Energy Saving

During the warm season: The heating systems and ventilation systems are centrally set to summer mode. This means that static radiators do not emit heat, regardless of the local settings. Additionally, whenever possible, there is no heat supply via ventilation systems.

During the cold season: The heating systems and ventilation systems are centrally set to winter mode. When heating, close the doors to your office or workspace and ensure that radiators are unobstructed. The reduction of heating operations for weekends or holidays is centrally managed.

Currently, LUH is mainly supplied with heat via the enercity district heating network. The central control is ensured by the building management system. The flow temperatures are regulated using optimized heating curves and current outdoor temperatures. A planned night-time setback is also initiated centrally by the building management system. During the warm season, the static heaters are switched off centrally (summer mode). 

In winter mode, it is essential to set all heating thermostats to level ‘3’ in order to maintain the specified room temperature. If this is not taken into account, neighbouring rooms may not be supplied with sufficient heat.

If you prefer cooler temperatures at your workplace, you can of course freely choose the heating thermostat settings from 0 to 3 when you are present.

During absences (weekends, vacations), the heating thermostats should be set to level '2'. This ensures the necessary building protection.

Explanation of the thermostat settings: Level '2' (Level '3'): When a room temperature of approximately 16 degrees Celsius (approximately 19 degrees Celsius) is reached, the thermostat closes the supply of new heated water, allowing energy to be saved.

Heat loads present in the room (people, machines, etc.) and solar radiation also contribute to heating of the room.

Offices are not air-conditioned. The use of office fans is permitted.

In laboratories and lecture halls, air conditioning may be provided by the central ventilation systems.

Leaving windows tilted open for long periods of time significantly increases energy consumption during the heating season. It is therefore better to ventilate the room three to four times a day with the windows fully open. Close the doors and turn off the heating while ventilating.

In rooms with a technical ventilation system, it should be turned on only before the start of teaching activities, etc.

The Green Office offers all LUH employees the temporary rental of electricity meters. The devices can be plugged into a socket, thereby measuring the power consumption of connected electrical devices. The electricity meters can be borrowed in sets of five for a period of two weeks each. For more information on the rental, please click here. Contact: greenoffice@zuv.uni-hannover.de

Department 3 checks which outdoor lighting can be switched off without jeopardising safety. Anomalies in this area can be reported to the LUH fault reporting centre on 762 4440.

At the LUH workplaces, an individual review is necessary to determine the effort and cost of a replacement in relation to the savings. Please refrain from requesting the replacement of lighting in individual offices, as the effort involved is disproportionately high and a reasonable amortisation can rarely be expected. It is better to consider larger areas such as an entire corridor or the entire institute for a lighting replacement. Please send enquiries to energiesparen@uni-hannover.de. Due to the large number of enquiries, there may be delays in the assessment.

Faults in radiators and other defective appliances can be reported to the LUH fault reporting centre on 762 4440. Due to the large number of enquiries, there may be delays.

Yes, after a longer period of absence, such as the annual break in presence over the Christmas holidays, it is strongly recommended that you drain the tap water until it is noticeably cold before using it. This measure reduces the risk of legionella forming and ensures your health safety.

PCs and screens should be switched off after use. Standby operation of devices should be avoided.

Network printers may be switched off. The off switch must be used for this purpose. Pulling out the mains plug will damage the internal hard drives. For the same reason, the use of timers is not permitted in this context.

Please refer to FAQ 1.1.1 on the subject of heating.

Switch-off power strips can help to save energy. This is because the ability to switch off all connected loads at the same time means that switchable multiple socket outlets avoid unnecessary standby mode.

Each multiple socket outlet has a maximum power rating that must not be exceeded. You will find this information next to the on/off switch or on the underside. Devices with a high power rating must be connected to separate wall sockets. Power strips should be freely accessible and must not be plugged into each other for fire safety reasons. For use outdoors or in wet rooms, multiple socket outlets require a protection class of IP 44 or higher.

Due to high demand, the Green Office is providing a limited number of power strips free of charge for interested employees, institutes and facilities at LUH. Only one power strip per person can be obtained for use in the office. A maximum of five power strips will be issued per institute or facility. Collective orders are possible. The promotion is only valid while stocks last. There is no entitlement to receive a power strip.

Contact: greenoffice@uni-hannover.de

In offices, meeting rooms, as well as in kitchenettes and toilets, it makes sense to switch off the lights when leaving the room. For halls and laboratories, specific rules apply depending on the type of lighting fixture.

The University has set aside a funding pot for decentralised energy-saving measures. Ideas and measures that make research and departmental operations more energy-efficient and cost-effective, and where the investment pays for itself within a reasonable timeframe, are eligible for funding of up to 100 per cent of the purchase costs. Further information is available at here (Content: German only). 

The Green Office is available as a point of contact at greenoffice@zuv.uni-hannover.de.

Energy costs incurred at home cannot be charged to LUH as an employer.

If applicable, replace outdated devices with new, energy-efficient models. Where this is not or only partially possible, implement technical solutions for energy-efficient operation in your workspace, such as shutdowns, reduced usage, or lowering settings during the night.

See also: Energy-saving tips from the Green Office

Consider reducing the air change rate outside operating hours in accordance with the necessary user requirements.

Significant savings can be achieved by eliminating leaks in the compressed air network. In such cases, please report the issue to the central fault reporting centre on telephone 762 4440. Compressed air requirements requested by users should be kept to a minimum.

Please consider, within the limits of legal requirements, reducing the air change rate or switching off the ventilation system outside of operating hours.

By centralising individual hazardous materials storage facilities, the associated plant engineering can be scaled back or decommissioned.