Rising energy costs are not just a problem for private households: they also have an impact on the budget of public institutions. The changes to energy policy that occurred as far back as 2013 led to significant increases to the core energy-related outgoings of Technische Universität Braunschweig. As a result, a working group convened at TU Braunschweig almost ten years ago to work on budgeting for energy costs and identify potential areas for savings.
Compared to the situation in 2013, TU Braunschweig now uses 14% less district heating and 20% less electricity, making the University a trailblazer among higher education institutions in Lower Saxony. This winter, TU Braunschweig has set itself the target of cutting its energy consumption by a further 20%. The German federal government has provided a suitable guideline for this in the form of its Verordnung zur Sicherung der Energieversorgung über kurzfristig wirksame Maßnahmen (Ordinance on energy saving using short term measures). In addition, the state government of Lower Saxony has introduced a range of measures [in German only] aiming to rapidly and significantly reduce energy consumption in its properties and buildings.
These strategies form the basis for the new central energy-saving measures at TU Braunschweig. The University already generates over 1,000 kWp with its own solar PV systems. This is actually equivalent to the average annual energy consumption of around 220 households. Considerable savings are also being achieved by means of the upgrading of the ventilation systems in the laboratory buildings. But to ensure that our new measures are fully effective, we need to rely on the cooperation of our students and staff members.
Lecture finished? Turn off equipment! Switch off the lights! - You can find these and other energy-saving tips in the bilingual poster series for print.
The maximum temperature in workspaces where light physical work and predominantly sedentary work is carried out (office) is 19°C.
Storage rooms, communal spaces and circulation areas where people do not stay for long are not heated.
Decentralised water heating systems (e.g. instantaneous water heaters or decentralised hot water tanks) will be put out of operation.
Outdoor lighting systems used for purely aesthetic reasons are switched off.
The use of fan heaters, air-conditioning systems or similar equipment is prohibited in our offices. This prohibition does not apply to any equipment that needs to be used for operational reasons. The air conditioning systems of the University Library and the main lecture hall have already been shut down.
Assuming this is in line with the wishes of the corresponding employees, we have decided to temporarily extend permission to work from home.
The University will be closed for an extended period over the 2022/2023 Christmas/New Year season—from 23 December 2022 to 6 January 2023 inclusive.
