April 19, 2024

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As Europe struggles with a scorching summer and soaring energy prices, Spain has become the latest government to tell its citizens to ditch AC.

An ordinance published Tuesday morning in the state’s official gazette and scheduled to take effect next week states that air conditioning in public spaces must be set at or below 27 degrees Celsius (about 80 degrees Fahrenheit). and that the doors of these buildings remain closed to save energy energy.

These public spaces include offices, shops, bars, theatres, airports and train stations. The decree is extended as a recommendation to all Spanish households. The rules include keeping heating at or below 19 degrees Celsius (about 66 degrees Fahrenheit) in winter and will remain in place until at least November 2023.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has publicly stated that the country urgently needs energy savings, even encouraging office workers to remove their ties to stay cool without artificial help. “I have asked ministers and public and private sector bosses not to wear ties unless necessary,” he told a news conference last week.

Beyond the light proposals, European countries are trying to solve the twin problems. scorching heat increasing energy demand and political conflict complicating energy supply. Nations including Spain are facing increasing pressure not to rely on natural gas supplied by Russia amid the ongoing conflict with Ukraine.

According to a Referring to The guardianGreece and Italy announced measures last month to similarly limit energy use when cooling public buildings, also requiring air conditioning to be set at 27 degrees Celsius.

France has ordered public places to set thermostats higher in the summer and lower in winter and will impose a €750 fine on air-conditioned businesses if they leave their doors open. The city of Hanover, Germany has banned the use of mobile air conditioning units and air heaters everywhere except hospitals and schools.

But not everyone agrees with these new measures. President of the Madrid Region Isabel Díaz Ayuso he tweeted, “Madrid is not going to fade away. This creates insecurity and scares away tourism and consumption.”

In Europe, where some countries enjoy a climate that has traditionally been milder than much of the US, less than 10 percent of households have air conditioning, compared to over 90 percent of American households. But as heat waves increase in frequency, of the International Energy Agency predicts that Europe will almost triple its air conditioner stock to 275 million units by 2050.



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