30.11.2023
Source: Energy & Management Powernews
The German Energy Agency presents the Building Report 2024, a reference work on the current status and necessary actions for climate protection in the building sector.
With six detailed chapters, the Building Report 2024 provides an in-depth insight into topics such as existing buildings, heat generators, building materials, greenhouse gases, energy consumption and cost-effectiveness. The latest report from the German Energy Agency (Dena) describes the challenges for the heating transition and achieving climate neutrality in Germany. The latest data shows that, despite efforts to date, energy consumption in the building sector is barely declining.
The building sector is the area that causes the most CO2 emissions in Germany, accounting for around 40 percent. Fossil fuels such as gas and oil still account for almost 80 percent of heat generation in existing buildings, which is a major obstacle to achieving climate neutrality targets. Corinna Enders, Chairwoman of the Dena Management Board, emphasized: "In order to achieve climate neutrality by 2045, a determined pace of conversion to renewable energies in the building stock is essential."
The amendment to the Building Energy Act, the "Federal Promotion of Efficient Buildings" (BEG) and the new regulations on municipal heat planning provide important foundations. Enders appealed for a joint effort from politics, business and society to implement the necessary changes.
Dominant trends in existing buildings
The building report shows that heat pumps have accounted for over 50 percent of the energy used in new residential buildings since 2021, followed by gas and district heating. In existing buildings, on the other hand, 66% of final energy consumption for space heating and hot water in residential buildings is still covered by oil and gas. Although renewable energy sources are gaining in importance in heat generation, the developments to date are not sufficient to achieve the goal of climate neutrality, according to Dena.
The proportion of installed heat pumps in the entire building stock for heating and hot water is only 7.3 percent. Although the sales figures for heat pumps will record the highest growth rates in 2022 at 53 percent, gas boilers are still the most common type of boiler sold. Heat pumps play a crucial role in the energy transition, but the electricity for their operation must also come from renewable energies, the authors of the report point out. Building-related photovoltaics also play an important role in meeting the increasing demand for electricity on site from renewable sources.
Resource conservation needed in construction
Another challenging area is the replacement construction of new residential buildings, which accounts for around 70 percent of demolitions despite stagnating figures for almost ten years. This not only leads to a loss of building materials, but also of gray energy, which is used in the production, transport, construction and operation of the demolished buildings. New construction also requires the use of additional grey energy, which can be reduced if recycled, sustainable and regionally available building materials are used.
All in all, the Dena Building Report 2024 offers a clear summary of the current data on the building stock in Germany and serves as an important basis for the debate and implementation of changes in the building sector, according to Enders. It is published as part of the "Building Forum Climate Neutral", Dena's central point of contact for climate-neutral construction and refurbishment in buildings and neighborhoods. The aim of the Building Forum Climate Neutral is to multiply knowledge and thus accelerate the progress of the energy transition in the building sector.
The "Building Report 2024" is available to download as a PDF from the Dena website.
Author: Susanne Harmsen
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