The Luxembourg National School of Health (LTPS) in Ettelbruck, completed in 2019, produces more energy than it consumes by storing superfluous energy instead of letting it go to waste. The award-winning building has not only become an innovative example in terms of this so-called ‘positive energy’ efficiency, it has also been turning heads thanks to its design, as wood, solar panels, and the hot water tank have all been visibly integrated into the structure.
Martine Schmit, architect at the Public Building Administration in Luxembourg, in a recent interview with Euronews explained that energy production and use are monitored over long-term cycles given that “buildings can actually last for more than fifty years”.
The modern building – which houses 430 students, 16 classrooms, and six technical rooms – is entirely covered by solar panels and produces twice the amount of electricity that the school requires. Amid other innovative ideas, heating is one of the key elements that render this project remarkable due to the instalment of a vertical 20-metre-high hot water tank, able to store up to 100,000 litres of water.
A student interviewed by Euronews highlighted the comfort she experiences at the school, notably praising the air quality and temperature control that support students’ ability to focus. Deputy director Carlo Gudenburg accordingly asserted that the “building has been designed to provide maximum educational opportunities and encourage students to work actively”.
The Public Building Administration has revealed that the total budget invested into the LTPS amounts to €29 million, of which €1 million came from the European Union’s Cohesion Policy.
