German climate policy: That's not going to happen with the heat transition

This is not consistent: on the one hand, politicians like to emphasize how important it is to them to help more people to get their own four walls.

On the other hand, the traffic light coalition is making life pretty difficult for real estate owners.

This time, the reason is neither a rental price brake nor a rent cap, but the growing demands in terms of climate protection.

Almost a third of German greenhouse gas emissions are due to the building sector, and in contrast to other sectors of the economy, there have recently been comparatively few savings there. The old federal government relied on financial incentives, with subsidy programs for new buildings with low energy requirements or the renovation of old buildings that were also actively used - so actively that Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) now abruptly pulled the plug because the provisional budget planned for the 5th Billions of euros have already been matched by applications for more than double the amount.

Habeck's policy differs from that of his predecessor Peter Altmaier (CDU) in one essential point: the time when it was all about incentives should be over, now it's about the "regulatory framework".

That means: less funding, more legal requirements.

There will no longer be funding for new buildings in the KfW efficiency class 55, and not for long for the even more economical efficiency class 40.

In the coalition agreement, the SPD, Greens and FDP agreed that from 2025 onwards the legal new building standards should be “aligned” with this type of building.

A new building should then only need 40 percent of the energy of a so-called reference house.

75 percent is currently allowed.

District heating would be another option

What is also to come in three years: the obligation for newly installed heating systems to be operated with 65 percent renewable energies.

In most cases, this requirement can only be met with a heat pump powered by green electricity.

So far, the government has not challenged the fact that experts consider these systems to be unsuitable in the housing stock and warn of immense electricity costs for the residents.

And now – quickly buy a new gas heating system?

wood pellets?

Or, despite the high price of electricity in Germany, the heat pump preferred by the Greens?

These are golden times for energy consultants and installers.

Not so for homeowners.

The traffic light coalition is making things all too easy for itself with its approach of tightening the legal requirements in particular. It thus transfers the responsibility for climate protection in the building sector to a large extent to the property owners. There were other options too. One consideration could be, for example, converting the gas pipeline system – which after all supplies around 20 million homes in the country – so that hydrogen can be added to the gas. Heating in this way would not be CO2-neutral, but CO2-saving. But in the national hydrogen strategy, the issue of heat generation hardly plays a role.

District heating would be another option.

It is also climate-friendly if, for example, the waste heat from industrial or waste incineration plants is used.

But expanding the district heating network is difficult.

Test orders, tenders, digging up roads, laying lines - no wonder that the coalition agreement does not make any specifications in this regard, but only promises vaguely: "We will advocate comprehensive municipal heating planning and the expansion of the heating networks." One suspects: Until this process in If things get going, the heat pump obligation has long been there.

The situation is similar when it comes to solar systems.

In the future, they should be mandatory for all new commercial buildings and, with a few exceptions, also for new private buildings.

But wouldn't it be much more efficient to set up solar systems on larger areas on the outskirts of the city, which would then supply entire districts?

The impression remains that the traffic light coalition prefers not to impose such undoubtedly large tasks on its local party friends.

Instead, the heat transition should be supported by the property owners - each for themselves, with some financial support for renovation measures.

Will these real estate owners still be keen to build the 400,000 apartments a year that the traffic lights also ordered?

doubts are warranted.