EU commissioners shut down air conditioning for employees, leave theirs on • Hacker News Board

Re: EU commissioners shut down air conditioning for employees, leave theirs on

#41

Post by pkaye » Tue, Jun 30, 2026, 4:58 PM UTC

basisword wrote: post #12

cbarnes99 wrote: post #5

Why the fuck does extreme heat require turning off the AC?

Presumably the AC systems themselves couldn't operate in that extreme heat. A lot of grocery stores in the UK, which are icy cold usually, had major issues with AC and refrigeration systems failing - I think because a lot of the equipment is on the roof and exposed to the heat.

Its pretty common to se the AC systems on the top of roofs on big buildings in the US. From what I read, exposing the AC condenser unit to the sun should have minimal impact. Air flow through the condenser unit matters the most. Perhaps they were undersized for the extreme heat now happening in the UK.

Re: EU commissioners shut down air conditioning for employees, leave theirs on

#42

Post by phendrenad2 » Tue, Jun 30, 2026, 4:59 PM UTC

invictati wrote: post #34

The whole conversation about upper and lower floors is absurd. Obviously the upper floors are absorbing more sunlight and need more cooling. Ground level and basement floors have been known as the coolest places in skyscrapers for centuries.

Any building with modern (last 100 years) insulation is going to have relatively equal distribution of heat between the floors. Except the bottom floor, where people enter/exit and mix in outside air.

Re: EU commissioners shut down air conditioning for employees, leave theirs on

#43

Post by preommr » Tue, Jun 30, 2026, 5:00 PM UTC

invictati wrote: post #34

The whole conversation about upper and lower floors is absurd. Obviously the upper floors are absorbing more sunlight and need more cooling. Ground level and basement floors have been known as the coolest places in skyscrapers for centuries.

Except it wasn't the basement and first floor.

It was the first seven floors. Coincidentally, also the floors most of the higher-ups don't work on. Or at least that's how it's being reported, so I don't think people's outrage is absurd.

Re: EU commissioners shut down air conditioning for employees, leave theirs on

#44

Post by cineticdaffodil » Tue, Jun 30, 2026, 5:00 PM UTC

cassepipe wrote: post #33

The first image is telling: A glass building in front of a white hard-floor plaza with just one small tree for shade Nothing specific to the European commission though, we just don't hate mainstream architects enough

It would burn less, if not all these abstract architects would sit in old art nouveau buildings near a park, with the AC tastefully hidden in the backyard - and there they sit on the MAC, shitting out these etched waver under the ERM buildings and cities for the rest of us to be miserable in.

Re: EU commissioners shut down air conditioning for employees, leave theirs on

#45

Post by SiempreViernes » Tue, Jun 30, 2026, 5:00 PM UTC

ctoth wrote: post #30

pgalvin wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The article indicates they were unable to handle the increased electricity load, which caused blackouts. Additionally, sometimes unnaturally high temperatures break AC systems put in place with poor planning. This is very common in UK supermarkets every summer.

> unnaturally high temperatures > poor planning. > very common in UK supermarkets every summer. What?

Global warming keeps making the temperature unnaturaly high, don't tell me you didn't hear about it.

Re: EU commissioners shut down air conditioning for employees, leave theirs on

#46

Post by papichulo2023 » Tue, Jun 30, 2026, 5:01 PM UTC

vovavili wrote: post #7

All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.

This is a reference to Animal Farm, right?

Re: EU commissioners shut down air conditioning for employees, leave theirs on

#47

Post by braingravy » Tue, Jun 30, 2026, 5:01 PM UTC

Oras wrote: post #20

basisword wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most ordinary working people can't afford the cost of installing a system. Even a portable one. Edit: Downvoted because HN users don't understand living paycheque to paycheque. Talk about an echo chamber.

Most people can’t afford private jets, let’s ban them for those officials then

Sounds good! It was a waste to begin with. They can handle first-class.

Re: EU commissioners shut down air conditioning for employees, leave theirs on

#48

Post by scrlk » Tue, Jun 30, 2026, 5:04 PM UTC

graton wrote: post #37

basisword wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most ordinary working people can't afford the cost of installing a system. Even a portable one. Edit: Downvoted because HN users don't understand living paycheque to paycheque. Talk about an echo chamber.

> Most ordinary working people can't afford the cost of installing a system. Even a portable one. I just watched a video where a person bought a £200 portable unit. He was using it in the UK and said he spent about £0.89 / day. And I'm assuming they won't use it for that many days a year. Seems affordable enough for "most ordinary working people" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOmzVWTH3xo

As a side note, it's nearly impossible to buy a dual-hose portable AC in the UK and Europe. For whatever reason, the market has converged on inefficient single-hose portable ACs.

Re: EU commissioners shut down air conditioning for employees, leave theirs on

#49

Post by rapsey » Tue, Jun 30, 2026, 5:04 PM UTC

wnevets wrote: post #29

basisword wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most ordinary working people can't afford the cost of installing a system. Even a portable one. Edit: Downvoted because HN users don't understand living paycheque to paycheque. Talk about an echo chamber.

Something is very wrong with the EU if ordinary Europeans can't afford a $150 window unit.

It's not the money. In many places you need to go through permitting to get it and they do not want to give it to you. Often you also need a signed approval from every person in the building.

Re: EU commissioners shut down air conditioning for employees, leave theirs on

#50

Post by lumrn » Tue, Jun 30, 2026, 5:05 PM UTC

Just adding some context on the AC and the building as well which was explained by journalist David Carretta (who follows EU politics, written in Italian) here https://x.com/davcarretta/status/2071592636260012175.

To summarise, AC was turned off floor by floor, with the switch off starting from 16:00 over a Friday, a time when most administrative personnel is getting off work for the weekend. The entire building had AC switched off by the end of the day, including the upper floors. Note that AC was working fine this Monday.