Germany's building stock is expected to be almost climate-neutral by 2050. To date the road to that goal has been very costly – and not successful enough. Now the GdW and the Economic Council are calling for a paradigm shift on the Federal Government's part.
The reconciliation of climate protection and economic concerns is what Peter Altmaier, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy, calls for in his opening speech at the 2020 Energy Transition Congress. His 20-point plan "Protecting the climate & strengthening the economy" lays the foundation for these concerns. The spotlight also falls on the real estate industry: how can the necessary efficiency potential in the building stock be realised through refurbishment concepts and digitisation? For the economy, Altmaier notes, the biggest problem is uncertainty, which could lead to a failure to make the investment needed. His approach is to create a clear framework over the long term, extending across several electoral terms.
From January 1st, 2021, CO2 emissions trading will be expanded to include the heating and transport sectors: This should make heating with fossil fuels such as oil and gas less attractive. In order to keep the increase in gross warm rents at an acceptable level, the discussion about the distribution of costs was initiated: The Federal Ministries for Finance, Environment and Justice propose that the costs incurred should be allocated to tenants to a maximum of 50 percent limit. Landlords should therefore bear half of the additional costs. The General Association of the German Housing Industry (GdW) warns: This could delay the necessary investments in energy-efficient renovations. The GdW relies on considering the cost allocation depending on the renovation status of the property.
Am 1. Juli 2020 hat Deutschland für ein halbes Jahr die EU-Ratspräsidentschaft übernommen. Neben dem Schwerpunktthema der Bekämpfung und Bewältigung sozioökonomischer Folgen der COVID-19-Pandemie stehen auch Themen der Immobilienwirtschaft im Fokus. Welche das sind, beantwortet RA Thies Grothe, Head of Public Affairs der noventic group im Interview.
The federal government finally launched the new COVID-19 contact tracing app at the start of this week. The aim of the app is to notify people that they have come into contact with infected individuals before they develop any symptoms themselves.
As the smart meter rollout proceeds, the energy industry and the real estate sector are growing ever closer. At the Berliner Energietage (Berlin Energy Days), which took place for the first time this year as the “digital summer of the energy transition”, it was once again clear what opportunities the smart meter rollout had opened up for companies from both sectors. On Tuesday 9 June the sectoral experts Axel Gedaschko (President of the GdW (Bundesverband deutscher Wohnungs- und Immobilienunternehmen, Federal Association of German Housing and Real Estate Enterprise Registered Associations)), Michael Wübbels (Deputy Managing Director of the VKU (Verband kommunaler Unternehmen, Association of Local Public Utilities) and Ingo Schönberg (director responsible for energy technology at ZVEI (Zentralverband Elektrotechnik- und Elektronikindustrie, Central Association of the Electrical and Electronic Industry) and managing director of PPC (Power Plus Communications)) came together for a virtual dialogue. Where do we stand today, almost six months after the official launch of the smart meter rollout? What opportunities can municipal utility providers and housing associations see? And how can potential opportunities best be exploited by municipal players?
School trips to the Klimahaus (Climate House) in Bremerhaven are something special: exciting, because that’s just the way it is with school trips. Intriguing, because the climate is transformed from something abstract into a tangible force. That is why noventic invited Hamburg fourth-year schoolchildren on a memorable day trip traversing different climatic zones along the eighth parallel of longitude.
In open technology systems, data can be exchanged via agreed interface standards, regardless of the manufacturer. This is the basis for economical and future-proof solutions in climate-smart building control.
What is the purpose of the EED? What does all-year-round consumption information mean for tenants, and what changes will this entail for the housing industry? Can the EED help cut energy consumption? Read our fact check on the EED!
The federal government’s climate targets pose major challenges for the real estate industry: particularly when it comes to existing buildings, owners and managers face a giant task in coping with the growing demands for energy efficiency and climate protection. The regulatory underpinnings for this are often enshrined both in European law and the resultant derived national legal provisions. In complying with these requirements, without losing sight of precepts of economy and affordable living space, low-investment measures could offer helpful leverage. The digitisation of the building infrastructure lays the foundations for the optimum management of energy installations and maximum consumption transparency for users, as well as allowing portfolio holders also to make valuable efficiency gains.
The Climate Cabinet will be holding its first meeting this week. This newly created body’s remit is to come up with draft legislation whereby Germany will be able to meet its climate targets for 2030 and 2050. What new legislative initiatives the new Climate Cabinet will actually bring about remains doubtful. Similarly doubtful is whether the federal government will finally make climate protection a priority and swiftly get the necessary measures off the ground. That will also take time. As the Environment Ministry’s climate protection report revealed on publication in February, Germany is not doing enough to achieve the 2020 climate protection targets. To push ahead with ambitious climate protection targets, legislative action will be indispensable.
Legal initiatives like the EED were designed to help limit climate change and promote more efficient use of energy. The amended EU Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) was passed by the EU Council of Ministers at the end of last year. A key component of the new directive is the provision of all-year-round consumption information for residents and the requirement to use radio metering technology for consumption recording. What will the ambitious targets set by the amended version of the EED mean for the housing industry? Is there a need to act? Stephan Kiermeyer, CEO of the noventic subsidiary KALO, answers the most pressing questions.
