UNWE is an institution committed to the sustainable future. Our university's mission is not only to educate young people but also to create sustainable habits to protect the environment. Several green projects have been implemented since the beginning of the new century.

In 2023 the University became the Coordinator of the National Sustainable Development Solutions Network - SDSN Bulgaria established by the United Nations to encourage the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals of the World Organization.

Since 2016 the UNWE is among the first institutions in Bulgaria to join the global initiatives for social responsibility and sustainable development and has become a member of the UN Global Compact /UNGC/ as one of the four Bulgarian universities members of the organization. In the framework of this initiative the UNWE implements a number of activities and various events promoting a sustainable economy for the protection of the workforce and the environment.

UNWE is one of the first universities in Bulgaria paying serious attention to the incorporation of the green energy. Building a renewable energy system is part of the University policy and a step towards its turning into a green university.

Photovoltaic Park

The UNWE has at disposal two photovoltaic parks built on the roof and on the newly built parking lot of the University. This makes it the first Bulgarian energy independent university with Smart Home Resource Management System.

The beginning has been set in February 2023 with the signing of an ESCO contract by the Rector Prof. Dimitar Dimitrov for the implementation of a public contract for the utilization of energy from renewable sources through the construction of a photovoltaic installation for electricity generation. The contract is the result of an energy efficiency audit of the university building developed by a licensed company and accepted by a specialized committee.

The project was implemented in two phases. The first stage /8 months/ consisted of the design and construction of the photovoltaic installation for the production of electricity on the roof of the university building and one on the parking lot. The second stage involved monitoring the achieved results, maintenance and repayment of the investment on account of the electricity generation which activities are undertaken by the ProStream Group. The funding of the project at the amount of more than 2 millions BGN has been provided by the ProStream Group and the investment will be repaid at the expense of the electricity savings generated by the operation of the photovoltaic plant. The construction supervision was carried out by Bureau Veritas Bulgaria.

The first sod for the construction of the photovoltaic park was made by the Rector Prof. Dr. Dimitar Dimitrov and Andrey Stoychev, representative of the contractor, on 5 June 2023 - World Environment Day.

The photovoltaic park was officially opened by the Rector Prof. Dr. Dimitar Dimitrov and the Minister of Education and Science Prof. Dr. Galin Tsokov on 24 October 2023.

The photovoltaic park is part of the UNWE Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Development Policy Programme. The new facility is a natural continuation of efforts towards energy independence and green economy providing an added value to the University as well as to the environment and society.

The monitors which are part of the Smart Home System announce the real-time energy savings. More than 50% of the electricity required on an annual basis is produced by the two photovoltaic installations saving 630 tons of CO2 emissions per year.

Along with that the Smart Home and Smart Lighting for Energy Saving projects are also implemented contributing to the sustainable green environment through energy efficiency and cost savings.

Smart Home System

As part of the programme to increase the energy efficiency of UNWE the construction of the Smart Home System has been started in January 2023 through allocated funding from the Ministry of Education and Science /planned in 2022 as the PECS project/.

In general, the Smart Home System creates opportunities for remote, automated control of the devices available in the respective environment /lighting, heat transfer, air conditioning, etc./. The System is an element of the University Energy Resource Management and it is an integral part of the UNWE Energy Efficiency Programme.

The main features of the system provide savings of up to 40% of electricity and heat at the UNWE, direct and remote monitoring of the System through the built-in Control Center, remote shutdown, activation and regulation of the activity of energy consumers and temperature regulation in the halls, visualization of the system activity on a detailed map of the University.

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.

Smart Lighting and Energy Efficiency System at Bonsist Sports Complex

The Energy Saving Smart Lighting System was officially presented on 30 June 2023 at Bonsist Sports Complex. The total cost of the project is 120 000 USD provided for the most part by the Taiwan Environmental Information Association /TEIA/ under a contract with the UNWE to implement a project on smart lighting, energy conservation and the transition to a healthy planet and new digital world.

At the opening ceremony the main parameters, energy-saving capabilities, operating principles and benefits of the newly installed intelligent lighting system were presented in detail along with a demonstration of the system showing the capabilities of the modern facility.

Charging Sations for Electric Vehicles

Since June 2022 the electric car charging stations are available at the UNWE due to the donation by the ProCredit Bank Bulgaria. Since September 2023 the five electric car charging stations Have already become an integral part of the photovoltaic park system built on the central car park and they are protected from all weather conditions.

Access to the charging stations is free for the UNWE lecturers, employees and students.

Energy Saving Phone Charging Stations

In the lobbies of the UNWE building - Corpuses A,C, D, I and the newest Corpus K  five energy-saving charging stations for phones and tablets are installed on a stand with LED lights. They are available for all UNWE students, lecturers and employees. The stations have space for 8 devices.