Increasing the transparency of consumption to achieve greater savings - and at the same time create more climate protection in the housing sector. Can it work?
An opinion article by Dr Dirk Then,
Managing Director of the noventic group
Consumption transparency for greater economy
The draft of the EU's Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), published in December 2021, has at least this goal: to strengthen real consumption values in climate protection in the residential sector, in addition to calculating theoretical consumption scenarios. Only those who regularly receive information on their own consumption can consciously control their individual heating behaviour. In this way, the consumer becomes part of the housing sector's climate protection strategy.
So the European initiative is on the right track! The potential for digitising consumption data in the housing sector is far from exhausted. For example, it would be much more helpful for consumers to know the impact on consumption - and therefore cost and climate - as soon as they set the room temperature.
This would be a great opportunity for our large building stock, apartment blocks and rented accommodation, as these forward-looking solutions would be both minimally invasive and quickly effective. For housing costs and climate balance. The initial indicators in the draft EPBD give me confidence, as the regulatory focus has been clearly on the building envelope and energy technology, with little attention paid to the role of the user.
I am optimistic that the majority of people are prepared to take such digitalisation steps towards more climate protection within their own four walls - as long as their individual comfort requirements remain secure and housing costs do not rise further overall as a result. At least that's what the latest study by the noventic group led by Andreas Pfnür at TU Darmstadt shows.
