15. Resolving the modernization backlog in the boiler room

Nearly 80 percent of energy consumption at home is attributable to heating and hot water. The boilers are often out of date. Some three-quarters of heating boilers in Germany are no longer state of the art.

The promotion of new and efficient equipment helps to save energy and it thereby also helps to save money and to protect the climate. This is why the German Federal Government supports the installation of modern solar water heaters, wood heaters and heat pumps, and plans to double their share by 2020.

The Renewable Energies Heat Act requires builders to partially meet the heat demand of new buildings through the use of solar energy, biomass geothermal energy or ambient heat. For the modernization of an existing heating system, the market incentive program (MAP) allows for investment grants for solar and wood heating systems and heat pumps - depending on the size and condition of the heating system.

By switching from an old oil or gas heating system to a renewable heating system, consumers can reduce their heating costs. A model calculation by the Renewable Energy Agency (AEE) shows that compared to an old oil heating system, a modern wood pellet heating system can save a total of almost 80,000 Euros in costs over an operation period of 20 years, not to mention savings in greenhouse gas emissions.