The German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) is expanding its funding for fuel cell heating systems. With immediate effect, you can apply to KfW for attractive subsidies for the installation of fuel cell heating systems in both all residential and non-residential buildings. Private individuals, freelancers, small and medium-sized enterprises (including contractors) as well as municipal and non-profit organisations are eligible to apply.
The subsidy is available for fuel cell heating systems with an electrical output of up to 5 kW that are installed either as part of a refurbishment or a new build. Depending on the electrical output, a subsidy of up to 28,200 euros per installed fuel cell is possible.
The aim of extending the funding is to establish the pioneering fuel cell technology for supplying electricity and heat in buildings on a broad market. Fuel cell heating systems are significantly more efficient than conventional combined heat and power systems. The natural gas or biogas used is utilised much more efficiently, which also leads to lower CO2 emissions.
Grant funding for fuel cell heating systems is part of the German government's "Energy Efficiency Incentive Programme". It supplements the existing KfW programmes for energy-efficient construction and renovation. Since the programme was launched in August 2016, the installation of over 900 fuel cell heating systems, primarily in detached and semi-detached houses, has been supported with grants of around 13 million euros.
On 23 November, Prof. Dr. Dr. habil. Gerd Wegener passed on his office as spokesman for the Forestry and Wood Cluster in Bavaria. The handover of office took place at the Bavarian Ministry of Agriculture as part of a ceremony held to mark the 10th anniversary of the cluster initiative and the 5th anniversary of proHolz Bayern.
Forestry Minister Helmut Brunner expressly thanked Wegener for his outstanding services to the Bavarian forestry and timber industry and awarded him the Bavarian State Medal in Gold on his farewell as cluster spokesman. Wegener's successor is a dual leadership that simultaneously stands for science and practice as well as for the forestry and timber industry.
Amandus Samsøe Sattler elected new DGNB President | Photo: DGNB
With the architect Amandus Samsøe Sattler, the German Sustainable Building Council - DGNB e.V. has a new president. He succeeds Prof. Alexander Rudolphi, who will continue his work on the association's executive committee. The change was announced today during the DGNB Sustainability Day in Stuttgart. The election was held on the eve of the event by the ten members of the DGNB Executive Committee. Samsøe Sattler will initially take over the office until the next DGNB general meeting in the middle of next year.
"I am very pleased about the trust placed in me," says Amandus Samsøe Sattler, who has been volunteering as part of the DGNB Executive Committee since 2015. Many developments in recent years, such as the launch of the "Phase Sustainability" initiative, have made the new representative function within the DGNB even more interesting for him, says Samsøe Sattler. Therefore, there will be no fundamental change of course with him as president - on the contrary. "I consider the cooperation with the DGNB office to be very valuable and would like to continue the path the DGNB has taken in recent years." He sees a central task for himself in introducing the topics of sustainability even more strongly to architects, engineers and building owners from the real estate industry.
"We work hand in hand as a team on the board of the DGNB," explains the founder and managing director of the Munich office Allmann Sattler Wappner Architekten. "This will also be the case in the future, except that I will additionally represent our board even more strongly in the future." He is pleased that Alexander Rudolphi will continue to contribute his extensive experience to the DGNB.
Prof. Alexander Rudolphi remains active in the DGNB Executive Committee
The DGNB Executive Committee (from left to right) 1st row: Barbara Ettinger-Brinckmann (Bundearchitektenkammer), Prof. Anett-Maud Joppien (TU Darmstadt), Amandus Samsøe Sattler (Allmann Sattler Wappner Architekten), Prof. Dr.- Ing.Ing. Anke Karmann-Woessner (City of Karlsruhe) 2nd row: Prof. Alexander Rudolphi (Rudolphi + Rudolphi), Prof. Matthias Rudolph (Transsolar), Hermann Horster (BNP Paribas Real Estate), Martin Haas (haascookzemmrich - STUDIO 2050) absent: Dr.-Ing. Peter Mösle (Drees & Sommer), and Prof. Josef Steretzeder (Lindner) to the DGNB Presidium. Photo: DGNB
Prof. Alexander Rudolphi had held the post as DGNB president for a total of eight years - as founding president in the first year of the association in 2007 and in the last seven years since 2013. "The DGNB has been on a very good path for many years. The core requirements of the assessment and certification system are more correct and up-to-date today than ever before," explains Rudolphi. "At the same time, I am increasingly impatient that the necessary progress is not being made fast enough politically and in the market. Here I would like to work even harder for our common goals in the future. For this I would like more freedom - both in terms of time and content. With Amandus Samsøe Sattler, I know that the office is in the very best hands." In the future, the civil engineer wants to work especially in the political arena in Berlin and for a stronger regional spread of the DGNB in the north-east of Germany.
In addition to Amandus Samsøe Sattler and Prof. Alexander Rudolphi (Rudolphi + Rudolphi), other members include Barbara Ettinger-Brinckmann (Bundearchitektenkammer), Martin Haas (haascookzemmrich - STUDIO 2050), Hermann Horster (BNP Paribas Real Estate), Prof. Anett-Maud Joppien (TU Darmstadt), Prof. Dr.- Ing.Ing. Anke Karmann-Woessner (City of Karlsruhe), Dr.-Ing. Peter Mösle (Drees & Sommer), Prof. Matthias Rudolph (Transsolar) and Prof. Josef Steretzeder (Lindner) to the DGNB Executive Committee.
Various key topics are on the DGNB's agenda for the coming months. For example, cooperation with municipalities in the area of sustainability and climate protection will be intensified as part of a new initiative. The topic of digitalisation will also play a central role at the DGNB in the next six months. In addition, the activities already initiated at the beginning of the year concerning climate-positive buildings - not only in new buildings, but also in existing buildings - will be further intensified.
Nationwide, construction with wood for buildings up to the high-rise limit is to be made easier and the Model Building Code (MBO) adapted accordingly. This was adopted by the Construction Ministers' Conference (BMK) at the end of the two-day conference in Norderstedt. In addition to climate-friendly construction with a focus on wood, the topic of "affordable housing" was also on the agenda.
Four and a half years after the legal equality of timber construction in the LBO Baden-Württemberg and almost half a year after Bremen, the sixth federal state to break out of the broad phalanx of "timber construction obstructionists", the realisation is now maturing throughout Germany that timber is a particularly environmentally friendly and climate-compatible building material that can be used to solve a wide range of construction tasks well and cost-effectively.
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