Energy efficiency

The Solar Decathlon Europe, according to the organizers the world's largest university competition for sustainable building and living, is being held in Germany for the first time. The event is also open to the general public: from Friday, June 10, to Sunday, June 26, visitors can find out more about sustainable building and living, architecture and climate protection free of charge.

Interested parties have until Wednesday, June 8, to decide who will receive the "Blue Compass" public award for exemplary climate adaptation projects. Of the 240 applications received by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUV) and the Federal Environment Agency (UBA), 20 projects have been nominated. The federal "Blue Compass" award is being jointly organized this year for the first time by the...

Since May 1st, newly built houses in Baden-Württemberg must be equipped with solar roofs. The energy advice service of the consumer advice center points this out. Existing properties must be retrofitted from 2023 at the earliest. This so-called solar obligation will then also follow in other federal states. In Berlin and Hamburg, the installation of solar systems will be mandatory from...

Testing building automation and building management systems can ensure greater energy efficiency and save costs. This is the conclusion reached by TÜV Süd, which supports operators, owners and users in optimizing the energy efficiency of new and existing buildings. To this end, it offers a monitoring service that can be used to identify optimization potential or...

Specific support programs need to be strengthened so that low-income households can save on electricity costs. This is the conclusion of the ZEW policy brief published by the ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research in Mannheim and the University of Heidelberg, which is based on an empirical analysis of the "Electricity Saving Check". However, according to the ZEW, the funding programs should not...

Heating in Germany has become more expensive due to the CO2 tax, which has been levied since 2021. Until now, tenants have had to bear the additional costs alone. However, this is set to change on January 1, 2023. The CO2 tax is then to be split between tenants and landlords. To this end, the German government recently agreed on a phased model for residential buildings. According to...

The GDW Federal Association of German Housing and Real Estate Companies recently published various tips on the subject of "saving energy" to mark the current situation. These include lowering the room temperature. According to the association, temperatures of 20 to 22 degrees are sufficient during the heating period. If the apartment is aired, the heating should be turned off beforehand to reduce energy costs.

A technology for optimizing solar systems is the goal of the Dig4morE joint project, which includes the Helmholtz Institute Erlangen-Nuremberg and the photovoltaic companies Sunsniffer, Aquila Capital and Sunset Energietechnik. The project partners want to use artificial intelligence to develop a methodology that suggests optimization measures for solar installations. Thanks to the...

The United Income Tax Association points out that - in view of the rise in energy costs - it can be worthwhile investing in renovation measures using renewable energies in your own home. Owners can claim up to 20 percent of the costs and up to 40,000 euros in tax relief for energy-efficient refurbishment measures. This is regulated in paragraph 35c, section 1 of the...

The Ethouse Award 2022 from the ARGE Quality Group for Thermal Insulation Systems (QG WDS) was recently presented in Vienna. This prize is awarded to those responsible for holistically realizing the topic of energy efficiency with regard to renovations and setting architectural impulses with a thermal insulation system. The prizes in the categories "Public Buildings", "Residential Buildings with...