Why is there this reform?
NIn Germany, too, most people use fossil fuels for heating. According to figures from the Federal Association of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW) in 2019, around half of the almost 19 million residential buildings in Germany were heated with gas and around 30 percent with oil. In the coalition agreement, the SPD, Greens and FDP had set themselves the goal of initiating the heat transition by switching to renewable energies at the beginning of 2025. After the start of the war in Ukraine and concerns about the gas supply, the parties decided in spring 2022 to bring the reform forward by a year. From the point of view of the coalition, the sales figures of the heating industry have increased the pressure to act. Of the almost one million heaters installed in Germany last year, 600,000 were gas heaters and almost 57,000 were oil heaters.
What does the bill provide?
Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) and Federal Building Minister Klara Geywitz (SPD) want the new Building Energy Act (GEG) to regulate that from January 1, 2024, only heating systems that are operated with 65 percent renewable energies or at least may be installed in Germany are designed for it. This applies to both new buildings and replacements in existing buildings. If, in the event of a heating breakdown, heating with renewables is not immediately available, for example due to long delivery times or because the building is not yet suitable, a fossil-based heating system can be temporarily installed again. After three years at the latest, however, it must be replaced by a model with renewables.
What types of heating are allowed?
In addition to the electric heat pump preferred by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, hybrid models will be permitted in the future, in which a fossil-based heating system is switched on in addition to the heat pump on particularly cold days. Hybrid models can be supported by gas, oil or biomass. Infrared heaters, so-called direct electricity heaters, are also possible, but only in particularly energy-efficient houses. Connection to a municipal heating network is another option, as is the use of so-called green gases. According to the government’s legislative plans, new biomass heating systems such as those that use wood pellets should only be permitted in existing buildings and only in combination with buffer storage and a solar system for electricity or hot water.
What about gas heaters that are “H2 ready”?
Many gas heaters are already marketed with the note “suitable for hydrogen”. However, this often only refers to admixtures on a small scale. Starting next year, gas heaters that can be converted to 100 percent hydrogen may be installed and initially operated with gas. However, the prerequisite is that the supplier has submitted a binding plan as to when it will deliver hydrogen. The heating systems must be operated with at least 50 percent biomethane by 2030 and with at least 65 percent hydrogen by 2035 at the latest.
What will become of the gas networks?
Experts assume that at some point the time will come when energy suppliers will only operate their gas networks with hydrogen or shut them down completely. Anyone who now wants to buy a new gas heating system that cannot be completely converted to hydrogen runs the risk that one day the local supplier will no longer supply gas because this is becoming increasingly unprofitable for them.
What fines are threatened?
Anyone who violates the requirements in the first year after the law comes into force should be spared a fine. After that, a one-off fee of 5000 euros is provided. However, the government emphasizes that this does not mean that you can buy your way out of the renewables obligation. The obligation remains. Stubborn refusers face fines.
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