Heating with renewable energy? With photovoltaics?

Published on: June 25, 2021 / Update from: June 26, 2023 - Author: Konrad Wolfenstein

Heating with renewable energy? With photovoltaics? – Image: Xpert.Digital & Studio Harmony|Shutterstock.com

Over two thirds of the residential buildings built in 2020 are heated with renewable energy

A good two thirds (68.8%) of the newly built residential buildings in Germany in 2020 will be heated entirely or partially with renewable energies. As the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) reports, this proportion increased slightly again compared to 2019 (67.2%). In 2015 it was 61.5%. As the primary energy source, i.e. used predominantly for heating, renewable energies were used for the first time in more than half (50.5%) of the total 112,935 new residential buildings in 2020 (2015: 38.0%).

Renewable energies for heating include heat pumps (geothermal energy or environmental thermal energy), solar thermal energy, wood, biogas/biomethane and other biomass. Conventional energy sources include oil, gas and electricity. District heating is another energy source that is not counted as a renewable or conventional energy source in statistics.

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• Do you need further information on the subject of compulsory solar energy in Germany? Then click here: Solar obligation

Heat pumps are the most commonly used type of heating system in new homes

The main primary energy source for heating was heat pumps. They were used as a primary energy source in 45.8% of new residential buildings (2015: 31.4%). Heat pumps are renewable energies and are used to generate energy using geo- and environmental thermal energy.

Installation of gas heating systems continues to decline

The conventional energy source natural gas was used as the second most important primary energy source in 39.0% of new buildings. The share of gas heating as primary heating has continuously decreased in recent years. In 2015 it was 51.5%. 8.0% of new residential buildings were heated primarily with district heating (2015: 7.8%). Oil heating, on the other hand, was only used as primary heating in 776 new residential buildings, which was only 0.7% of new buildings (2015: 1,195 or 1.1%).

Solar thermal energy and wood are the most important secondary heating energy sources

If another (secondary) energy source was used in new residential buildings, these were preferably the renewable energy sources solar thermal energy (14.5%) and wood (13.2%).

Heating with photovoltaics?

Using your own electricity to heat rooms is not such a nonsense. Since the state statutory remuneration for feeding your own electricity from the solar system into the public grid is constantly falling, the idea of ​​expanding the generated and unused electricity to other options is no coincidence. Especially in view of the fact that solar modules are becoming increasingly cheaper and more efficient. As acquisition costs continue to fall and electric heaters become more and more powerful, energy efficiency increases. Good, modern electric heaters have a high level of efficiency, which can be financially profitable in combination with a solar system if you take into account the constantly rising electricity costs from the public power grid. But that alone is not enough. It is not worth it in every case and should be well planned. The use of electricity storage also increases profitability, which is used to bridge time gaps from electricity generation to heat consumption. Strictly speaking, it is only a matter of (short) time before photovoltaic heaters become a serious alternative to conventional heating options.

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Konrad Wolfenstein

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Xpert.Digital – Konrad Wolfenstein

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