Environment Minister Robert Habeck's demand that Germany should do without oil and gas heating in future raises the question of options.
An overview.
Munich – The German federal government has declared climate protection to be an important goal and, following the ban on combustion engines, is now also planning to end oil and gas heating.
Robert Habeck, Federal Minister for Economics and the Environment from the Greens, is aiming for the abolition of fossil fuels by 2045 at the latest.
From as early as 2024, only heating systems that are operated with at least 65 percent renewable energies should be allowed to be installed.
But what are the alternatives when oil and gas are no longer available?
According to the
Federal Statistical Office
, around half of the 41 million households in Germany are currently heated with natural gas and every fourth house with oil.
There are already some alternatives, but which one is recommended for the future?
Oil and gas heating on the verge of extinction: what can be used for heating in the future?
Many will have to replace their disused heaters in the near future, and some are considering anticipating the requirements.
However, the conversion is only cheap for owners in the rarest of cases.
Alternatives to conventional heating systems could be the following renewable energies in addition to the heat pumps favored by the federal government:
solar thermal
infrared heating
Wood and pellet stoves
heat pump
Which system is best for this depends on individual criteria.
Energy consultant Thomas Zwingmann from the
NRW consumer advice center
emphasizes that the insulation of the residential building plays an important role.
The size of the heating surface and the number of residents are also decisive.
Heat pumps instead of oil and gas heating: the ideal solution from Habeck and Co. for the future
For the future, the heat pump is considered a promising alternative to gas and oil heating.
It can be operated without fossil fuels and thus meets government requirements for new heating systems.
This is a clear advantage over dependence on gas and oil, as the Ukraine war has shown.
Advantages: | Disadvantages: |
|---|---|
grant from the federal government | High initial investment |
Works without gas, oil or wood, thus fulfilling future requirements | Hardly any availability, therefore long waiting times |
Can be completely emission-free when combined with solar energy | Poor insulation can become a cost trap |
However, electricity is also required to operate the heat pumps.
The thermal insulation of the house plays an important role.
Good insulation improves the efficiency of the heating technology and thus helps determine the costs.
With poor insulation, as is often the case with old buildings, high operating costs quickly arise.
The initial investments in heat pumps are also high, but the state subsidizes them by up to 35 percent.
Another problem is the availability of equipment.
There is also a lack of skilled workers to install the complex heat pumps.
As early as summer 2022, the broadcaster
ntv
spoke of "several months of waiting time" for the modern systems.
Heating with wood: a tried and tested method – but will it also have a future once oil and gas are gone?
The idea of heating with wood is not new - for many people in Germany it is even tried and tested.
But is it also sustainable?
According to expert opinion, it is a cheaper heat supply than gas and oil, but it is by no means climate-neutral.
According to the Federal Ministry for the Environment and Climate Protection, the CO₂ emissions per heat unit produced are even higher than with fossil fuels.
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Fireplace instead of gas heating: How useful is heating with wood for consumers?
And how climate neutral?
© Viktoryia Verstak/Imago
The pellet method is more recommended;
it is both cheap and significantly more environmentally friendly, reports the
NDR
.
The pellets are a by-product of wood processing and automatically slide into the stove when needed, unlike wood-burning stoves, which have to be operated manually.
However, the alternative requires electricity for replenishment and requires its own storage space, which sometimes has to be purchased in a complex and expensive manner.
Electric heaters instead of oil and gas - can become a cost trap
Electricity-driven heat sources such as fan heaters and infrared heaters are cheap to buy, but the high power consumption can also lead to high operating costs.
Energy consultant Inse Ewen from the consumer advice center in Bremen
estimates the monthly expenses for fan heaters
at 90 to 100 euros a month.
Fan heaters are also only suitable as a selective heat source.
The entire room cannot be heated with it.
Although infrared heaters are cheaper to buy, they can also become a cost trap due to the rise in electricity prices.
However, they could be a good option for owners of photovoltaic systems.
According to
focus.de,
the costs can be significantly reduced by the self-generated electricity.
Solar power can also be used for heating – but so far only in connection with oil and gas
The heat supply by solar energy is possible, but only works as a support.
Solar thermal converts solar energy into heat according to the principle of photovoltaics.
However, this does not mean that one is not yet independent of fossil fuels.
According to the consumer center,
the systems are more suitable
as a supporting heat source: 15 to 20 percent of gas consumption could be saved as a result.
Experts currently see the best solution in hybrid systems that combine several heating systems.
In combination with solar energy and heat pumps, a heating system can be created that "can run completely without CO₂ emissions," explains energy expert and consumer advocate Zwingmann.
This article was created with the help of machines and carefully checked by the editor Romina Kunze before publication.
List of rubrics: © Viktoryia Verstak/Imago
