Plenary
The plenary session of the Buildings Platform brings together the relevant stakeholders from commerce, civil society, science and the appropriate government ministries. In view of the many substantive links to the responsibilities of the Building Ministry, the plenary session is co-chaired by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy and the Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community (until spring 2017: by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety). This is where the buildings-related findings and updates from the working groups of the two Energy Transition Platforms on “Efficiency” and “Buildings” are discussed. Talks also take place with the Länder in parallel to this.
1st session of the Energy Transition Buildings Platform
The inaugural meeting of the Energy Transition “Buildings” Platform took place in the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy on 3 July 2014. Chaired by Director-General Herdan, Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, the concept of an Energy Efficiency Strategy for Buildings was presented as a holistic strategy. It was drawn up in 2015 in the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy with input from the relevant stakeholders. The strategy aims to show a path to a virtually climate-neutral building stock by 2050. Following the event, the participants and all the interested stakeholders had the opportunity to send in proposals for measures which might make a useful contribution towards the strategy.
The 250-plus proposals received were assessed, and some have since been included in the National Action Plan on Energy Efficiency (NAPE), which was published in December 2014 and includes the key principles of the Energy Efficiency Strategy for Buildings.
2nd session of the Energy Transition Buildings Platform
The second session of the platform took place on 8 October 2014. Following the opening event of the Energy Transition Buildings Platform, the stakeholders submitted more than 250 proposals for ways to achieve the goal of a virtually climate-neutral building stock. Together with scientific experts, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy evaluated these proposals and calculated the respective contribution towards energy conservation by the relevant measures. These quantifications were presented at the meeting by the consortium of scientists.
Furthermore, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy and the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety reported about the coordination of the various activities, and particularly the National Action Plan on Energy Efficiency (Economic Affairs Ministry) and the 2020 Climate Action Plan (Environment Ministry). The two initiatives were subsequently adopted by the Federal Cabinet on 3 December 2014.
3rd session of the Energy Transition Buildings Platform
The 3rd session of the Energy Transition Buildings Platform was held on 5 March 2015. Co-chairs Herdan (Economic Affairs Ministry) and Hoffmann (Environment Ministry) presented the developments since the last session in October 2014. Working groups have been designed in the framework of the Energy Transition “Efficiency” and “Building” Platforms so that a small group of experts in the field can discuss selected issues in greater depth. The findings and status of their work are discussed in the plenary sessions of the platforms.
The Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety presented the Alliance for Affordable Housing and Building (in German), which is working on ways to meet the rising demand for housing in certain regions. Attention must be paid to social, demographic and energy-related requirements. Here again, appropriate working groups have been established.
Further to this, experts from various divisions of the ministries presented the work being done in the fields of energy conservation legislation, the research network for energy in buildings and neighbourhoods, the renewable energy Market Incentive Programme (MAP), the CO2 building renovation programme, energy advice, tailored renovation roadmaps for specific buildings, and the heating check.
4th session of the Energy Transition Buildings Platform
The 4th session of the Energy Transition Buildings Platform took place on 9 December 2015 and was co-chaired by Directors-General Herdan (Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy) and Hoffmann (Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety). The talks mainly focused on the Energy Efficiency Strategy for Buildings, which was adopted by the Federal Cabinet on 18 November 2015, and the study on which the strategy is based. According to the strategy, it is possible to attain the Federal Government’s target of a virtually climate-neutral building stock by 2050, but only if a comprehensive catalogue of measures is deployed. In addition to the further development and enhanced dovetailing of existing measures, mention was made not least of the forthcoming revision and merging of the Energy Conservation Act, Energy Conservation Ordinance and Renewable Energy Heat Act, the tailored renovation roadmaps for specific buildings and the Energy Efficiency Incentive Programme.
The Federal Environment Ministry presented the 2015 Climate Action Report, which was also adopted by the Federal Cabinet on 18 November 2015. The Climate-friendly Building and Housing strategy combines energy efficiency with other measures to tackle global warming. The Building Cost Reduction Commission’s report was also presented. The Environment Ministry’s housing construction campaign and its 10-point plan aim to counteract price rises and create affordable housing.
5th session of the Energy Transition Buildings Platform
Just over half a year after the adoption of the Energy Efficiency Strategy for Buildings, the fifth plenary session of the Energy Transition Buildings Platform was held on 17 June 2016. Co-chaired by Director-General Herdan (Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy) and Deputy Director-General Fehn Krestas (Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety), the meeting discussed current building-related issues. Topics included the presentation of the "Deutschland macht's effizient" (in German) efficiency campaign, the implementation of the National Action Plan on Energy Efficiency and the Energy Efficiency Strategy for Buildings, and the implementation and further development of efficiency measures. Discussions also focused on the forthcoming revision and merging of the Energy Conservation Act, Energy Conservation Ordinance and Renewable Energy Heat Act to form a “Buildings Energy Act”.
The Environment Ministry also presented the ideas-generating competition to make people enthusiastic about climate-friendly building.
The working groups generally take place in tandem with the Energy Efficiency Platform.
6th session of the Energy Transition Buildings Platform
The 6th session of the Energy Transition Buildings Platform was held on 24 January 2017. The session was co-chaired by Directors-General Herdan (Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy) and Thomas (Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety). The discussions were dominated by the revision of legislation on energy conservation in buildings (Buildings Energy Act). Prior to this, a report was given about numerous activities by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy in the field of buildings. The meeting also looked at the heating optimisation programme, the EnEff.Gebäude.2050 energy efficiency funding programme for buildings, the Global Alliance for Building & Construction, the Energy Efficiency Green Paper and the research network on energy in buildings and neighbourhoods. The Federal Environment Ministry presented the 2050 Climate Action Plan, which was also adopted by the Federal Cabinet on 14 November 2016, particularly focusing on the parts relating to buildings. The Plan flags up the basic principles for the implementation of Germany’s long-term climate strategy.
7th session of the Energy Transition Buildings Platform
The 7th session of the Energy Transition Buildings Platform was held on 4 September 2017. The event looked back at various policy processes relating to buildings in previous legislative terms. Director-General Herdan pointed in particular to the National Action Plan on Energy Efficiency (NAPE) and the Energy Efficiency Strategy for Buildings (ESG), the Green Paper and the tailored renovation roadmaps for specific buildings, as well as the development and implementation of the funding strategy of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. There were also new developments to report at European level: in 2018-2019, the EU Member States are called on to present an integrated National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) for the 2021-2030 period. Other topics included the Heating Network Systems 4.0 model project and planned studies to prepare the Buildings Energy Act.
The Environment Ministry provided an outlook of issues like the implementation of the 2050 Climate Action Plan and the increased focus on the issue of neighbourhood development and “grey energy”.
8th session of the Energy Transition Buildings Platform
The 8th session of the Energy Transition Buildings Platform was held in the Senate Hall of Humboldt University on 20 June 2018. Co-chaired by Director-General Herdan (Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy) and Deputy Director-General Fehn Krestas (Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community), the meeting discussed key issues for the legislative term. This included the current process of developing the tailored renovation roadmaps and an overview of the current status of the Buildings Energy Act. The session also presented the Energy Efficiency Dialogue to the participants. The evaluation of the “Germany makes it efficient” campaign has shown that the public attitude to energy efficiency is already positive, but that there is still a lack of awareness of the funding available. The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy has therefore launched the Energy Efficiency Dialogue to get the message across to energy consumers by working together with stakeholders like associations, chambers, energy agencies, the Länder and the municipalities.
The Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community presented the competition for ideas entitled Re:frame Energieeffizienz (in German).