Source: Energy & Management Powernews, May 20, 2022
With energy savings, the dependence on fossil fuels from Russia should be reduced. The Federal Ministry of Economics presented a "work plan energy efficiency".
The Federal Ministry of Economics (BMWK) presented a "Work Plan Energy Efficiency" on May 18. This work plan defines important steps and measures of the Federal Government, how more energy can be saved and energy efficiency increased. More energy savings are more urgent than ever in view of Russia's war in Ukraine, which is contrary to international law, the statement said. That is why an information campaign under the motto "Who protects the climate, protects freedom" started on June 10.
The energy efficiency work plan therefore contains a clear catalog of measures, with financial incentives, targeted promotion, but also adjustments to the regulatory framework. The individual instruments are underpinned by timetables. Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Green Party) explained that all levers would be pulled to become less dependent on Russian energy. Therefore, alternative supply sources for natural gas would be opened in the short term - such as through liquefied natural gas (LNG) and the infrastructure for it. "The cheapest and most efficient contribution to more independence is less energy consumption," Habeck said.
The savings are urgently needed for climate protection and also help to reduce cost pressure in view of the horrendous prices for fossil fuels. This is enormous for low-earning families. Also for enterprises the prices are a load.
Concrete measures designated
To the measures belongs to promote the installation of gas heatings no more and to tighten the energy standard for new buildings. More promotion over the KfW is to give it for energetic reorganizations in the building existence - with emphasis on the worst buildings. For industry, the existing federal support program "Energy and Resource Efficiency in Industry" (EEW) is to be amended this year to support the energy source switch in industry. In particular, this would involve the generation of industrial process heat from renewable sources, such as deep geothermal plants.
For heat supply, the "Federal Promotion of Efficient Heat Networks" (BEW) is intended to help. As soon as the approval procedure with the EU is successfully completed, the funding program should stimulate the expansion and transformation of heating networks and thus a direct switch to renewable energies this year, according to the BMWK. In the Building Energy Act (GEG), solar roofs are to be set as a standard in the second half of the year.
Slight progress so far
The goal so far is to reduce final energy consumption by 24% by 2030 - Germany has managed just 2% in ten years, Habeck warned. "So we need more speed and consistency," he appealed. It is a joint national task, he said, in which politics, industry, companies, consumers, everyone can help to make it happen. "Who saves energy, protects the climate, strengthens the country and saves money," concluded the Minister.
With a long-term campaign, people are to be informed about the topic of energy saving. It is to begin on June 10, 2022, said the Parliamentary State Secretary in the BMWK, Michael Kellner (Greens), in the Economic Committee of the Bundestag. Kellner said the campaign is intended to "broadly disseminate" ways to save energy in the home and in renovation and construction projects. The campaign is to run until the end of 2025 and be switched on several channels in several stages, including with the start of the heating season in the fall.
Parliamentarians' reactions to the campaign
It has certainly not yet reached everyone how serious the situation is in terms of energy supply, said a representative of the SPD parliamentary group. He called for local politicians to be involved, as mayors and district councils are closer to the people. The Social Democrat inquired besides whether bonus programs are planned, with which incentives can be set to the energy saving.
For the union it is again important to have the economy with in the boat. A member of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group said. Private households accounted for only 30% of energy consumption in Germany. In addition, it must be ensured that the different industries with their energy requirements, which in some cases vary greatly, are accurately represented, the parliamentary group said.
The "Energy Efficiency Work Plan" of the BMWK is available on the Internet.
Author: Susanne Harmsen