From now on, Aarhus University will set the heat at 21 degrees in all buildings during the autumn and winter months. This is part of the university's efforts to reduce its climate footprint.

2020.10.29 | Signe Opstrup

For every degree the temperature is reduced in a building, the university’s heat consumption will fall by a minimum of three per cent. Photo: Colourbox

21 degrees Celsius. When the university turns on the heat in all the radiators in its lecture halls, offices, canteens and other rooms, all of the thermostats will be set to this temperature. Not quite as warm as a lot of us might be used to. But this is an important contribution to reducing AU’s climate footprint.

At Nat and Tech, as well as in a number of buildings at Health and Arts, the standard temperature of 21 degrees has already been introduced – or the switch is well under way. And ultimately, all of the university’s buildings will be included.

When the thermometer is set at 21 degrees, this might feel a little cool relative to the room temperatures in some of the university’s buildings today – in fact, temperatures are as high as 24-25 degrees in some places. So students will probably feel the urge to put on an extra layer on top of their T-shirt after the thermostats have been adjusted.

These rooms temperatures are in line with the Danish Working Environment Authority’s recommendations: a temperature of 20 and 22 degrees is appropriate for sedentary work under normal climatic and working conditions. And for every degree the temperature is reduced in a building, the university’s heat consumption will fall by a minimum of three per cent. This will mean a quick and significant reduction in the university’s energy consumption, which in turn will reduce the university’s total climate footprint.

The fixed temperature setting of 21 degrees in all rooms is being introduced as a result of the university’s new climate strategy, the goal of which is to reduce the university’s total CO2 emissions from operations by 25 per cent in 2030. In addition to regulating the temperature in the university’s buildings, AU has already launched 43 other concrete initiatives in the action plans for 2020, all of which will make significant reductions in carbon emissions from university operations possible. For example, a waste sorting pilot project in study areas, libraries and canteens and an experiment with power metres on selected IT equipment. Read more about the 44 activities. 

Facts  

• For every degree the temperature is reduced in a building, the university’s heat consumption will fall by a minimum of three per cent.  
• At Nat and Tech, as well as in a number of buildings at Health and Arts, the standard temperature of 21 degrees has already been introduced – or the switch is well under way. This will now be expanded to include all of the university’s buildings.
• The Danish Working Environment Authority(in Danish) recommends a room temperature of 20-22 degrees for sedentary work under normal climatic and working conditions.