The exterior lighting of the Hellenic Parliament Building, which is located in Athens’ Syntagma Square, will not be switched on at night as part of a national energy conservation effort.
According to the decision of Kostas Tasoulas, Speaker of the Parliament, the lighting of the facade and sides of the building will be discontinued, leaving only security lighting around the perimeter. At the same time, an energy modernization program for the building is being implemented, reducing energy consumption by 36%.
The program began in 2019 and is nearing completion for heating-cooling systems and the installation of energy-saving lighting inside the building. The new exterior lighting is expected to be ready in 2023.
Meanwhile, the Elektra public building modernization program launched on Monday. Offices, schools and hospitals are prioritized and the goal is to reduce energy consumption by at least 30%.
The state is investing 640 million euros from the Deposit and Loan Fund, the European Investment Bank and the Recovery Fund to upgrade 2.5 million square meters of buildings that house public services (state-owned or leased).
Priority, as outlined in the policy guide, will be given to buildings with high energy consumption, through retrofits that achieve greater savings in primary energy, as well as a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
The program budget is prioritized for offices (280 million euros), educational buildings (universities, schools – 160 million euros) and health-social care (hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, etc. – 80 million euros).
Other uses (indoor sports facilities, museums, church foundations, cultural events, etc.) will absorb 70 million euros, while central public administration buildings will absorb 50 million euros.
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