Students Hit Hard as Universities Slash Services Amid Soaring Energy Costs

Heat‑sinks & Lecture‑hops: How universities are keeping the lights on (and the students sane)

Winter’s hot‑money wave has left universities in a bit of a budget bind. With energy prices hitting record highs, campuses across Europe are squeezing the wallets—no one wants to leave the university silent, though!

When the lights go out

Germany: The University of Erfurt’s library is closing on weekends, and a handful of classes have moved to “online only.”
France: Strasbourg kicked off the year with an extended Christmas break, followed by remote lectures to curb spiralling costs. Their 2023 energy bill is projected to be double the 2021 €10 million.
Slovakia: One university is shutting its doors on Fridays, leaving students to learn from the safety of their own couches for one day a week.
UK: A six‑month reprieve in September 2022 gave a brief price cap, but the cost of energy still hits student learning—and future outcomes.

It’s not just about the books or the labs; when places go dark, everyone feels the prick—a student can’t finish a project, a professor can’t run a classroom experiment. “We should not be sacrificing learning for bills,” warns French higher‑education minister Sylvie Retailleau.

Heat‑power: The main culprit

Just as in most commercial buildings, the HVAC—heating, ventilation, air conditioning—accounts for roughly 40% of power consumption. With rates soaring, the simple answer is to reduce energy use, not cut services. Lower consumption means more sustainable estates and, importantly, a cooler, healthier learning environment.

Opportunity in the crisis

Incube Space’s founder, Rishi Chowdhury, sees the crisis as a chance to invest in energy‑efficiency, not just slash bills. “Better data lets us smash power consumption and bring back the best in‑person experience,” he says.

CUBEOS: the smarky solution

The company’s CubeOS platform uses machine learning to tidy up HVAC settings on the fly—calibrating heating and ventilation to real‑time classroom usage.

Auto‑optimises HVAC whenever space changes; reduces energy use by 50%+.
Average energy bill cuts of around 20% for universities.
Builder‑engine, 24/7, that mid‑ages the BMS (Building Management System) and keeps indoor air quality at peak.
Helps schedule lectures for better space utilisation, cutting overflowing energy waste.

With tight budgets, low‑CapEx solutions with quick payback are now the go‑to. The nower heads of university facilities can focus on maintenance, not whimpering over chilling thermostats.

What’s next for campuses?

Governments are set to review energy caps for education, but the extra cost has already hit residential consumers. Knowing that, universities must devise long‑term sustainability strategies that safeguard students from future price spikes.

So, the next time you turn on a typotion or watch the campus lights flicker, remember: it’s not just a wall to break, it’s a new kind of learning—about saving power, staying cozy, and finding the right tech interface to make it all happen.