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Germany: TU and DENA clash on energetic requalifications
Darmstadt technical University and the German Energy Agency debate about the costs/benefits relation of energetic requalifications in buildings.
In Germany, TU Darmstadt, Darmstadt technical University, has recently done a study on energetic requalifications in the green building sector, from which emerges that for the majority of people the costs of renovation works for the energetic saving would be economically prohibitive. The Deutsche Energie-Agentur GmbH (DENA), the German Energy Agency, from its part has another opinion. It answered this study defining it misleading and giving elucidations on the costs/benefits relation of these interventions.
The DENA has, in fact, underlined the points in favour of the energetic efficiency works of a building. According to Stephan Kohler, DENA Chief Executive, these interventions have the purpose of not letting the rent raise too much and avoiding an excessive increase of overhead costs due to the rise of energy prices: the renovation for the energetic saving would result the only efficient measure to limit the increase.
Another disagreement point concerns the renovation costs present in the TU Darmstadt study that Kohler defines not to correspond to truth because of their being too high. For this reason, the German Energy Agency, considering misleading the information published in the TU Darmstadt study, has published a public notice to supply exact information regarding efficiency works. The difference between the two is very deep: DENA calculates 73,000 € against TU 140,000 € for the main energetic requalification works of an ordinary residential building.
Furthermore, DENA highlights that the study considered omits many important details necessary for the right information on the subject of high-energetic efficiency renovations: for example, the aids the Government provided that will overthrow the majority of the interventions’ costs are not named at all. These interventions, if realized, will led to an increase in number of low environmental impact buildings. Apart from that, although aids and costs overthrown have been provided, Kohler suspects that the initial costs to start such interventions of renovation could diminish the possibility people will undertake them.
The DENA has, in fact, underlined the points in favour of the energetic efficiency works of a building. According to Stephan Kohler, DENA Chief Executive, these interventions have the purpose of not letting the rent raise too much and avoiding an excessive increase of overhead costs due to the rise of energy prices: the renovation for the energetic saving would result the only efficient measure to limit the increase.
Another disagreement point concerns the renovation costs present in the TU Darmstadt study that Kohler defines not to correspond to truth because of their being too high. For this reason, the German Energy Agency, considering misleading the information published in the TU Darmstadt study, has published a public notice to supply exact information regarding efficiency works. The difference between the two is very deep: DENA calculates 73,000 € against TU 140,000 € for the main energetic requalification works of an ordinary residential building.
Furthermore, DENA highlights that the study considered omits many important details necessary for the right information on the subject of high-energetic efficiency renovations: for example, the aids the Government provided that will overthrow the majority of the interventions’ costs are not named at all. These interventions, if realized, will led to an increase in number of low environmental impact buildings. Apart from that, although aids and costs overthrown have been provided, Kohler suspects that the initial costs to start such interventions of renovation could diminish the possibility people will undertake them.
