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Heater in front of a restaurant in Würzburg (archive image)
Photo: Daniel Karmann / dpa
When Marija Mladenovska thinks of autumn and winter, she doubts.
Her "Restaurant am Rosengarten" in the Stadtpark Steglitz in Berlin has been running well again for several months, the two large terraces are regularly full.
"When the weather is nice, many guests walk through the park and then eat with us or have a coffee," says Mladenovska.
But what if the days and evenings get cooler?
Because of the corona pandemic, many guests are still cautious and do not want to sit in closed rooms.
That is why the restaurant manager is already looking for suitable heating devices that make staying outdoors pleasant even when the temperatures drop.
Many restaurateurs are plagued by similar concerns as Mladenovska.
In addition to electrically operated heating devices, classic patio heaters could soon celebrate a comeback.
In some cities, they are still banned because of their poor ecological balance - patio heaters are usually operated with propane gas and give off the heat of combustion to the environment.
But they emit a comparatively large amount of carbon dioxide.
The question now arises: environmental protection or health protection?
Ironically, Federal Minister of Economics Peter Altmaier (CDU) recently campaigned for a compromise - that Altmaier who called on Friday for a major, cross-party climate protection offensive.
In the Corona times, it would serve the industry if people were able to "sit safely outside in the autumn and thus contribute to the continued existence of the catering trade," said Altmaier.
The "modest energy costs" of the patio heaters could be offset in terms of climate policy.
Large companies have already developed business models for such CO2 compensation.
"Mulled wine instead of climate-damaging patio heaters"
There is protest against this proposal.
"Altmaier's move shows that he is still taking the climate crisis lightly, despite other apologies for his own neglect," says Lorenz Gösta Beutin, climate and energy policy spokesman for the left-wing parliamentary group in the Bundestag.
Of course, patio heaters are not the main reason why Germany does not achieve its climate goals.
"But one thing is clear: small cattle also make crap."
Therefore, according to the left-wing politician, "hot mulled wine instead of climate-damaging patio heaters must be the motto of the season".
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Surprisingly, some Greens are a little more open at the federal level.
said: "For reasons of climate and environmental policy, we reject the use of patio heaters in the outdoor area in times when you can sit inside a restaurant or café in winter," said parliamentary group leader Anton Hofreiter.
But this winter everything is different.
"Therefore, in this special exceptional situation and with a view to health protection, I would be in favor of temporarily suspending bans."
But on the ground, this attitude is met with little support from the party.
The Green Monika Herrmann, district mayor of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, says: "Setting up patio heaters is not an option."
Climate change is progressing despite Corona.
"Every gram that is additionally blown into the air prevents climate protection and brings us closer to the brink of disaster."
The cities and sometimes the districts determine whether patio heaters are prohibited or not.
Four examples:
In
Berlin
, for example, patio heaters are banned in Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, Mitte or Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf, but allowed in other city districts.
In
Hamburg
, the districts have to approve patio heaters or similar devices.
For environmental reasons, however, they have mostly been banned there so far.
The city of
Tübingen
with its mayor Boris Palmer (Greens) has meanwhile changed its strategy.
Originally, patio heaters for restaurateurs were banned there since 2008.
Due to the corona crisis, the city wants to make an exception.
"It's just better when people sit outside and they want that too," says Palmer.
Under certain conditions, patio heaters will therefore be allowed again.
In
Munich
, the parties in the city council are currently discussing how to deal with the patio heaters.
"It is simply not a good idea to heat the air outside," says Green City Councilor Gudrun Lux. "Gas heaters are clearly the worst option."
Lux wants to prevent the devices from being set up in Munich.
Nevertheless, one must support the local gastronomy.
For example, with heated seats or a windbreak - if necessary with electric patio heaters, but only with green electricity, says Lux. The Munich SPD, coalition partner in the city council, could in principle also imagine patio heaters with gas.
"We favor radiant heaters with green electricity," says SPD city councilor Christian Vorländer.
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However, it is questionable whether electrical alternatives are better for the climate than gas patio heaters.
According to the Federal Environment Agency (UBA), both have roughly the same CO2 emissions.
"In the end, the climate doesn't care where emissions are generated," says Jens Schuberth from the UBA.
After all, only a certain part of the electricity from the socket is obtained from renewable energies.
However, the authority understands when restaurants want to purchase radiant heaters in view of the economic losses: "It is important that the patio heaters are no longer used after the corona crisis," says Schuberth.
Because radiant heaters are still very inefficient.
If a restaurant heats its terrace for an hour, you could heat an interior of the same size with the same energy for about six hours.
Marija Mladenovska wants to equip her "Restaurant am Rosengarten" in Berlin-Steglitz with a winter garden in the future.
For the time being, she abandoned the idea of heating devices.
"We hope that everything will continue to go so well over the next few months," she says.
And: The first regular guests have already reserved for their Christmas parties.
Inside.
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