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Uni Hamburg: Overcoming a possible energy bottleneck together
Photo: Kerstin Bitner / Westend61 / IMAGO
Despite the energy crisis and corona pandemic, the University of Hamburg makes a promise to its students for the winter semester: "The operation will take place in attendance," the university announced on Wednesday.
In order to be prepared for a possible energy shortage, the university has now submitted a plan for building operation.
The university has developed three scenarios for this.
With a normal supply situation, 15 percent of energy should be saved, for example by lowering the room temperature by one or two degrees and replacing light bulbs.
If the supply situation becomes critical, the use of space should be optimized, for example by moving teaching to locations where the supply situation is better.
Hot water could also be turned off and administration relocated or sent to the home office.
In the event of an emergency supply situation, office staff and “experimental operations” in particular would feel this, i.e. home offices for administration and the closing of laboratories or climate chambers.
But the libraries could also be closed and the temperature in the university rooms would be lowered further.
"We make some decisions about the energy supply of our buildings centrally as university management," said university president Prof. Hauke Heekeren.
At the same time, however, it would depend on the students, teachers, researchers and administrative staff.
»In this way, we will also overcome a possible energy bottleneck together, and we will do it on site, in person, at our campus locations.«
According to a SPIEGEL survey, federal states are considering closing their universities again if they were unable to operate due to the energy crisis.
Of the ministries contacted, only the Hamburg Senator for Science, Katharina Fegebank (Greens), stated that nothing more than an extended Christmas vacation could be done with her.
»Because of the energy crisis there will be no more digital teaching in Hamburg.«
Because of the nationwide Energy Saving Ordinance, other universities have already presented savings plans - and also advocate that teaching should continue to take place in person.
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