Freie Universität has set itself the goal of reducing its electricity and heating consumption by 10% in the 2022/2023 winter semester in comparison to last year.

A key aim of this energy-saving program is to enable the 2022/2023 winter semester to take place in person. After two years of the Covid-19 pandemic, Freie Universität wishes to become a place for social interaction and exchange once again.

Freie Universität’s energy-saving measures are based on the understanding that energy efficiency and energy conservation are a shared responsibility. Success is almost always due to a combination of technical, organizational, and behavioral improvements. All three of these aspects are reflected in Freie Universität’s strategy.

A key part of our strategy for conserving energy requires that members of Freie Universität regularly inform themselves on the subject and continue to be a part of the discussion in terms of the many opportunities we have for action. As a university community, we are not completely helpless. On the contrary – we can all do our part.

Freie Universität’s strategy for conserving energy encompasses five main areas:

Dialogue and transparency regarding energy consumption (to address potential organizational measures for saving energy)

• Talks and on-site visits with departments and administrative units in order to discuss the core aspects of energy consumption, the possibilities for saving energy when organizing research, the needs-based use of lab and office equipment, and to encourage the appropriate use of thermostats
• Informational events within individual departments, workshops for university members at the Center for Continuing Education, etc.
• Project website with background information, FAQs, recommended actions, communication through social media channels
• Prompts – i.e., displays shown on screens within the Freie Universität computer network; emails and posters with tips and tricks for saving energy
• Communicating examples of good practice
• Transparency regarding energy consumption in the larger university buildings

Implementing the guidelines set out by the federal government and the state of Berlin

• Reducing flow and target temperatures of heating and ventilation systems / Implementing the guidelines set out by the federal government and the Berlin Senate with a target temperature of 19°C in offices, seminar rooms, and lecture halls

• The temperatures in stairways and hallways must be reduced to a minimum.

On-site energy checks at the university (coordinated with the individual departments)

• Efficiency analyses: evaluating and adjusting heating and ventilation regulations, as well as providing suggestions for reducing the run times of room ventilation systems
• Minimizing the periods for which outdoor lighting remains switched on
• Identifying low-investment potential areas for saving additional energy (e.g., the use of thermostatic valves, installing buttons for ventilation systems requiring them to be turned on manually rather than automatically, presence detectors for lighting, switching to LED lighting)

Green IT

• Needs-based IT usage (phones, access points), power management, data management

Modernization program

• Replacing inefficient electrical appliances (including refrigerators and freezers)

The Unit for Sustainability and Energy Management will be updating this website regularly over the upcoming months to provide information on the university’s electricity and heating consumption.

The working group is primarily tasked with developing and implementing a communication strategy and program of measures to be taken to conserve energy, as well as creating a contingency plan in the unlikely event that we are met with an energy shortage in winter 2022/2023.

The working group comprises the office currently responsible for the provost’s duties, the Engineering and Utilities Division, the Personnel Division, the Unit for Sustainability and Energy Management, the Office of Communication and Marketing, the Occupational Safety Service, staff representatives, and administrative offices across several departments. The energy saving strategy presented on this website is one of the working group’s first outcomes.

The energy checks will be carried out by the Engineering and Utilities Division with support from the Unit for Sustainability and Energy Management. All suggestions regarding the times during which the use of heating or ventilation systems could be reduced will be discussed with the individual departments and administrative units. Furthermore, the Unit for Sustainability and Energy Management will visit departments to gather information on the laboratory equipment and research infrastructure on site. This information will then be integrated into the work carried out by the departmental sustainability teams.