When it comes to energy, the housing and property industry can be dizzy at times. With the amendment to the German Building Energy Act (Energieeinsparverordnung - EnEV), its short implementation periods and almost unattainable subsidies, the industry is at breaking point. Nevertheless, the rapid rise in energy costs cannot be ignored, nor can the property industry's necessary contribution to the energy turnaround. The fact is that of the almost 19 million residential buildings in Germany, the lion's share of around 12.4 million were built in 1979 or earlier - and are therefore at least 44 years old (source: Statistikportal).
The noventic group's second DNK Report is now available. Once again, all departments involved and the Group's CSR Committee worked closely together to produce a wide-ranging report on the 2021/22 financial year complying with the standards of the German Sustainability Code (Deutscher Nachhaltigkeitskodex - DNK). We have had the formal completeness of the report checked and certified by the Office of the German Sustainability Code (Büro Deutscher Nachhaltigkeitskodex).
Sustainability involves much more than just maintaining the status quo. It can also be a key driver of innovation. One sector that could benefit from that is real estate: if the industry is to achieve the goal of virtual climate neutrality by 2045, it must rapidly undergo fundamental transformation.
The climate protection policy of the European Union (EU) is now one of the most important, most present and most publicly discussed policy areas of the EU institutions and the subject of a wide range of EU legislation.
On May 5 2023 the digital version of Berliner Energietage came to a successful end. More than 60 events took place over the three days of the online congress. In the panel discussion “Digital Control: Housing Companies and Tenant Households Working Together for the Heat Transition in Existing Buildings”, Dr. Dirk Then, CEO of the noventic group, together with Dr. Christian Osthus, General Counsel (Justiziar) at the IVD Federal Association, Ralf Michels, Member of the Executive Committee of the VDIV and Professor Kunibert Lennerts, Professor of Facility Management at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), looked into the role of residents in climate protection in the housing industry and how to involve them in the heating transition.
Smart thermostats promise significant energy savings without compromising the comfort of residents. A member of the cooperative board, whose properties are part of the noventic group's lighthouse project, shares his hopes, experiences and initial results.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has sounded the alarm: the 1.5-degree target will be missed without more resolute action by the international community. There is no shortage of ambitious targets, with Germany aiming to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 65 per cent by 2030.
Building owners and managers face various challenges when trying to manage their building stock in an energy-efficient and sustainable manner. Short-term results with a lasting effect cannot be achieved through modernization. The digitalization of the energy transition is the key to making the housing stock energy-efficient and energy-saving as quickly and as low-investment as possible.
This year the issue of energy saving has taken on a new relevance among the wider public. Whereas in previous years one generally had the feeling that climate protection requirements were a tiresome duty that had to be performed, this year it is different: Triggered by Russiaʼs war in Ukraine and the associated supply and energy crisis, the issue has clearly gained traction.
Experts and industry stakeholders alike agree that there is huge potential for energy savings in the existing building stock. However, without the professional housing industry the energy and heating transition cannot succeed. To date, though, real estate has lagged dramatically behind on the decarbonisation front, and much greater efforts will be needed to achieve the goal set by politicians of reducing all CO2 emissions to net zero by 2045 in Germany and by 2050 in Europe.
Everything happened very quickly: In October, Economics Minister Robert Habeck announced a planned amendment to the Metering Point Operation Act, and in early December the media reported the first details of the Federal Economics Ministry's "Act to Restart the Digitalisation of the Energy Turnaround". The resumption of the digitisation of the energy transition thus appears to be within reach. Processes relating to smart meters are to be made less bureaucratic, much simpler and more cost-effective for consumers.
