Gas dependency on Russia: engineer names an extreme example - and explains possible solutions

Created: 03/11/2022, 22:20

By: Jonas Napiletzki

Arithmetically, about half of the gas heating systems are supplied by Russia.

A short-term exchange is not possible everywhere - but savings are.

© Thomas Plettenberg

During the Ukraine conflict, Germany's dependence on Russia for gas also came into focus.

Engineer Thomas Böttler from Miesbach explains what can be done about it.

County – Fossil fuels like gas and oil are becoming increasingly unpredictable.

Both in terms of price and security of supply.

How is the supply in the district?

And what can be done about dependence on Russia in the short, medium and long term?

Ukraine conflict: Gas dependency on Russia - "Get a receipt for omissions"

Thomas Böttler works freelance for the Est engineering office in Miesbach.

When asked, the qualified engineer says: "We are now getting the receipt for the failures of the past 30 years." 50 percent of natural gas is at stake.

The energy turnaround – planned for a long time – did not happen.

"That's my conclusion - without malice." The district would not be in front of a shambles.

"But the energy transition that has been achieved is pathetic compared to what could have been done." Photovoltaics and wind turbines could never be expanded as quickly as is now necessary.

That's why the problem is so complex.

Ukraine war: gas from Russia - pellet heating makes sense according to engineer

"I have a gas heater myself," says Böttler.

20 years old, nearing the end of its term.

The engineer is not alone in this.

According to Energie Südbayern (ESB), 233 gas house connections were newly built in 2021 in the area of ​​the Hausham site.

"It was only in this region that CO2 emissions of more than 700 tons per year could be saved by eliminating old oil heating systems," writes an ESB spokeswoman.

But: "Gas saves only about 30 to 35 percent CO2 compared to oil heating," says Böttler.

There are many climate-friendly alternatives, but they do not fit everywhere.

Pellet heating would not be recommended as a solution by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

"But the recommendation applies to the whole world." Here in the region, however, the potential for residual wood is "by no means exhausted".

However, the systems need a lot of space, which is not available everywhere.

Photovoltaic systems and solar thermal energy, for example, have a lot of potential, as do wind turbines, which have been "politically prevented".

One has to consider whether one can still afford the 10H regulation, says the engineer.

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Ways out of the gas dependency on Russia - renovations offer great potential

Meanwhile, solar has “a hole in the winter”, which can be plugged with biopower, storage technologies and geothermal energy.

"Technologically, the storage devices are not yet fully developed." So what can be done to counteract the dependency?

The engineer doesn't mention really quick solutions either.

According to Böttler, even those who want to rely on renewable energies in the short term will not get a craftsman.

But the expert has a solution in store: “We have to renovate old buildings.” In the district, 80 to 85 percent of the buildings are old, meaning they were built in the last millennium.

If you were to renovate the energy, you could "easily save" on the proportion of gas that comes from Russia.

Here, however, care must be taken to ensure that there is no rebound effect, i.e. more energy is consumed again as a result of the savings, for example through a quantitative increase in consumers.

Because renovations are not possible immediately, Böttler urges thrift, for example with outdoor lighting.

"We have to tighten our belts." If things go badly, then next winter you can only heat half the house.

"This is an extreme example, but it was no different in the past."

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