Advertisement

Spain limits air conditioning in public buildings to save energy

AFP
AFP - [email protected]
Spain limits air conditioning in public buildings to save energy
People wait in line at a government employment office in the center of Madrid on a hot June day. Photo: Dominique Faget/AFP

Air conditioning in public buildings in Spain must be turned down in the summer under new rules published on Thursday as part of measures to reduce Europe's reliance on Russian energy.

Advertisement

Office air conditioning should be set no lower than 27 Celsius (80.6 Fahrenheit) during the warmest months of the year, according to a government decree on energy efficiency.

Temperatures often rise above 40 Celsius in the summer across Spain.

During the winter offices, will not be heated beyond a maximum of 19 Celsius.

Advertisement

These measures will apply "whenever it is technically possible," the decree said.

The decree includes greater use of working from home for civil servants, increased use of energy-efficient lighting and mass installation of solar panels on the roofs of public buildings.

The plan, part of an EU-wide effort to cut dependence on Russian gas and oil, calls for the installation of more bicycle parking spots at government office to encourage public workers to cycle to work.

The European Commission published plans on Tuesday to cut EU dependency on Russian gas by two-thirds this year and end its reliance on Russian supplies of the fuel before 2030.

Italy in April also announced plans to turn down air conditioning at public buildings to save energy this summer.

More

Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.

Please log in to leave a comment.

See Also