Buildings 2022: Creating future-oriented conditions

With the redesign of the European Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), greater focus must be placed on the use of efficiency technologies and renovation. From ZVEI's point of view, the EPBD must focus on comprehensive and sustainable electrification and digitalisation. They are the key to more energy efficiency and less CO2 emissions in the building sector. In addition, it should focus on the regular inspection of electrical installations and prescribe a uniform EU-wide regulation here - as already proposed by the EU Parliament. In many places, electrical installations are old-fashioned and not geared to the requirements of the energy transition. A modern, future-proof electrical installation is also the basis for exploiting the potential of energy-efficient innovations: Flexible consumers such as heat pumps and charging points for electric cars need a secure infrastructure.

Amendment of the Building Energy Act (GEG) and the adjustment of the Federal Energy Efficient Buildings Subsidy (BEG)

The new federal government must now put its motto "dare more progress" into practice in the building sector as well: First, measures must be taken to use modern TGA and the renovation rate for heating, for example, must be increased to at least three percent, and for lighting to at least six percent. Secondly, buildings must be decarbonised and thirdly, the use of intelligent building automation must be accelerated. In addition, buildings can make a significant contribution to decentralised energy generation, storage, distribution and user-oriented consumption, e.g. for charging an electric car, operating a heat pump or doing the laundry. This makes the building transition a direct prerequisite for the success of the energy and transport transition. An ambitious amendment of the GEG is a basic prerequisite for this. 

This also requires accompanying, long-term and reliable incentives for ambitious, energy-efficient building renovation. Therefore, the BEG subsidies must be continuously developed and adapted. With this in mind, the BEG programme stop at KfW, which took place at the beginning of this year for the promotion of the Efficiency House 40, was simply counterproductive and causes great uncertainty for building owners, investors, energy advisors and the trades. Ultimately, the achievement of the savings targets set in the building sector depends on the speed of realisation of an efficient new building and the refurbishment of existing buildings. 

Finally, the topic of skilled workers will also be in focus this year in the building sector. Employees in all trades must be able to adapt to the changing requirements. This requires attractive offers, a 'qualification offensive' with training, advanced training and further education offers. The ZVEI will continue to support the skilled crafts in this area. 

Only in this way will we make good progress on the path to climate-friendly buildings.