ACCORDING to new guidelines issued as part of attempts to lessen Europe's dependency on Russian energy, public buildings in Spain should reduce their air conditioning in the summer.
Including a government decree on energy conservation, office air conditioning should indeed be set no lower than 27 degrees Celsius during the hottest months of the year.
In the summer, temperatures in Spain frequently exceed 40 degrees Celsius.
During the winter, offices shall be kept at a maximum temperature of 19 degrees Celsius.
The decree said that these steps will be applied "wherever it's technically viable."
The directive calls for more government officials to work from home, more energy-efficient lighting, and the widespread installation of solar panels on public buildings' roofs.
The plan, which is part of an EU-wide drive to reduce reliance on Russian gas and oil, calls for extra bicycle parking spaces to be installed at government offices to encourage public employees to bike to work.
This week, the European Commission unveiled plans to reduce the EU's reliance on Russian gas by two-thirds this year and eliminate it by 2030.
In April, Italy announced that, in order to save energy this summer, it would turn down the air conditioning in public buildings.
