This is how NRW cities want to save energy: what residents have to be prepared for
Created: 08/13/2022, 18:33
By: Nina Büchs
Many cities in North Rhine-Westphalia are switching off the outside lighting of their buildings, and it is also getting darker on the streets at times.
(24RHEIN montage) © Patrick Seeger/dpa & Maja Hitij/dpa
Dark streets, cooler temperatures in the office or indoor swimming pools - the cities of North Rhine-Westphalia are preparing for the energy crisis.
How do cities want to save?
Cologne – In many NRW cities, a hard time will soon begin with autumn and winter.
Because of the energy crisis, the metropolises want to save on gas and electricity.
Not only in private apartments, but also in many municipal buildings and offices, less heating is then used than usual.
It also gets darker on the streets at night.
Because many cities have announced that they will shut down the lighting of their landmarks – and in some places also reduce street lighting.
But what do people in NRW cities like Cologne, Duisburg, Bonn and Dortmund have to be prepared for?
24RHEIN gives an overview of how cities now want to save energy.
Energy crisis: heating down, lights off – how do cities want to save?
In many cities in North Rhine-Westphalia, the respective crisis management teams have already discussed electricity and gas-saving measures and also worked out initial ideas.
Cities often take the same approach – on the one hand, by turning off or reducing the outdoor lighting of landmarks.
Heating also plays an important role.
The temperatures in public buildings are often reduced by a few degrees.
Another easy way to save energy is to avoid using hot water when washing your hands in public buildings.
Energy crisis: Darker streets in Cologne - what is changing for the people of Cologne
Due to the energy crisis, the lighting of the Cologne Cathedral, the Hohenzollern Bridge and other buildings will be reduced.
(Archive image) © Imagebroker/Imago
Walking home alone in the dark in the evening – for many people it is a nightmare idea.
Although it won't be completely dark in Cologne, the city says the street lighting should be dimmed down to 50 percent at 11 p.m. and switched on later and off earlier.
The cathedral and other imposing buildings, such as the Hohenzollern Bridge, are also no longer illuminated from 11 p.m.
The energy-saving measures of the city of Cologne at a glance:
In summer, the air conditioning of the rooms is reduced to a minimum
The temperature in the municipal offices should be a maximum of 19 degrees during the heating period
In the schools where there is no open all-day school or holiday operation, the suspension of a room temperature reduction is reintroduced during the holiday period
Street lighting in Cologne is dimmed down to 50 percent at 11 p.m., switched on later and switched off earlier
The lighting of certain buildings (e.g. Cologne Cathedral, Romanesque churches, historic town hall, Hohenzollern Bridge, Severins Bridge) and other lighting at a total of over 132 objects will be switched off initially at 11 p.m. and from autumn at 10 p.m
The lighting of the pylons at the RheinEnergie Stadium will be switched off
City employees are once again made aware of energy-efficient behavior
The operating parameters (e.g. room temperature and energy consumption) are adjusted, for example in vehicle halls, car washes, warehouses, etc., so that they are only kept frost-free
Energy crisis: This is how the city of Dortmund wants to save energy - some things are still up for discussion
"The situation in the energy sector is coming to a head," said the mayor of Dortmund, Thomas Westphal, at a press conference on August 9th.
The first ideas for saving energy have now been developed.
The debate is whether, among other things, the temperatures in the sports buildings should be lowered.
"The small difference may not seem big when you first hear it - in fact, this already results in a savings effect," says the Lord Mayor.
Head of Construction Arnulf Rybicki added: "We assume that a reduction of around 1 degree Celsius would result in potential savings of six percent.
If we include the bathrooms, the potential is 12 percent.
Every contribution counts.”
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Temperature reduction in public buildings, probably also in sports halls and indoor swimming pools by 1 degree
The temperature should also be slightly reduced in municipal indoor swimming pools (from when is not yet clear, the same may apply to sports halls)
Energy crisis: outdoor pool season ends earlier - this is how Bonn saves on gas and electricity costs
The outdoor pool season in Bonn ends this year on September 4, 2022 due to the energy crisis. (Iconic image) © Victoria Bonn-Meuser/dpa
People who live in Bonn also have to adapt to cost-cutting measures with regard to the energy crisis.
For example, this year's outdoor pool season ends on Sunday, September 4, 2022. In swimming pools that will open from Monday, September 5, the water temperature in some pools will also be reduced by two degrees, the city announced .
From now on, representative buildings should no longer be illuminated from the outside.
The measures in detail:
The outdoor pool season will end on Sunday, September 4th, 2022
In the indoor swimming pools that will be open from Monday, September 5, 2022, the water temperature will be reduced by 1 degree in teaching pools and by 2 degrees in sports and multi-purpose pools
The operation of fountains and water features will be discontinued after the end of the current heatwave
The city administration is expanding the options for working from home
In 2022, the heating period does not start until the end of the autumn holidays on October 17th
The room temperature in the municipal buildings/offices will be reduced to 19 degrees Celsius
Reduction of air conditioning in all city buildings to a maximum temperature of 26 degrees
In all municipal buildings, the hot water treatment at (hand) wash basins is stopped
The lighting in all municipal buildings is checked and only switched on during operating hours;
Traffic routes are only illuminated when necessary
In urban buildings, energy-inefficient devices and systems, e.g. refrigerators, fans, ventilation systems, etc. are removed or replaced with more efficient devices
Fluorescent tubes are being replaced with LEDs throughout the city
The outdoor lighting of representative buildings is immediately stopped completely
The operation of the elevators in the townhouse will be reduced
Energy crisis: Duisburg saves costs - street lighting could be switched off at times
In some NRW cities it is getting darker on the streets - because the lighting is to be reduced due to the energy crisis.
(Iconic image) © Karl-Josef Hildenbrand/dpa
In Duisburg, too, an agreement was reached to switch off night-time outdoor lighting in municipal buildings, such as the town hall and town hall.
In addition, the interior lighting should be reduced.
It is currently still being discussed whether the temperature in sports halls and gyms can be reduced by 1 degree to 17 degrees.
According to the city, it is also currently being examined whether and where street lighting can be switched off temporarily without this leading to danger areas or accident black spots.
This is how the city of Duisburg wants to save energy:
Switching off the outdoor lighting at night in all municipal buildings (e.g. town hall and town hall, theatre)
Interior lighting in urban buildings is reduced to what is necessary
The official heating period in the office buildings is reduced to the period from October 1, 2022 to April 15, 2023
In a first step, the room temperature in the offices is set at a maximum of 20 degrees and in adjoining rooms at just 15 degrees.
It is possible that the temperature in offices will be further reduced
In the school area, the room temperature was set at a maximum of 20 degrees
The water temperature in the pools operated by DuisburgSport will be reduced – from 28 to 26 degrees
In the "Allwetterbad" and "Homberg" outdoor pools, a water temperature of at least 24 degrees is guaranteed.
(nb)
