Dena initiates alliance for the energy transition in the building sector

08.05.2025

Source: E & M powernews

A new, interdisciplinary alliance aims to identify and harness technical, political and economic levers for implementing the energy transition in the building sector.

With the newly founded "Building Transition Alliance", the German Energy Agency (Dena) is bringing together key players from industry, science and associations to develop viable solutions for the transformation of the building sector. According to a Dena statement, "almost 20 associations, companies and research institutions from various areas of the building sector" are currently participating in the platform initiated and coordinated by the energy agency. The aim is to identify concrete, market-oriented measures for increasing the renovation rate, accelerating the use of climate-friendly heating technologies and the comprehensive digitalization of buildings, thereby supporting the implementation of climate targets in the building sector.

The alliance is primarily aimed at political decision-makers and other key players. It sees itself as a platform for professional exchange, scientifically sound positioning and application-oriented dialog. In addition to ecological and economic aspects, the social dimension of the building transition is also taken into account.

One focus is on the technical development and implementation of existing and new solutions. These include heat pumps, hybrid heating systems, solar thermal systems, thermal storage, building automation and intelligent control solutions. The integration of digital twins, data-based renovation roadmaps and cross-sector interfaces - for example to electricity grids and mobility infrastructure - is also part of the alliance's work.

The implementation of the energy transition in buildings continues to pose major challenges for politics, society and the economy, says Corinna Enders. "In recent years, many legal guard rails have been set in the building sector. These must now be further developed with courage and determination and flanked with industry expertise," says the Chairwoman of the Dena Management Board. The Building Transition Alliance creates a reliable and secure framework for this in order to facilitate concrete progress in climate-friendly construction and renovation.

The alliance will cover a broad spectrum of topics - from the building envelope, technical building equipment, digitalization and automation to the construction industry, trade, wholesale, energy services and infrastructure issues. The range of expertise involved extends from applied research to industry and specific practical projects. At the same time, questions of fundamental system integration, scalability and economic viability are also addressed.

Regular publications, exchange formats and specialist events are planned in order to systematically feed findings into political processes and develop practice-oriented proposals for action.

Author: Fritz Wilhelm