One million electric cars are to be on the road in Germany by 2020, at least that's what the German government wants. Sales figures are still lagging behind expectations. In addition, important questions arise about the origin of electricity and raw materials. ZDF has devoted a report to these questions in the series "planet e" entitled "Electric cars - top or flop?" and also interviewed ifeu Heidelberg. The programme is available in the ZDF Mediathek until 28.1.2017.
In addition to important aspects of the environmental balance, the paper also discusses the App My eDrive which is currently being developed by ifeu and the ADAC Technical Centre with funding from the Federal Ministry for the Environment (BMUB).
Link to video:
www.zdf.de/…Elektroautos—Top-oder-Flop%253F
The Federal Cabinet today approved an update of the Resource Efficiency Programme. Germanwatch welcomes in principle the government's plan for resource efficiency, but says that the original draft of the Environment Ministry has been weakened considerably, especially with regard to human rights issues. "In many places we now only find lip service instead of a binding framework," regrets Cornelia Heydenreich, Team Leader Corporate Responsibility at Germanwatch. She emphasises: "Resource protection must go hand in hand with human rights protection".
In the September draft it had still said: "In all funding instruments of the raw materials strategy, state funding will be linked to binding compliance with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights [...]". Heydenreich: "That is the level of ambition we would have needed." Now it just says that eligibility for funding will be "assessed" in terms of human rights. The Resource Efficiency Programme merely refers to the parallel process of drafting a "National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights", which is to be brought to the Federal Cabinet in May. "Now it is up to the federal government to present such an ambitious National Action Plan in May, as promised. This must include, in particular, a law on human rights due diligence", demands Heydenreich.
Hardly any effective measures to prolong the use of products
Even in the measures to promote longer use of products, the federal government has taken promising approaches such as the creation of the EU legal prerequisite for a VAT concession in favour of resource-saving goods and services (e.g. repairs) out of its plan again. "The federal government's measures are too timid to really push for longer use of appliances," Heydenreich criticises.
On the other hand, it is to be welcomed that the German government is clearly committed to a demanding implementation of the EU regulation on conflict minerals. Heydenreich: "We call on the German government to use all possibilities to create a workable basis for this at EU level in the coming weeks. It must not be left to the companies to decide whether or not they finance bloody conflicts in the mining regions." Since the beginning of February, the EU Commission, the EU Parliament and the EU states have been negotiating a regulation on conflict minerals.
The extractive sector repeatedly causes particularly extensive human rights violations such as forced relocations, violent repression or even labour rights violations, including accidental deaths. According to a study commissioned by the former UN Special Representative on Business and Human Rights, John Ruggie, most of the business-related human rights allegations (28 per cent) concerned the extraction of raw materials.
A bill on the State Reception Act will be submitted to the Landtag today. With this, the municipalities will receive more money for the reception, accommodation and care of asylum seekers. "The amendment to the State Reception Act will lead to a significant improvement in the financing of the task of assisting refugees for the municipalities and is an important basis for ensuring that the municipalities and the state continue to fulfil their tasks," said Minister President Malu Dreyer and Integration Minister Irene Alt.
Early yesterday evening, the municipal umbrella organisations and the Rhineland-Palatinate government jointly agreed on the cost reimbursement to be paid for refugee assistance expenses as of 1 January 2016. The starting point was the federal funds available to Rhineland-Palatinate according to the decision of the Federal Chancellor and the heads of government of the Länder on 24 September 2015. "We have worked out the necessary key points together so that they can now be introduced as a bill in the state parliament," said Finance Minister Doris Ahnen, who led the discussion together with State Secretary in the Ministry of Integration Margit Gottstein and State Secretary of Finance Salvatore Barbaro.
"I very much welcome the cornerstones that have been worked out jointly between the municipal umbrella organisations and the state government. They ensure that the state and the municipalities will continue to tackle the great challenge of taking in refugees together," said the Minister President.
Starting in 2016, the municipalities are to be paid a lump sum of 848 euros per month per refugee. This refers to the period from distribution to a local authority until the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees issues the first decision in the asylum procedure. This lump sum is paid out in full by the state exactly according to the number of refugees and the months. In this way, the municipalities are relieved effectively and quickly - regardless of how and when the federal government settles the relief for the Länder.
In addition, starting in 2016, the state will make a lump sum payment of 35 million euros at the beginning of each year for costs that are still incurred after the initial decision has been issued. For 2015, it is planned that Rhineland-Palatinate's share of the federal government's additional refugee billion of 48 million euros for the current year will be made available in full to the municipalities. Of this, 24 million euros will be provided as a lump-sum cost-share. The remaining 24 million euros of the refugee billion and another 20 million euros of Land money form an advance payment totalling 44 million euros on Land benefits due in 2016. The aim is to provide the municipalities with the necessary funds in a timely manner.
There is now also clarity for the distribution of federal funds to be used for child day care in the Länder after the abolition of the childcare allowance. Rhineland-Palatinate will receive a total of about 95 million euros from 2016 to 2018. These funds are to be divided equally between the municipalities and the state. To ensure that support is as even as possible, the municipalities will receive three equal annual instalments of around 16 million euros each (a total of around 48 million euros). These funds can be used flexibly within the framework of local target agreements to improve child day care and for additional expenditure in this area.
Since April 2016, there have been interesting changes at KfW Bank for sustainable construction: Houses in the "KfW 40" or "KfW 55" efficiency house standard will in future receive an interest subsidy of €100,000 instead of €50,000, and the subsidy will double as a result. In addition, the KfW 70 house will be completely removed from the funding pots of the L-Bank and KfW-Bank because it meets the statutory ENEV standard.
A PlusEnergy house, which corresponds to a "KfW 40 Plus", has a huge financial advantage in the future compared to an EnEV house. For a single-family house with one residential unit, it can be up to 100,000 € savings in 20 years. With houses with more housing units accordingly more. It is therefore worth talking to the financing bank and comparing KfW40 with the normal EnEV (KfW70).
Especially the construction of houses in the KfW 40 and KfW 40 Plus efficiency house standard is currently worthwhile as never before. For example, the L-Bank for KfW 40 gives a loan amount of € 100,000 at 0.75% interest and a repayment subsidy of € 16,000.
Further there is e.g. from the L-Bank the interest-reduced credit ".Living with a future" and from the KfW Bank the low-interest loan "Home ownership financing“. For an efficient heat pump, there is a further € 4,000 grant from BAFA when building a PlusEnergy house.
The new funding conditions at a glance:
Low-interest loans from L-Bank and KfW-Bank (L-Bank: €100,000 for 0.75% and redemption subsidy €11,000 per residential unit, KfW Efficiency House 40 Plus 16.000 €)
Living with a future of the L-Bank (approx. 32,000 € for 1.1%)
KfW home ownership financing (€50,000 for 0.9% for 5 years or 1.4% for 10 years)
BAFA heat pump subsidy for effective heat pumps with € 4,000
Bottom line, you get about:
For one residential unit: € 182,000 subsidised and
at KfW Efficiency House 40 => 15.000 € subsidies,
at KfW Efficiency House 40 Plus => 20.000 € subsidies
For two residential units: 282,000 € interest subsidised and
at KfW Efficiency House 40 => 26.000 € subsidies,
at KfW Efficiency House 40 Plus => 36.000 € subsidies
In the construction of three new apartment buildings in Wieblinger Weg, Stadtwerke Heidelberg Umwelt GmbH implemented an innovative overall energy concept for Baugenossenschaft Neu Heidelberg eG. PV systems with a total output of 30 kWp and a module area of 200 square metres were installed on the roofs of the new buildings. The tenants are supplied with electricity from a PV system and battery storage. The remaining electricity is supplied in the form of certified green electricity from the public grid. Photo: Stadtwerke Heidelberg Umwelt GmbH
Bonn/Düsseldorf. The fast, affordable and complete energy transition towards 100 percent renewable energy needs thought leaders and pioneers who inspire others. With the annual awarding of the German Solar Prize, EUROSOLAR puts these actors in the public eye and offers new impulses for a decentralised, citizen-oriented and regenerative conversion of the energy system.
EUROSOLAR e.V. and the EnergyAgency.NRW will jointly present the winners of the German Solar Prize 2017 on Saturday, 14 October 2017, at VillaMedia in Wuppertal.
In the run-up to the award ceremony, EUROSOLAR, in cooperation with the Hermann Scheer Foundation is organising a symposium to tie in with Hermann Scheer's visionary work "Der Energethische Imperativ" (The Energy Ethical Imperative). Together with the audience, the speakers will discuss how the rapid path to a renewable energy age can be implemented.
The award ceremony of the German Solar Prize begins with greetings from Lothar Schneider, Managing Director of EnergyAgency.NRW, Bettina Brücher, Mayor of the City of Wuppertal and Jörg HeynkesManaging Director of VillaMedia GmbH. Give an introduction Prof. Dr Andreas Pinkwart, Minister for Economic Affairs, Innovation, Digitalisation and Energy of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia and Stephan GrügerMdL and Vice-President of EUROSOLAR e.V. Afterwards, the award winners will be honoured. Dr Axel BergChairman of EUROSOLAR Germany, the highlight of the event.
This will be followed by a get-together with snacks.
Participation in the event is free of chargeRegistration is requested by 6 October.
Further information and registration
The German Solar Prize 2017 is awarded to nine prize winners:
Category: Cities, municipalities, districts, public utilities
- • Stadtwerke Heidelberg Umwelt GmbH
Pioneer and pioneer for tenant power projects
Category: Solar architecture and urban development
- • elobau Plant 2, Leutkirch im Allgäu
Integral building concept with regenerative and efficient energy technology and high architectural standards
Category: Industrial, commercial or agricultural enterprises/companies
- • ALDI SÜD Group of Companies, Mülheim an der Ruhr
Extensive use of solar energy in retail with integration of
E-mobility and targeted customer communication
Category: Local and regional associations/communities
- • Friends of Prokon e.V., Dortmund
Tireless commitment to citizen-owned renewable energies
Category: Media - Frank Farenski, Berlin
Longstanding commitment to transparent and freely accessible reporting on the energy transition
Category: Transport systems
- • StreetScooter of Deutsche Post DHL Group, Bonn
Comprehensive realisation of environmentally friendly city logistics and wake-up call for the German automotive industry
Category: Education and training
- • :metabolon - Bergisches Energiekompetenzzentrum, Lindlar
Innovative use of a landfill site as a learning, research and information location for resource management and energy and environmental technologies
Category: One World Cooperation
- • Solar Energy Foundation, Freiburg im Breisgau
Sustainable and holistic contribution to poverty reduction in developing countries with the help of solar energy
Category: Special prize for personal commitment
- • Environmental Group Elbvororte, Hamburg
30 years of outstanding commitment to environmental protection and renewable energies
Members of the jury:
Dr Axel Berg, Chairman EUROSOLAR Deutschland e.V.
Prof. Peter Droege, President EUROSOLAR e.V.
Wibke Brems, Member of the German Parliament, EUROSOLAR e.V.
Dr Joachim Frielingsdorf, EnergyAgency.NRW
Stephan Grüger, MdL, Vice President EUROSOLAR e.V.
Thomas Günther, EUROSOLAR e.V.
Rosa Hemmers, EUROSOLAR e.V.
Dr Nina Scheer, Member of the German Bundestag, Hermann Scheer Foundation
Irm Scheer-Pontenagel, EUROSOLAR e.V.
Prof. Eberhard Waffenschmidt, SFV Germany e.V.
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Video available until 28.01.2017, 16:30
