With only one degree less room temperature, up to 6 % gas and thus also CO2 can be saved. At the UW/H, the room temperature during the heating period in the offices and seminar rooms will be about 19 degrees.

Please note: The main building at Alfred-Herrhausen-Str. 50 has centrally controlled underfloor heating. Do not air the rooms for too long, otherwise the entire floor will be heated more.

In the new building, in the FEZ, in Stockumer Str., Gleiwitzer Str., Pferdebachstr. and in Wullener Feld, we ask the staff to ensure that 19 °C is maintained. For this, the thermostat should be set shortly after two.

Corridors or the entrance hall in the main building are reduced to a minimum of approx. 10 °C. Thermostats are fixed in the ZBZ and in the public areas.

The old boiler system at Stockumer Straße 10 was replaced. A new gas condensing technology is now used here, which leads to considerable savings in gas consumption. An adjustment of the flow temperature is also possible.

There will be no hot water in some buildings.

A photovoltaic system was installed on the roof of the new building. Under optimal conditions, the 218 modules generate about 70,800 kilowatt hours of electricity. After deductions, e.g. by the grid feed-in, the UW/H can use about 67,000 kilowatt hours of this per year. This means that the photovoltaic system covers the university's electricity consumption for 1.5 months.

The exterior lighting is switched off with the exception of the emergency lighting.

The UW/H is gradually converting to LED lighting. All WCs and the so-called circulation areas have already been equipped with LEDs.

All photocopiers were replaced. This reduces the power consumption per device by about 80 %.

In the research laboratories in the cellars of Stockumer Str. 10 and 12, the deep-freeze temperature has been increased by 10 °C to -70 °C now. This can save 60 % electricity.

The roller shutters in the new building are controlled by a weather station, this will be changed soon.

For energy-efficient ventilation of the rooms, regular, short bursts of ventilation for max. 5 minutes with the windows wide open is better than continuous ventilation with the windows tilted. It is helpful to clear the window sill for shock ventilation. If, on the other hand, windows are left constantly tilted while the heating is on, on the one hand the walls cool down and on the other hand a large part of the warm air is "heated" directly out of the window. This not only consumes heat energy unnecessarily, it also takes about five times as long to air the room. Shock ventilation is a much more effective and efficient option. In the entire building, this can save about 7 % of the energy.

On cold days, it makes sense to turn off the heating while airing. Otherwise the heating system "thinks" that the room is cold and needs to be heated more. If possible, ventilate with a draught.

Attention: In Alfred-Herrhausen-Str. 50 the heating is centrally controlled. Here it is important not to ventilate for too long, otherwise the entire floor will be heated more.

Heaters should not be covered by furniture or curtains, a distance of at least 30 cm is sensible. By moving furniture away from the radiator, the heat can circulate 20 % better in the room and consumption is reduced.

The corridors and public areas have lower temperatures in winter than the offices and seminar rooms. The interior doors between differently heated rooms should remain closed, otherwise the cool rooms will be heated with air from the warmer rooms. This brings not only heat but also humidity into the cooler room, which facilitates the growth of mould.

At UW/H there is a high number of computers that are still switched on at night or on weekends. It makes sense to always shut down the devices completely. Exceptions are the computers of colleagues who use special software applications in their home offices.

If you activate the energy-saving mode on your computer, this automatically reduces the power consumption in several places. This mainly concerns the regulation of the screen brightness and the times at which the screen switches off or the computer switches to energy-saving mode. You can access the energy-saving settings, for example, via Start menu --> Control Panel --> System and Security --> Energy Options. Activate the Energy Saving Mode here.

In addition, you can set when the screen automatically turns off:

Windows Start Menu --> Settings --> System --> Power Operation and Saving.

Select the time period that suits the activity on this monitor well. In standby, the monitor consumes only 0.6 watts.

During longer absences, it makes sense to switch off technical devices manually and avoid standby mode. This refers above all to PCs and monitors, which are usually not switched off completely but left running in standby mode - and thus consume energy unnecessarily. A screen saver is not enough to save energy. If a monitor is switched off for an hour, it saves up to 11 % of its energy consumption for that day. It is therefore worthwhile to switch off the monitor over the lunch break or other absences.

Chargers also consume electricity when they are only plugged into the socket but no device is connected.

In addition, the screen brightness (display brightness) can be turned down to 50 % - 75 %. This saves 10 % - 25 % energy compared to 100 % brightness.

Only switch on the light when it is really necessary. If you are absent for more than 10 minutes, the light should be switched off. Lights in the toilet, hallway and kitchen should only be on when necessary. The light does not have to be on all day on the entire floor.

Appliances in the kitchen, such as kettles and coffee machines, should only be connected to the power supply when they are actually being used, in order to avoid standby losses. It may be worthwhile to purchase a power strip here.

Employees are asked not to use individual electrical appliances (such as kettles or coffee machines) in their offices, but to use the central appliances in the kitchens.

Old appliances are power guzzlers. In the long term, it is worth considering replacing them.

Always use a lid and place the pot on the plate that matches the size of the pot. Do not preheat the oven and use the convection function. And an additional tip: Switch off the hobs and oven 10 minutes earlier. The residual heat is often sufficient for the final preparation.

Check whether your refrigerator is set too cold. A cooling temperature of 7 °C is quite sufficient. For the freezer compartment - 18 °C applies. And don't forget: Defrost the freezer compartment regularly.

Always fill the machine, wash preferably at 30 °C and use the clothes horse rather than the dryer.

The bigger the device, the more power it consumes. Think about using a laptop or, even better, a tablet.

Replace old incandescent and halogen lamps with new LEDs. The EU energy label can help you choose.

Check the optimal setting of the heating system so that the heat is evenly distributed in the rooms. Maintenance and optimisation of the heating system can save about 15 %.

Do not cover radiators with furniture or curtains, otherwise the circulation of warm air will be prevented.

Reduce the heating temperature while you are away or at night. You can save 6 % with every degree less. If necessary, you can use programmable thermostatic valves for each room.

But be careful: A minimum temperature of 16 - 17 degrees should be maintained, otherwise moisture damage and mould growth can occur more easily.

Seal windows and doors to unheated rooms or check the old seals. Prevent loss of cold by using external shutters, internal blinds and curtains.

Make sure to keep interior doors between different heated rooms closed, otherwise the cool rooms will be heated with air from the warmer rooms. This means that not only heat but also humidity enters the cool room, which facilitates the growth of mould.

Hot water heaters consume a lot of energy, so it is better to take a short shower than a bath.

Buying an energy-saving shower head can save about 30 %. These shower heads have a smaller head and bundle the water, plus they have built-in flow limiters.