A little more than a third of the final energy consumption and around 30 percent of the CO2 emissions in Germany can be traced back to buildings.

To be more precise: on space heating, hot water, lighting and cooling.

According to the Federal Environment Agency, final energy consumption relevant to buildings fell by 17 percent between 2008 and 2018.

Nevertheless, this field still offers high savings potential.

This is not least due to the fact that many buildings were built before the first thermal insulation ordinance came into force in 1977.

But it's not just structural defects.

Due to the current energy crisis, digitization, automation and networking are increasingly coming into focus.

David Lindenfeld

volunteer.

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Germany's decoupling from the Russian gas market and higher energy prices have fueled interest in products from these segments.

Exhibitors at Light + Building feel this too.

The world's leading trade fair for lighting and building technology takes place in Frankfurt from Sunday to Thursday.

And even if the exhibitors from China will be absent because of the pandemic and the date is not in the spring as usual, which would actually be better because of the innovation cycle in the industry, the anticipation of seeing you again is so great that the CEO of Messe Frankfurt von a "celebratory day": "The last Light + Building took place in 2018.

A lot has happened since then in the areas of air conditioning, security needs, building automation and smart systems,”

says Wolfgang Marzin, building a bridge to the present: “40 percent of the energy in Europe is consumed in buildings.

You can see what contribution this industry can make to achieving the climate goals.”

Wolfgang Weber, head of the Association of the Electrical and Digital Industry (ZVEI), speaks of "dramatic reduction options".

In the future, buildings will increasingly become the center of the energy transition.

“They are increasingly becoming energy producers with their own photovoltaic systems on the roof.

In addition, you can set up an intelligent energy management system in which charging stations, heat pumps and intelligent heating are integrated.” Associations emphasize that it is important to link the individual sectors with one another – and to ensure the necessary (cyber) security: both around the house as an offer for the owner as well as for larger units, if buildings are to be networked with each other as energy generators.

81,000 skilled workers are missing

The ZVEI calculates that 50 percent of primary energy could be saved with electrification because natural gas no longer has to be burned.

Another third could be saved through digitization and smart control - for example, heating via smartphone.

"This way we can achieve 65 percent primary energy savings if we upgrade the building electrically and digitally," says Weber.

In order to achieve this goal, it not only requires a low electricity price, but also a large wave of renovations.

For the Central Association of German Electrical and Information Technology Trades (ZVEH), it is essential that electrification must continue to progress in order to counteract climate change: "These are the paths we have to take," says Deputy Managing Director Alexander Neuhäuser.

“Unfortunately, a lot has been overslept politically in recent years.

We are now in a situation where we have a lot of catching up to do.”

Photovoltaic systems with a capacity of seven to eight gigawatts were built in 2011; the figure is currently four gigawatts this year.

“And we are supposed to build 22 gigawatts in 2024/25.

That puts pressure on it, it should go even faster,” says Neuhäuser.

The willingness of the population to invest is there, the order books are full.

However, the demand cannot be met everywhere at short notice.

On average, customers have to wait two to three months.

For certain devices that are affected by delivery difficulties, such as heat pumps, it can sometimes take a year.

"The growth is there in the electrical trade," says Neuhäuser.

In 2010 there were still 416,000 employees in the industry, currently 520,000: “But today we already have a skills gap of around 81,000 workers.

When it comes to delivery problems, the association's hands are tied.

As far as the shortage of skilled workers is concerned, the ZVEH is trying to close the gap, for example by recruiting qualified workers from abroad.

"But no matter what we do: There will be a shortage of skilled workers due to demographic change," says Neuhäuser: "We will not meet the need, so we have to become more efficient." This can be achieved through industrial innovations, but also through one Improved exchange with industry on open platforms to reduce planning times and bureaucracy and achieve higher productivity.