Three out of ten heating systems in SH older than 20 years
According to a study by the German Association of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW), around three in ten heating systems in Schleswig-Holstein are more than 20 years old. 22 percent are even older than 25 years. This means that the north is lagging slightly behind the national average when it comes to modernizing heating systems: according to the data for Germany presented by 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 Schleswig-Holstein are 13.6 years old, one year less than in 2019 and 0.3 years less than the national average. According to the BDEW figures, there are major differences between the various technologies: oil heating systems are on average 21.5 years old in the north, gas central heating systems are 10.5 years old and the other heating systems combined are 11.9 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. This can also be seen in Schleswig-Holstein, where only just under 20 percent of homes are heated with district heating. Gas heating systems are in first place by some distance with 47.7 percent. Oil heating also plays a certain role with 19.6 percent. Electricity-powered heating systems, including electric heat pumps which now account for 8.5 percent, have increased significantly over the past four years.
The governing coalition of 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 Schleswig-Holstein should consider upgrading their outdated heating systems, as older systems contribute significantly to the region's greenhouse gas emissions, which make up around 30% of Germany's total CO2 emissions. With the shift towards renewable energy sources, living in an energy-efficient home can help reduce a household's carbon footprint, and the upcoming Building Energy Act aims to promote climate-friendly heating solutions by requiring new installations to derive 65% of their energy from renewables starting from 2024.
Source: www.dpa.com
