The legislative plans for more climate protection in buildings have caused plenty of discord in the traffic light coalition and beyond in recent weeks. Now the Green Minister of Economic Affairs is willing to talk about important levers. Robert Habeck wants to meet members of the traffic light coalition from the SPD, the Greens and the FDP this Tuesday and sound out compromise lines on the Building Energy Act. His new state secretary, Philipp Nimmermann, will also start his job after Pentecost.
Habeck had previously stressed that he hoped that the discussion would now take "a constructive, solution-oriented" direction. Time is of the essence to bring the draft law, which was initially held up by the FDP, to the Bundestag. The next part-session will begin on 12 June. If possible, the regulations, also known as the Heating Act, should be passed through parliament before the summer break.
The plans aim to ensure that from the beginning of 2024, every newly installed heating system must be powered by at least 65 percent green energy. Alternatively, it is also possible to switch to climate-neutrally generated heat from a heating network. The changeover is to be cushioned socially, there are to be transitional periods and hardship regulations.
Structure of the funding
There could now be adjustments to the launch date. Instead of applying equally to all buildings from 1 January 2024, the start could initially only apply to new buildings. More time could be allowed for the old building stock. There is also room for manoeuvre in the approved heating systems, for example in the further use of wood or wood pellets. Openness to technology is an important demand of the FDP. District heating could now also be given even more importance, especially in cities where development is dense.
Last but not least, it is about a more generous design of the subsidy, for example for a heating change, as well as the exceptions to the obligation to switch. Here, above all, the SPD wants a clear social component.
The head of the energy association BDEW, Kerstin Andreae, called for a "substantial improvement" of the draft. It was a mistake not to seek dialogue with practitioners at an early stage, Andreae told the Süddeutsche Zeitung. Above all, the infrastructure had not been considered enough in the previous planning. For example, heat pumps would not be operated evenly throughout the year, but would be particularly strong in winter. "This is a huge challenge for the power grid," Andreae warned. It is also unclear to many energy companies what will become of their gas network if less and less gas is consumed.
On the part of the German Association of Cities, it was said that the expansion and conversion of municipal heating networks must also be promoted. "It is good that Minister Habeck is now talking about a district heating offensive. For this, the planned funding programs will have to be adjusted again," said Chief Executive Helmut Dedy of the "Rheinische Post". In addition to individual support for homeowners, the expansion and conversion of municipal heating networks should also be promoted.
It was difficult to assess the chances of a timely agreement being reached in the run-up to the talks. It also remained unclear whether and how the public should be informed on Tuesday. The new State Secretary Nimmermann could set the tone. The economist succeeds Patrick Graichen, who had to give up the post because of the mixing of business and private life.