Energy was a major topic for the housing industry in the first half of 2024. The good news is that there will be ever better ways to use energy in the future, for example through energy sharing. The bad news is that there has recently been significantly less funding for energy advice in Germany.
The German government has cut funding for energy consultations. Since the beginning of August 2024, there has only been a maximum subsidy rate of 50 per cent of the consultation fee for an energy consultation, previously it was 80 per cent. For houses with three or more residential units, there was previously an upper limit of 1,700 euros for the individual renovation roadmap (iSFP). For apartment blocks (MFH), the maximum eligible costs are now only 850 euros. Overall, however, the refurbishment subsidy remains attractive. Further information can be found at: www.kfw.de.
Property owners will also have to deal with the issue of energy in the future. After all, buildings play an important role in achieving climate targets. Everywhere is working flat out to improve energy production and consumption. In future, consumers will have a greater choice of options and methods to actively participate in the climate transition.
An important keyword in this context is energy sharing. Energy sharing enables the shared use of renewable energy locally: solar power from neighbours or wind energy from a nearby wind farm. Energy sharing has the potential to increase acceptance of the energy transition, support the expansion of renewable energies and contribute to their optimal local utilisation. In Germany, the model is already possible with the involvement of established market players. The report "Energy Sharing: From Concept to Energy Industry Implementation", which dena has compiled together with the Institute for Futures Studies and Technology Assessment, shows which facilitations should be made in Germany.
In other EU countries such as Austria, specific regulations for energy sharing already exist and many citizens are participating in them. In Germany, the European "right to energy sharing" now needs a practicable legal framework.
Photo: © Gerd Altmann, Pixabay
