buildings at Ongkharak Campus

Alongside lighting upgrades, the plan includes solar energy systems on existing buildings. At Ongkharak Campus, solar PV systems on two existing buildings – the Administration Building and the HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Medical Center – generated 128,773.89 kWh of electricity in 2025 (B.E. 2568). On the Administration Building, the solar system supplied about 14% of the building’s electricity use over the year, reducing the building’s demand for grid electricity. Generation from the system at the Medical Center has been recorded since November 2025.

Figure 4. SWU SDG Sustainability Web App dashboard: monthly electricity generated by solar PV systems on the Administration Building and the Medical Center, Ongkharak Campus, in 2025 (B.E. 2568) (GJ).

Source: SWU SDG Sustainability Web App dashboard – Solar energy data, Ongkharak Campus (data for 2025, B.E. 2568) – https://script.google.com/macros/s/AKfycby53PzkcT8eUJD9a933GyE_59Tyse0n8TG1QjRJUxyqwEYqK_xBcjTKrLDgHnuEIs7G/exec

Energy-efficient renovation of the Faculty of Engineering Auditorium

The Faculty of Engineering of SWU also upgrades its existing buildings to higher energy efficiency through building renovation and infrastructure upgrades, in line with the SWU SDG 7.2.1 Energy Management Policy, the SWU Carbon Neutrality Roadmap and the SWU Zero Waste & Energy Policy, which set targets for reducing energy consumption and increasing the use of renewable energy. In 2023, the Faculty began a major renovation of the Faculty Auditorium that combined building efficiency upgrades with renewable energy. The project was completed and became fully operational in December 2025.

The renovation included the following building improvements:

1) Comprehensive renovation of the Faculty Auditorium to improve building functionality, operational efficiency and sustainability.

2) Modernisation of interior architectural features and better seating arrangements to increase capacity and make better use of the space.

3) Upgrading of the electrical systems and installation of energy-efficient air-conditioning equipment to reduce energy consumption and improve building performance.

4) Improvement of the stage facilities and audiovisual systems for teaching, learning, conferences, seminars and academic events.

5) Installation of a 74 kWp solar rooftop photovoltaic system made up of 140 monocrystalline solar panels (545 W each), connected to the building’s electrical system to increase the use of renewable energy and reduce reliance on grid electricity.

Figure 5. The Faculty of Engineering Auditorium after the energy-efficient renovation, with upgraded learning and event facilities in use.

Figure 6. The renovated Faculty Auditorium and the 74 kWp solar rooftop photovoltaic system installed on its roof as part of the energy-efficiency renovation.

Energy performance monitoring and results

After the project was completed, the Faculty set up a real-time energy monitoring system to assess the building’s energy performance continuously. The monitoring platform tracks electricity consumption and renewable energy use, so the Faculty can evaluate the energy-efficiency measures it has put in place and find further opportunities to save energy.

Figure 7. Real-time energy monitoring dashboard used to track electricity consumption, renewable energy generation and building energy performance across the Faculty of Engineering.

Source: Faculty of Engineering energy monitoring dashboard – https://datastudio.google.com/u/0/reporting/c44801b0-bbc0-467b-b7d4-6a8281dc3245/page/1Bl7F

Electricity consumption data from the monitoring platform were used to evaluate the auditorium renovation and solar rooftop project. Grid electricity consumption in the baseline period (June–September 2025) was compared with the same months after the project was implemented (June–September 2026).

Table 2. Grid electricity consumption of the Faculty of Engineering before and after the renovation (June–September)

Grid electricity consumption fell from 380,100 kWh in the baseline period to 328,000 kWh after the renovation, an overall reduction of 13.71%. The project saved 52,100 kWh of electricity, well above the Faculty’s annual electricity reduction target of 5%. These results show the effectiveness of the building renovation and the solar rooftop integration.

Next step: Solar Carport Project (2027)

To keep improving building energy performance and expand the use of renewable energy, the Faculty of Engineering has planned a Solar Carport Project for 2027. The project will turn existing outdoor parking areas into solar canopy structures that shade vehicles and generate clean electricity at the same time. The system is planned to have an installed capacity of not less than 180 kWp, and the electricity it generates will be fed into the Faculty’s internal electrical distribution system to supply buildings across the Faculty of Engineering.

The project is expected to reduce grid electricity consumption by about 200,000 kWh per year, lowering operating costs and greenhouse gas emissions from electricity use. It will also make better use of existing parking areas and serve as a learning resource for renewable energy education. Electricity consumption and renewable energy generation will continue to be tracked on the Faculty’s real-time energy dashboard, and the results will be used to evaluate the project, find further energy-saving opportunities and guide future investments under the University’s Carbon Neutrality Roadmap.

Figure 8. Proposed Solar Carport Project and preliminary design concept for renewable energy expansion planned for 2027.

Through these projects, SWU carries out its plan to upgrade existing buildings to higher energy efficiency, from smart lighting control and solar PV systems to the full energy-efficient renovation of the Faculty of Engineering Auditorium.