Facing an energy crisis, Spain bans Air Conditioning below 27°C

NO AC ?? SAY IT AIN'T SO !!

Thank the heavens, I do not live in Spain!! With this summer heatwave getting worse by the day, I could not imagine being forced by law to not fiddle with the AC. Since 1901, air conditioning has been an absolutely crucial part of daily life; however I feel like we almost take it for granted now. IDK about you guys, but I for one would be completely helpless without AC. 

To the actual story now, Air Conditioning below 27°C is now banned in Spain. The goal of this measure is to reduce energy consumption to reduce shortages and blackouts. This is part of an agreement with the EU to reduce energy consumption, with a goal of reducing their reliance on Russian oil. The EU is asking all member countries to reduce their energy consumption by a hefty 15% from August to March; Spain responded by only agreeing to a 7-8% reduction in gas use. This policy currently only applies to all public and commercial buildings. However, the policy recommends that private households follow suit eventually. As a final cherry on this crappy sundae, the new policy also bans heating from being increased above 19°C in the Winter months.

I am not sure what part of this policy is actually worse, less AC or less heat in the winter?!

“Generally speaking, you can work at 27 degrees, but to reach that temperature in hot areas, you need to put the air conditioner at 22 or 23 degrees for a couple of hours, so I am worried that it will not be allowed to exceed 27 degrees. at any time"

- Laura Berge, Spanish civil servant 

You may be asking yourself, this is posted in the ZeroEx blog so how does this relate to Crypto? . . . . . . Crypto Mining!

This controversial new measure got me instantly thinking about how hot a Crypto Mining operation can be. I imagine that this may be of some concern for people who have mining operations in Spain, as the mining facilities need to stay as cool as possible. With this insane summer heat, it will surely cause some issues keeping the rigs cool enough, while also abiding by the new law. This may ultimately drive some business out of Spain to look for more hospitable regions for their operations. I told you I would connect it to crypto somehow. It remains to be seen if it is a good connection lol.

OPINION

I have a slight issue with this whole situation to be honest. I just think that this is obviously a result of banning/reducing usage of Russian oil. I think a lot of people will suffer as a result of actions made by their governments. I am not trying to throw my hat into the political arena and say who should have done what or who is a bad/good guy. BUT this period of crippling inflation, skyrocketing gas prices, and energy shortages was clearly brought on to gain political favor by taking a stance against Russia in their war vs Ukraine. However, I don't think anyone thought about actual consequences of their actions. It seems like a bonehead move to just cut off Russian energy when its your main supplier of energy, its like cutting off your nose to spite your face. You don't have to support Russia, but you can still accept their energy. If a country really disagrees so badly, I think the best option would be to make meaningful strides in the future to reduce the reliance on Russian energy without really altering people's lives the way it is happening now. 

Let me know if you agree...or if you think I am WAY off on this one. 

See ya!

Resources

1. https://www.euronews.com/2022/08/02/controversy-as-spain-bans-air-conditioning-from-dropping-below-27c

2. https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2022/07/27/winter-is-coming-all-you-need-to-know-about-the-eus-15-gas-reduction-plan

3. https://greekreporter.com/2022/08/04/spain-bans-air-conditioning-from-dropping-below-27c/