Cities and municipalities: The energy saving requirements are taking hold

Status: 02/01/2023 10:59 a.m

It is darker at night in cities and it stays cooler in many workplaces: the implementation of the federal energy saving regulations in German cities and municipalities is having an effect. Where and how is it saved?

According to their own statements, cities and communities in Germany are benefiting noticeably from the federal energy saving regulations: the specifications for heating in public buildings, for hot water supply and for illuminating monuments have been implemented “very comprehensively” and in a variety of ways, so that savings potential of around ten Going out up to 20 percent, said Bernd Düsterdiek, Alderman for Urban Development and the Environment at the German Association of Towns and Municipalities, the dpa news agency. This also benefits local government budgets.

180,000 municipal buildings affected

According to Düsterdiek, the annual electricity and heat costs for municipalities in Germany have doubled from around five billion euros to at least ten to 15 billion euros in view of the energy crisis. Around 180,000 municipal buildings nationwide are affected by the savings targets, from the town hall to the library, albeit to different extents. In addition, there would be around two million municipal apartments.

The savings varied in individual areas, said Düsterdiek. Lighting is the biggest consumer of electricity. Municipalities that have already switched to LED could reduce electricity consumption in this area by 70 to 80 percent.

Energy savings in cities

A dpa survey in major German cities showed that the municipalities are recording significant energy savings. For example, Frankfurt is assuming energy savings of five to ten percent for municipal properties. The city is also switching to LED lighting, has been dimming more than half of its approximately 60,000 lanterns between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. for years, and heats rooms, corridors and stairwells in public buildings and bathrooms less.

It was also getting darker in Stuttgart and heating energy was saved, as the city explained. She expects savings in the single-digit percentage range for municipal buildings. In Düsseldorf, around 8,000 gas lanterns in the city area have been switched off between 1:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. since mid-October last year.

According to the city, the gradual switching off of the lighting in public buildings, bridges, monuments and fountains implemented last summer will save energy in Munich. The city of Nuremberg put their energy savings at ten to 30 percent, depending on usage.

What’s next?

According to the Federal Ministry of Economics, gas consumption in Germany is currently below last year’s consumption; A spokeswoman said that electricity consumption in Germany had also fallen significantly last fall. “Our goal is to perpetuate this development and reduce gas consumption in Germany overall. This requires sustained and effective efforts to save energy.”

After the turn of the year, the cabinet decided to extend the conditions, which were initially limited to the end of February, to April 15. The Bundesrat still has to agree to this and has the topic on the agenda for February 10th. Other medium-term measures, such as an obligation to optimize building heating systems, have been in effect for two years since October 1 of last year. The government had issued the rules out of concern about energy shortages. The trigger was the lack of Russian gas deliveries.

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