Energy efficiency

Heat pumps are gaining popularity as sustainable heating systems. They can often both heat and cool. However, Peter Kafke from the consumer advice center emphasizes that the heating function is often more important for the energy balance and costs than the cooling function. A high annual coefficient of performance (COP), which is the ratio of heat generated to electricity required, should therefore be aimed for.

Sebastian Herkel from the Fraunhofer Institute ISE advises owners of apartment buildings to invest early in an efficient heating system. They should not wait until their heating system breaks down, but should find out about their options as soon as possible. The reason for this is that properties built in the 1960s may initially require other investments, which then have to be...

In 2023, 64.6 percent of new residential buildings in Germany were equipped with heat pumps as their primary heating source. This proportion has more than doubled since 2014. The use of heat pumps is particularly widespread in detached and semi-detached houses at 68.9 percent, while 41.1 percent of multi-family houses use this technology. This is according to a statement from the Statistical...

Photovoltaic systems with connected battery storage offer the decisive advantage of increasing independence from the public power grid. Users can cover most of their electricity needs themselves by storing solar power generated during the day and using it as required. This not only significantly reduces energy costs, but also improves the energy efficiency of the home.

Civil engineer Ronald Meyer has developed a refurbishment sprint that quickly makes old buildings climate-neutral. In just four weeks, a semi-detached house in Hamburg built in 1963 was completely refurbished in this way to become a KfW Efficiency House 70. This speed is possible thanks to optimized planning and parallel work by different tradesmen. Ronald Meyer's method could increase the refurbishment rate...

Has the introduction of new subsidies for replacing heating systems led to an increase in demand for heat pumps? The answers from the Federal Minister for Economic Affairs, Robert Habeck, and the heating industry differ. "The subsidies, especially for heat pumps, are being accepted more and more," the Federal Minister for Economic Affairs told the Rheinische Post newspaper. The Federal Association...

A milestone has been reached in a project to develop a grid-supporting photovoltaic storage system. Under the coordination of the Center for Applied Energy Research (CAE), an innovative converter-storage unit is entering the demonstration phase, which is designed to smooth out power fluctuations in photovoltaic systems caused by cloud movement. After a three-year development phase, the...

The consumer advice center points out that customers can check their bills for electricity, gas and district heating from the past year. Corresponding price brakes applied, which is why there are some special features to bear in mind. For example, the December discount for gas and heat for private households and small and medium-sized enterprises was abolished. To ensure the correctness of the...

A research team led by Prof. Dr. Stefan Seelecke and Prof. Dr. Paul Motzki from Saarland University has developed a prototype for a refrigerator that cools with nickel-titanium. The refrigerator is operated on the basis of so-called elastocaloric technology. This is based on the simple principle of dissipating heat by means of drawn and relieved nickel-titanium wires. These "artificial...

The efficiency of a heat pump depends on various factors that should be carefully checked. These include the heat source, the size of the radiators and the actual heat requirement. The consumer advice center points this out. In terms of heat sources, groundwater pumps are the most efficient, followed by ground source heat pumps and air source heat pumps. If the radiators are too small...