Since 1 April 2017, the EU energy efficiency label now also applies to wood heating systems such as pellet, wood chip and log heating systems.
The energy efficiency class scale for wood heating systems ranges from A++ to G, from 26 September 2019 from A+++ to D. Pellet boilers are usually rated A+, pellet condensing boilers A++. Pellet stoves will also receive an A++ from 2018. Composite systems consisting of a pellet boiler and solar collectors will achieve up to A+++.
Researchers at DIW Berlin have developed the "Ampel-Monitor Energiewende" - monitor the extent to which the government's energy policy agenda is being implemented - immense efforts are needed to close the gap between the announced targets and the current status quo
If the German government wants to achieve its energy policy goals, it must step up the pace. There are particularly large gaps between the current development and the targets for green hydrogen, electromobility and renewable heat, as the "Ampel-Monitor Energiewende" of the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW Berlin) shows. DIW researchers developed the monitor to track the progress of the energy transition towards climate neutrality using 15 indicators. The monitor, which is based on open data, accompanies progress on the government's goals with a focus on the period up to 2030. Selected results are now available on the DIW Berlin website (https://www.diw.de/ampel-monitor) are provided in the form of interactive graphics and short analyses and are updated regularly. All indicators and the underlying data can also be found open source on the Open Energy Tracker platform (https://openenergytracker.org).
"Our traffic light monitor makes it clear: the current pace of the energy transition is far too slow to achieve the 2030 targets," says DIW energy economist Wolf-Peter Schill, co-initiator of the monitor, which is presented in a study today. "If the government does not want to fall behind its target path, it must implement concrete and far-reaching steps promptly."
The pace of photovoltaic expansion must be tripled
The monitor shows: If the government wants to achieve its photovoltaic targets by 2030, it will have to triple the pace of expansion compared to the trend of the past twelve months, and even quadruple it for onshore wind power. At the current rate, the targets would clearly be missed. This would also make it impossible to achieve the coalition's goal of increasing the share of renewable energies in electricity consumption from the current 42 percent to 80 percent in 2030.
There is also a large gap in renewable heat, for which a share of renewable energies of 50 percent is envisaged in 2030. For this to happen, the share must grow by almost four percentage points per year - although it has not even increased by three percentage points since 2012.
"The Federal Government's to-do list is still long. The energy policy goals that have been set are not self-fulfilling; development must gain momentum in all areas." Alexander Roth
E-car fleet still growing very slowly - charging infrastructure inadequate
If the coalition's goal of increasing the e-car fleet to 15 million vehicles by 2030 is to be achieved, an average of around 130,000 vehicles must be registered in Germany every month. In addition to the existing purchase premiums, the EU ban on combustion engines, which is currently being voted on, could certainly contribute to more electromobility," explains study author Adeline Guéret.
According to the Monitor's data, the charging infrastructure must increase even more if the target is not to be missed. Instead of the current 1200 charging points per month, 8,700 would have to go into operation - around seven times as many.
From practically zero to ten gigawatts in green hydrogen
Most needs to happen with green hydrogen, as the traffic light monitor shows: The electrolysis capacity of around ten gigawatts in 2030 targeted in the coalition agreement still seems a long way off, given an electrical capacity of around 60 megawatts at the end of last year.
"With its open and constantly updated energy data, our traffic light monitor makes an important contribution to an informed and fact-based energy policy debate," concludes study author Alexander Roth. "It shows that the German government still has a long to-do list. The goals set are not self-fulfilling; development must gain momentum in all areas."
4,996 single- and multi-family houses in timber construction were approved in Bavaria in 2015. This early indicator from the State Statistical Office sets a new record in the readiness for timber construction. In terms of building permits, the timber construction rate is thus already at 19.6 percent. In the last 30 years, never before have so many residential buildings made of wood been planned in Bavaria and the above-mentioned value exceeds the construction completions of 2015 by nine percent or 429 residential buildings.
With a very large majority, the municipal council decided on 22.07.2021 to initiate the urban development measure (SEM) "Nördlich Hafner". The development statute provides the project with a binding legal framework for the city of Constance and the remaining property owners in the area. The decision is also the conclusion of the preparatory studies (VU) that have been running for about four years, in which not only various subject-related studies and the urban development framework plan were developed, but also a comprehensive timetable and a detailed cost and financing overview were drawn up. In total, the development of the approx. 106 ha large area (of which around 60 ha settlement area) including all technical and social infrastructures (e.g. day-care centres, primary school). In the end, income from the allocation of land will result in a largely balanced overall balance.
"With the results of the preparatory studies, valuable foundations have been laid for a speedy development of the area and thus for the creation of affordable housing and commercial space. Even though major tasks still await us in the coming years: Now the development of the Hafner can really take off. I am looking forward to the further joint process of developing the new district for and with the people of Constance," says Construction Mayor Karl Langensteiner-Schönborn.
The development of the first construction phase could begin from the end of 2025, and the completion of all development measures in the third and final construction phase is planned for 2038. Until then, there are still many planning steps to be taken: Further owner discussions and negotiations (with the aim of acquiring the plots or a binding participation of the owners), the further development of the framework plan, in-depth expert opinions, the preparation of development plans as well as the development of an allocation concept for plots are only some of the tasks. For all those involved and interested, there will also be many opportunities in the coming years to inform themselves about the further process and to participate.
In 2016, the municipal council decided that preparatory studies for an urban development measure should be carried out for the Hafner area. After these were completed in May 2021, the project now reaches an important milestone with the consultations on the resolution of a development statute in July 2021.
Over the past four years, the city administration, together with external experts, has investigated the prerequisites for implementing an urban development measure in the area: from a planning, temporal, economic and property rights perspective. The preparatory studies have come to the conclusion that the urban development framework plan for the area, which was adopted by the municipal council at the end of 2019, can be implemented. "The important foundation for a rapid development of affordable housing and commercial space in the Hafner area - over 3,000 residential units and 15 ha of commercial space - has thus been laid," says Mayor Karl Langensteiner-Schönborn.
In contrast to traditional models of building area development, the instrument of urban development measures offers the possibility to prevent land speculation, to involve the owners in the development and to handle and finance the social infrastructure needs in the area through the measure. The instrument distributes obligations and rights fairly between the owners and the common good: investment costs are not socialised and development profits are not privatised, but reinvested for development.
The resolution of a development statute now sets the corresponding legal framework for the development. It is also the starting signal for the next steps in the development process. At the end of 2021, the decision to draw up the development plan for the first construction phase is to follow, and from 2024, the allocation of plots to WOBAK, housing cooperatives, building associations and other developers is to begin via concept procedures. Development of the first construction phase is expected to begin at the end of 2025.
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