28 percent of heating systems in Hamburg over 25 years old
According to a study by the German Association of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW), around one in three heating systems in Hamburg is more than 20 years old. More than 28 percent are even older than 25 years. This means that the Hanseatic city is lagging behind the national average when it comes to modernizing heating systems: according to the data for Germany presented by the BDEW a week ago, a good 20 percent of heating systems nationwide are more than 25 years old.
Changes in the heating market are happening slowly due to the long replacement cycles of heating systems, said Kerstin Andreae, Chairwoman of the BDEW Executive Board, at the presentation of the "How does Germany heat?" study. Nevertheless, the trend basically shows: "Gas and oil are on the decline, heat pumps and district heating are on the rise." Old and therefore inefficient heating systems are a major problem for greenhouse gas emissions in the building sector, according to the BDEW. The building sector accounts for around 30 percent of German CO2 emissions.
On average, heating systems in Hamburg are 15 years old, 4 years younger than in 2019, but a good 1 year older than the national average. According to the BDEW figures, there are major differences between the various technologies: on average, oil heating systems in the Hanseatic city are 21.4 years old, gas central heating systems are 11.3 years old and the other heating systems combined are 13.9 years old. There has been a "very big shift" from oil to gas, said Andreae. After all, until two years ago, politicians were still promoting gas as a more climate-friendly alternative. Then came Russia's attack on Ukraine, and Germany broke away from its most important natural gas supplier.
German households heat their homes very differently depending on the region. While gas heating systems are the most popular in the north-west, oil plays a major role in the south. District heating is more common in the north-east and east than in the rest of the country. In Hamburg, however, the picture is mixed. There, gas heating (35.8 percent) and district heating (32.1 percent) are roughly equal. Oil heating also plays a certain role with 18.5 percent. Electricity-powered heating systems have increased significantly over the past four years, including electric heat pumps in particular, which now account for 8.6 percent.
The governing coalition of the SPD, Greens and FDP wants to ensure that heating in Germany becomes more climate-friendly with the Building Energy Act (GEG) and municipal heat planning. The GEG aims to gradually make heating in Germany more climate-friendly by replacing oil and gas heating systems. It stipulates that every new heating system installed in future should be powered by 65% renewable energy. The law will initially only apply to new builds from 2024.
Consumers in Hamburg need to consider replacing their aging heating systems, as over 28% are over 25 years old, contributing to higher energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. With the implementation of the Building Energy Act (GEG), new heating systems in Germany from 2024 will be required to use 65% renewable energy, which could greatly benefit climate-conscious consumers who opt for modern, energy-efficient living solutions.
Source: www.dpa.com
