Air conditioning in public buildings in Spain will have to be turned down during the summer under new rules published on Thursday, as part of measures to reduce Europe’s reliance on Russian energy.
Office air conditioning in public buildings must be set no lower than 27 C during the warmest months of the year, according to a government decree on energy efficiency. During the winter, offices should not be heated beyond a maximum of 19 C.
The measures will apply ‘whenever it is technically possible’, the decree said.
The new measures also include 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, also calls for the installation of more bicycle parking spots at government offices 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.
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