Cutting emissions from Germany's living rooms
The heat is on to make German buildings 'nearly' climate-neutral
Heating has so far taken a back seat to the German energy transition's poster child, the power sector. But the Wärmewende, or heat transition, is essential for Germany to cut emissions and reach climate neutrality. Key to the transition is phasing out fossil-fuelled heating in nearly 22 million buildings. Getting homeowners, tenants and landlords on board has, however, proven a complicated task. Stakeholders largely agree that the energy use in German buildings must fall. But which technologies need scaling up to bring emissions down? Read the analysis here.
Heating 40 million homes – the hurdles to phasing out fossil fuels in German basements
Germany's more-than 40 million homes emit over nine percent of total emissions – most of which by far arise through the heating of rooms and water. But convincing households to switch heating system is far from straightforward in a maze of boilers, buildings, interdependent investment decisions and users. This factsheet describes how German homes are heated and the complications on the path to climate-friendlier living rooms. Read the factsheet here.
Germany’s geothermal sector is struggling to take off
While geothermal energy is a viable alternative to curb emissions for heating and cooling, fears and high costs have limited its expansion. But in Germany, the states Bavaria and now Baden Wurttemberg are forging ahead. The potential of geothermal energy, especially for heating, is particularly enticing. Read the article here.
Geothermal energy – Germany's largely untapped renewable heat source
This factsheet provides an overview of deep and shallow geothermal energy's use in Germany and their potential to cut CO2 emissions in heating. Read the factsheet here.
