Source: Energy & Management Powernews , December 13 2022
The federal government has approved the second stage of reform of the Federal Efficient Buildings Grant (BEG). It comes into force on January 1, 2023. Associations criticize the reform.
The changes to the BEG funding guidelines will still be published in 2022 in the Federal Gazette and come into force on January 1, 2023, announced the Federal Ministry of Economics (BMWK). All three subprograms of the BEG (residential buildings, non-residential buildings and individual measures) are affected by the changes. "Access to the BEG will be further facilitated, funding bonuses will increase incentives for renovations, and the funding efficiency of the program will again be increased in order to be able to support as many applicants as possible," writes the BMWK.
Among other things, the changes will introduce a bonus for serial renovations amounting to 15 percentage points. The use of prefabricated facade or roof elements is promoted. In addition, the bonus for the least energy-efficient buildings (Worst Performing Buildings Bonus) introduced in September will be increased from 5 to 10 percentage points and, in addition to the EH/EG-40 and EH/EG-55 levels, will also be extended to refurbishments with a target EH/EG-70-EE standard.
New construction subsidies soon to be separate program
Another change relates to new construction subsidies: these will be separated from the previous guidelines as a new fourth subprogram of federal subsidies for efficient buildings and will be regulated from March 2023 onwards in a separate guideline under the title "Climate-friendly new construction".
Furthermore, the federal government wants to promote with the reform only "particularly high-quality heating systems", for example
- more efficient heat pumps
- and biomass heating systems with particularly low particulate emissions.
Massive criticism from associations
Several associations had criticized the reform. With the reduction of funds and the announcement of significantly stricter technical requirements, the BMWK takes a wrong course, so the criticism of an alliance of
- Bundesverband der Deutschen Heizungsindustrie (BDH),
- German Energy Wood and Pellet Association (DEPV),
- Fachverband Holzenergie im Bundesverband Bioenergie (FvH),
- the Initiative Holzwärme (IH)
- and the Home, Heating and Kitchen Technology Industry Association (HKI).
In addition, according to the associations, a social imbalance arises, since financially weak owners of older, uninsulated buildings with high heat consumption are virtually excluded from state funding for heating exchange. "Subsidies can then only receive who can invest a large sum in one fell swoop," the associations said.
The German Business Initiative Energy Efficiency (Deneff) also criticized the changes. The renovation rate threatens to collapse further with it, it said. "This is the wrong possible decision at the wrong possible time," criticizes the Deneff. "Right now, an investment offensive for energy-saving buildings would be needed to quickly make up for the failures of recent years and permanently reduce energy costs. The course of the Federal Government with the promotion is therefore exactly the opposite of that, which would be straight necessary." According to Deneff, the only and clearly positive thing to highlight is the new bonus for serial renovation.
Further information on the BEG can be found by interested parties at www.energiewechsel.de, a website of the BMWK.
Author: Heidi Roider
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