Berlin turns off the lights of its monuments at night to save energy

Extinguishing lights compulsory for monuments in Berlin, to save energy. During the night from Wednesday to Thursday, the German capital began to turn off the lighting of several historic buildings, in total more than 200 will be sleeping in the dark. Big names are concerned, such as the Château de Charlottenburg or the Victory Column, energy sobriety which will save the use of 1,400 projectors during the night. “In view of the war against Ukraine and Russia’s energy policy threats, it is important that we use our energy as carefully as possible.“, explained Bettina Jarasch, senator for the Environment of the municipality of left, in an official statement.

An operation which is not without cost for Berlin. The automatic lighting system will have to be deactivated by teams monument by monument, for an intervention cost estimated at 40,000 euros, or almost the electricity costs saved over the year. The town hall is primarily aiming for energy sobriety rather than profitability, to cope with the drop in Russian gas deliveries. Before the start of the Ukrainian conflict, 55% of the gas imported by Germany came from Russia, a dependency reduced to 35% in June but which leaves the country under threat of “tap” cuts.

For the past few weeks, the government of Olaf Scholz has been calling on individuals and professionals alike to reduce their consumption by simple actions, such as lowering the air conditioning in buildings or promoting public transport. Head of State Frank-Walter Steinmeier even encouraged the movement, announcing that the Château de Bellevue would be extinguished as his official residence, except on exceptional occasions such as during diplomatic meetings.