This coming Christmas, the festive lights in many cities in Germany will not be as bright as before. This is due to the energy saving measures that the country has taken against the backdrop of the energy crisis caused by Russia’s war in Ukraine. Three months before Christmas, the communes began to develop new concepts for festive decoration.
Sponsors are being sought to illuminate the main streets of Berlin
For example, in Stuttgart, Christmas tree garlands powered by electricity from renewable sources will only burn for 240 hours, not 450 as before. The city hall has decided to completely abandon the illumination and the luminous advent calendar on the windows, writes the dpa agency.
In Berlin, main shopping streets such as the Kurfürstendamm are likely to look less spectacular as the Senate decided this year not to co-fund festive street lighting. Now the authorities in urban districts and businessmen are looking for sponsors.
In a number of cities, in particular in Aachen, Cologne, Frankfurt am Main, Darmstadt, Lübeck and Flensburg, they are now studying how to take into account the current situation with electricity in preparation for the Christmas holidays. To address this issue, working groups have been created in individual settlements.
Some cities did not need to prepare additionally for recommendations on saving electricity. For example, in Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt, located on the main square of the city, almost ten years ago completely switched to electricity from renewable sources. According to officials, due to LED lamps, energy consumption has been reduced to a minimum. Energy-saving LED devices have also been switched to in Munich, Erfurt and the Saxon city of Annaberg-Buchholz.
In Germany canceled the illumination of buildings and monuments
As of September, energy saving regulations came into force in Germany. They were introduced against the background of the energy crisis caused by Russia’s war against Ukraine. Of urban objects, the new measures affect buildings and monuments – they should no longer turn on the backlight at night.
In addition, it is recommended to turn off the illumination of outdoor advertising between 22:00 and 16:00 (except when it is necessary for traffic safety, for example, in overpasses under the railway). Shop windows and street lamps are not subject to the regulations valid until February 2023.
In the German capital Berlin, taking into account the new rules, they refused to illuminate more than 200 objects. Among them are the Victory Column in the center of the Tiergarten park, one of the main attractions of the city, and the Berlin Cathedral. In Weimar, outdoor lighting is now switched on half an hour later and switched off half an hour earlier.
Experts are of the opinion that saving energy has a certain environmental effect. This is due to the fact that emissions of harmful substances into the atmosphere are reduced. According to experts, darkness at night also has a positive effect on human health and has a positive effect on flora and fauna.
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