November 2021

Three associations are calling for long-term incentives for energy-efficient building modernization with a focus on energy efficiency and electrification and the reduction of CO2 emissions in the building sector. The German Heat Pump Association (BWP), the Central Association of the German Electrical and IT Trades (ZVEH) and the German Electrical and Digital Manufacturers' Association (ZVEI)...

Do special rights apply to individual solar modules of a ground-mounted photovoltaic system? The Federal Court of Justice (BGH) recently dealt with this question and referred back four higher regional court rulings (V ZR 225/19/V ZR 8/20/V ZR 44/20 and V ZR 69/20). The plaintiff in these proceedings was an insolvency administrator of a company that had purchased a photovoltaic system in 2010. This had previously been...

The working group "Die Moderne Küche" (AMK) points out that there are more and more energy and water-saving built-in appliances for kitchens, which more and more customers are opting for. For example, dishwashers can save water compared to normal dishwashing. In addition, built-in appliances from the refrigeration product area are also particularly sustainable....

The 5G mobile communications standard, which enables high-speed data transmission, can have an impact on property values. This is the result of a study entitled "Value impact of mobile phone systems on property prices for single-family home use in rural areas". Heribert Franz Pölzl published this in May 2021 at the Department of Building and Environment at Danube University Krems in...

There is a new Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for sand-lime bricks. Environmental Product Declarations provide information on the environmental impact and life cycle of individual components. The new EPD was created in accordance with ISO 14025 and the new DIN 15804+A2 standard and includes data records from 52 German sand-lime brick manufacturing plants from 2019. It is valid until 2026. According to information from the...

With the "Building Forum Climate Neutral", the German Energy Agency (dena) has created a new platform for climate-neutral construction and refurbishment. On this page, dena has broken down information on topics such as "Serial refurbishment according to the energy-saving principle", "Figures, data and facts on the building sector" and "Green & sustainable finance". In addition...

The sale and installation of a stairlift are contracts for work and services that can be revoked within 14 days. This was decided by the Federal Court of Justice (BGH) following a complaint by a consumer advice center against a distributor of curved stairlifts. In the case in question, the distributor of curved stairlifts had not provided its customers with a statutory right of...

Which bouquets are in demand in fall and winter? And how can they be re-tied? The portal schoener-wohnen.de provides answers to these questions. In addition to simple bouquets, a photo gallery also shows more eye-catching bouquets. For example, those who prefer simplicity can opt for a dried bouquet of riding grass and foxtail in brown and red. Also...

Hamburg Commercial Bank AG (HCOB) and the Frankfurt School Blockchain Center (FSBC) at the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management have published a study on the tokenization of real estate using blockchain technology. In it, they conclude that this method can revolutionize the conservative real estate market. According to HCBO and FSCB, the tokenization of a property...

Creating the conditions for more digitalization and less democracy in construction - this is what Tim Müller, Managing Director of the German Construction Industry Association (HDB), and Oliver Wittke, Managing Director of the German Property Federation (ZIA), are calling for from politicians. Among other things, they are proposing a digital completeness check of application documents for...