Gas prices are constantly rising. The question of how to save as much energy as possible is becoming more and more urgent – not only in private households, but also in the ministries. Does sweating more in summer and a thick sweater in the office in winter help?
In view of the energy crisis, the federal government wants to set a good example and focus on economy. In many ministries, cooling is already being shut down, and savings are also to be made on heating. Some houses are still examining what can be done, according to a survey by the German Press Agency. And some ministries have planned more extensive measures than others.
That Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection According to its own statements, it wants to save about 15 percent on heating energy from autumn. Among other things, the temperature should be lowered longer at night. In the summer, the house of department head Robert Habeck (Greens) even wants to save 40 percent of the energy. Air-conditioned rooms should only be cooled down to 26 degrees Celsius – the only exception are server and technical rooms, where stronger cooling is indispensable for technical reasons. For comparison: this Health and Defense Departments stated that they had set the room temperature to 22 degrees Celsius.
Federal ministries rely on solar systems and thermal insulation
That too Foreign Office have already taken various measures to save energy, the ministry said. Among other things, refrigeration systems were switched off and solar or photovoltaic systems were installed on the roof. For better heat protection in summer, reflective window films should also be attached. According to the information, only a few rooms are cooled inside. “Up to an outside temperature of 30 degrees, the inside temperature is set at 24 degrees,” said Annalena Baerbock (Greens) from the ministry. With an outside temperature of over 30 degrees Celsius, the inside temperature also rises.
The CDU energy politician Andreas Jung generally demanded ambitious energy savings from the ministries. “Do not cool further than 26, 27 degrees. Save on lighting. Save on heating where possible. If every public building does that, something will come together,” said Jung to the TV station Welt at the beginning of the week. It would also signal that the situation was serious. “We have to do something now, we’re not just appealing to others, we’re starting where we can do something ourselves,” stressed Jung.
Employees have to help save energy
The employees of the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs: Since there is neither air conditioning nor a central temperature setting on the radiators in the premises, the ministry is dependent on its employees being climate-conscious. They are asked to set the heating as low as possible and to turn the temperature down further when they are absent, said a spokeswoman.
There is also no air conditioning in many other official buildings of the federal ministries, for example in the rooms in large parts of the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculturein parts of Ministry of Healthof Department of Defense or in Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and development.
Federal Ministry of the Interior relies on geothermal energy
in the Federal Ministry of the Interior An energy-efficient geothermal system that uses geothermal heat is used. A spokesman announced that district heating would only be used if this was not sufficient. In addition, a photovoltaic system was recently installed on the roof of the building. A reduction of the room temperature in the coming heating period is currently being examined.
Seven of the fifteen federal ministries stated that they had introduced an environmental management system developed by the EU – or that they intend to do so. With this system, ecological and economic weaknesses in organizations can be eliminated and material, energy and thus costs can be saved. This was confirmed, among others, by Ministries of Transport, Education, Environment, Labour, Finance and Development as well as that Foreign Office. A spokeswoman for Federal Ministry of Education and Research According to the report, the system is to be introduced in all top federal authorities by 2025.
Saving on hot water and light
Also gave that Ministry of Financethe Ministry of Education as well as that Ministry of Environment to have reduced or partially switched off the hot water treatment. In addition, non-safety-related lighting systems in many ministries – including the Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Labour and in Ministry of Finance – be turned off. in the foreign office Old lamps with high energy consumption are replaced with energy-saving LED lamps.
Last week, the Council of Elders decided that the offices for members of the Bundestag, their employees and the Bundestag administration should only be heated to 20 instead of the previous 22 degrees in winter. While the air conditioning systems used to ensure a pleasant 24 to 26 degrees in summer, depending on the outside temperature, it will be 26 to 28 degrees in the future.
Source: Stern

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