Gas-free ARTIS
ARTIS aims to be completely gas-free by 2030.
Artisplein, along with the adjacent ARTIS-Groote Museum, Café-restaurant de Plantage and ARTIS-Micropia, has been connected to a thermal energy storage system since 2014.
Eventually, all of ARTIS will be connected to a thermal energy storage system, which will be used to heat the zoo with water from the surrounding canals. The temperature of this water is about 18 degrees during summer. The warm water is stored underground and in the winter is pumped up again and further heated with heat pumps.
Ecologists believe this will also have a positive effect on aquatic life in the canals, since the water will cool by a few degrees in the summer.
Increasing the sustainability of animal enclosures
In recent years, a number of buildings and animal enclosures have been made more sustainable. For example, the enclosures accommodating the yellow-cheeked gibbons and spider monkeys are already gas-free and are heated sustainably.
Every little bit helps
By implementing more minor measures such as installing door curtains, door closers and LED lighting, turning down the heating, and enhancing employee awareness, ARTIS had already reduced gas usage by 15% by 2022.
Restoration of heritage monuments
There are 26 national monuments at ARTIS, and these too are being restored in accordance with sustainability principles. An example is the Volharding building, which dates back to 1866 and was recently sustainably restored. It is now fully insulated and is the first national monument with solar panels installed on the roof.
