At the German Heating Conference, the three central associations of the heating industry, the Federal Association of the German Heating Industry (BDH), the German Wholesale Association of Building Services (DG Haustechnik), and the Central Association of Sanitary, Heating, Air Conditioning (ZVSHK) appealed to the future federal government to include the heating transition in the coming legislative period To push forward.
The heating market, with its enormous energy saving and CO2 reduction potential, could make a decisive contribution to the energy transition. In a joint paper, the associations are calling for the tax incentives for energy modernization measures in existing buildings, which have been discussed for years, to be put into practice.
No funding stop for efficient condensing technology
"If you are serious about the energy transition, the future federal government has to deal with the largest energy consumption sector, the building sector, address more strongly. This cannot be achieved through constraints and prohibitions but requires incentives. Attractive tax incentives open to technology would finally resolve the modernization backlog that has existed for years, ” says BDH President Manfred Greis.
"Together with our market partners, the trade is ready to implement the heating transition," emphasizes Friedrich Budde, President of the ZVSHK. “As a service provider, wholesalers contribute to the success of the energy transition together with their partners from trade and industry. We stand for free competition between technologies. Connection and usage constraints per se are therefore neither economically nor politically sensible,” emphasizes Barbara Wiedemann, 2nd Chairwoman of DG Haustechnik.
Market Incentive Program
In addition to tax subsidies, BDH, ZVSHK, and DG-Haustechnik are in favor of the planned merging of the KfW subsidy programs with those of the Market Incentive Program (MAP) and the associated simplification of the subsidy landscape. However, the associations are critical of the subsidy stops planned for 2019 for highly efficient condensing technology in view of 13 million existing systems with completely outdated calorific value heat generators.
BDH President Manfred Greis made it clear that with the expansion of renewable energies, the importance of heat pumps in existing buildings must and will increase significantly in the long term.
However, in order to increase the renovation rate now at the speed required with a view to the 2030 climate goals, condensing technology with its high market share should not be discriminated against by announcing a subsidy stop. According to the associations, this is cementing the modernization backlog and preventing many potential investors from modernizing their old systems.
