The Rector Opened the Smart Home System at the UNWE

The Rector of UNWE Prof. Dr. Dimitar Dimitrov symbolically cut the ribbon to open the new energy efficiency system Smart Home at the University of National and World Economy.

"The Smart Home system is part of the University's sustainability policy. The new facility is a natural continuation of our efforts towards energy independence and green economy", said the Rector of UNWE Prof. Dr. Dimitar Dimitrov and emphasized: "The main features of the system provide savings of up to 40% of electricity and heat in the UNWE in the stage of its complete configuration. We have also completed a large-scale air-conditioning project as a result of which more than 90% of the working offices and 20.5% of the study halls have been provided with air-conditioning equipment. Modern heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems have been installed in the building of Corpus K and the Library. They create the most favorable conditions for work and study and at the same time are the basis for increasing energy efficiency at the University. By developing energy efficiency projects and integrating green infrastructures an enabling environment for sustainable growth and environmental protection is created".

On the occasion of the opening of Smart Home system the Rector invited the Trustees Council members, Deans and Secretaries General of UNWE to present to them the main projects and measures that have been implemented to ensure a qualitative learning environment at the UNWE.

As part of the programme for increasing the energy efficiency at the UNWE the construction of the Smart Home system started in January 2023 with targeted funding from the Ministry of Education and Science /planned in 2022 as the PEX project/.

In general, the Smart Home system creates opportunities for remote, automated control of the devices installed in the respective environment /lighting, heat transfer, air conditioning, etc./. The system is an element of the University's Energy Resources Management and is an integral part of the University's Energy Efficiency Programme.

The system built at the UNWE is level 4 - full smart home integration, i.e. an environment where all devices are integrated and function as part of a homogeneous ecosystem.

The System Management and Monitoring Centre has also been built and a total of 406 devices have been installed to manage the ecological environment on the working premises. The controllers for sensor management have been installed and the information is visualized on the monitors in the System Management and Monitoring Centre. It has also been built an independent network infrastructure for the transmission of system information, protected from external interference.

Monitor, part of the Smart Home system, that observes the consumption and reports in real-time the energy savings

The system is built to prevent the use of energy when the windows are not closed for a long time, after a certain hour all air conditioners are automatically stopped to avoid their operation during non-working hours, automatically thermoregulators of radiators reduce the temperature in the evening on a set schedule and increase it during the day, saving additional heat energy, lighting is automatically stopped after a certain hour in all rooms with the Smart Home system. The system covers all working offices of the University administration in Corpus A and the Rector's Office.

In Bonsist Sports Complex part of the Smart Home system was built by a research team from the Republic of China /Taiwan/.

The deadline for construction of the entire Smart Home system is the end of September 2026.

The official event was attended by Prof. Dr. Matilda Alexandrova, Vice-Rector for Educational Activity, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Maria Vodenicharova, Vice-Rector for Research, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yanko Hristozov, Vice-Rector for International Affairs, Prof. Dr. Tsvetana Stoyanova, Vice-Rector for Institutional and Business Cooperation and Student Policies as well as the Assistant Rector Prof. D.Sc. /Econ./ Kiril Stoychev who has great contribution for the realization of the project for the construction of the system.

In the meeting took also part the members of the Trustees Council of UNWE Maxim Behar, President of the World Communication Forum Association /WCFA, Honorary Consul-General of the Republic of Seychelles in Bulgaria and founder of M3 Communications Group, Inc. and Yovko Atanasov, Lenovo Regional Manager for Bulgaria and Macedonia as well as Krasimir Pingelov, Manager of Electron Progress EAD, Nikola Bakalov, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Fibank, Sonia Krustanova, representative of the Minister of Education and Science, the Deputy Mayor of Sofia Ivan Vasilev, representative of Sofia Municipality in the Trustees Board, Angel Stoykov, Chairman of the National Representation of Student Councils in Bulgaria /NRSC/, representatives of the project contractors as well as the academic staff of the University.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yanko Hristozov, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Maria Vodenicharova, Ivan Vasilev, Nikola Bakalov, Prof. Dr. Dimitar Dimitrov, Prof. Dr. Tsvetana Stoyanova, Krasimir Pingelov, Yovko Atanasov, Maxim Behar, Angel Stoykov, Sonya Krustanova, Matilda Alexandrova /from the left to the right/