Pressemitteilung -
Kehler: “German Building Energy Act Must Finally Create Trust and Technological Neutrality.”
On the occasion of today’s German Heating Conference in Berlin, Dr. Timm Kehler, Chariman of the association Die Gas- und Wasserstoffwirtschaft (The Gas and Hydrogen Industry), calls for a fundamental revision of the German Building Energy Act (GEG):
“The misery in the German heating market and the significant uncertainty among modernizers clearly show: the German Building Energy Act has failed spectacularly. The intention to advance climate protection in the building sector is right — but the implementation falls short, is overly complex, and ultimately socially unjust.
Technologies such as gas hybrid systems, biomethane, or H₂-ready solutions are included in the law but are effectively blocked in practice by excessive requirements. At the same time, key questions regarding the availability and cost of electricity and district heating remain unanswered — even though many citizens need clarity precisely in these areas.
Particularly troubling is the one-sided mandatory consultation rule: anyone choosing a new gas heating system — an option explicitly permitted by the GEG when using biogas — is legally required to seek advice. Yet customers are left in the dark about the risks of future electricity or district heating prices. This undermines trust and distorts fair competition between solutions.
We need a true overhaul of the GEG: away from technological restrictions and towards fair competition. Whether heat pump, district heating, or green gas — what matters is that the solution fits the property and the budget, and that the building’s CO₂ balance is put at the center. Instead of focusing solely on achieving a 65-percent share of renewables in heating, the overall CO₂ footprint of the building should be the key metric — combining renewable heating sources, heating efficiency, and previous modernization efforts to the building envelope. Affordable climate protection in buildings requires more than just the use of renewables.”
Kategorien
Als Stimme der Branche bündelt der Verband DIE GAS- UND WASSERSTOFFWIRTSCHAFT e.V. die Interessen seiner Mitglieder und setzt sich dafür ein, dass die Potenziale von Wasserstoff und seiner Derivate sowie Biogas und Erdgas inklusive der dazugehörigen Infrastruktur genutzt werden. Zudem informiert er über die Chancen, die gasförmige Energieträger für ein klimaneutrales als auch resilientes Energiesystem bieten, und treibt die Transformation der Branche hin zu neuen Gasen voran. Der Verband wird von führenden Unternehmen der Energiewirtschaft getragen und umfasst die gesamte Wertschöpfungskette von Produktion, Transport, Verteilung bis hin zu Handel, Vertrieb und Anwendungen. Weitere Branchenverbände und Industrieunternehmen unterstützen ihn als Partner.
