I. Title of the Best Practice
Rational and Sparing Use of Energy in Buildings and Households
II. Overview of the Best Practice
All experts maintain that the highest potential for CO2 reductions which can be quickly mobilised lies in the area of buildings, in particular in existing flats and houses. The Energy Conservation Act, currently being amended, is a decisive step towards exploiting this CO2 reduction potential.
The adoption of an Energy Conservation Act, which is to combine the Thermal Insulation Ordinance and the Heating Systems Ordinance, is one of the key issues of the German Government's policy concerning buildings, and consequently a central element of the Government's national climate protection programme.
A full evaluation (i.e. an integrated consideration of both the building shell and the sanitation of the building) is important, and should lead to a reduction in 30 -35 % of the average energy consumption for new buildings compared to current standards (low-energy building standards). For constitutional reasons, however, existing buildings can only be included in the standards under certain conditions (only possible in the case of 'fundamental alterations'). For this reason, economic incentives have to be worked with here. |
