Saving PV systems, tiled stoves and electricity: Questions for Starnberg's climate protection manager

Created: 05/12/2022, 11:00 am

By: Laura Forster

A photovoltaic system on the roof makes the most sense if the highest possible proportion of the self-generated electricity is consumed in the house.

© Marijan Murat

Lots of interesting facts about saving electricity: Josefine Anders, climate protection manager in the district of Starnberg, answers questions about energy.

District – The topic of energy is currently occupying almost every citizen of the district.

“Everyone is talking about the energy transition.

At the latest since the Ukraine war there has been reason to rethink," said District Administrator Stefan Frey recently at the award ceremony for the tenth Energy Prize.

"It's frightening how dependent we are on Russian oil." How present and important the topic of energy is at the moment is also shown by the constantly ringing phones of climate protection manager Josefine Anders and energy and environmental advisor Herbert Schwarz in the district office.

For weeks they have been overwhelmed with questions.

Someone else answers some of them for the Starnberger Merkur.

Ms. Anders, where can I get advice and information on the subject of energy?

There are various options for counseling addresses.

There are currently online lectures almost every day on renovation topics and on everything to do with replacing the heating system, which are listed on the dates page www.lk-starnberg.de/energieveranstaltungen.

Occasionally there are also face-to-face appointments at the various adult education centers.

In addition, the building check or heating suitability check enables those seeking advice at home to have critical points in the house assessed by an energy consultant from the consumer advice center for 30 euros.

There is also a report on the results with recommendations.

However, the consumer advice center has currently stopped accepting new inquiries due to the high demand.

At the end of April, the consumer advice center wants to release the portal again.

The consumer advice center also offers free telephone energy advice consultation hours at the district office once a month.

The next dates are today, May 12th and June 2nd.

Appointments can be made at (0 81 51) 14 87 74 42.

A list of energy consultants working in the district can also be found on the District Office website.

What is the most effective way to save energy?

There are many options.

If you only heat your rooms as warmly as necessary, you protect the environment and save money.

As a rule of thumb: The comfortable temperature is usually 20 degrees Celsius and thermostat setting 3. In the bathroom it can be a little more, in the hallway, kitchen and bedrooms it can also be 2 to 4 degrees less (thermostat setting 2).

Doors should remain closed between rooms of different temperatures.

If you have blinds on the windows, you should lower them at night to keep the heat inside.

It's also worth just putting on a jumper and thick socks or watching the thriller with a blanket on the couch instead of turning the heating up to the max and then sitting in the apartment in a T-shirt.

Ventilation is also an important issue.

Regular airing for a healthy indoor climate with the thermostat turned off is much more energy-efficient than permanently tilted windows.

Switching to environmentally friendly heating systems such as heat pumps, pellet heating systems and solar thermal systems pays off in the long term.

This requires thorough planning and preparation, but there are sometimes generous subsidies for this.

Josefine Anders is climate protection manager at the district office.

© District Office

And what about saving electricity?

With the now very widespread LED bulbs, consumption in lighting can be greatly reduced.

But - even small livestock makes crap.

You should always check where do I really need a lamp, what is just decoration and frills.

I experience again and again that in houses in the district easily 20 to 30 lamps, often still old halogen and light bulbs, are on all evening, from the basement to the roof.

And of course the many devices in standby mode consume a lot of kilowatt hours in total, which can be avoided without loss of comfort.

Even if many people in the district are not hurt by the electricity costs: It is now common sense to reduce electricity consumption wherever possible.

I would like to install a PV system on my roof, how does that work?

To do this, it must first be checked whether the roof is stable enough and whether the electricity consumption is high enough.

Because the PV system only makes sense if as much of the self-generated electricity as possible is consumed in the house.

Then, of course, the alignment of the roof, shading from dormers and trees and possibly also a glare effect on neighboring houses must be considered.

And you should also consider the topic of heating and e-mobility if the current heating is a few years old.

A good professional planner has these aspects on the screen.

There are no direct subsidies or subsidies for PV systems (with the exception of two municipal subsidy programs in Gauting and Seefeld), only battery storage is funded via the PV-Bonus Bayern program if the power storage is installed together with a new PV system.

Incidentally, there will soon be a solar roof cadastre for the district.

You can see what is possible on your own roof and how it pays off.

The implementation of the register is an important concern for district administrator Stefan Frey.

I would like to make my old tiled stove functional again.

How does it work?

This can be done with a new mission.

However, it must meet the minimum requirements of the Federal Immission Control Ordinance.

It is therefore advisable to discuss the craftsman's offer with the chimney sweep.

It also makes sense to choose an oven insert with a water pocket.

Incidentally, only those with a water bag are also eligible, this does not apply to hand-loaded and air-driven tiled stoves, and the eligibility for funding must always be compared with a product list.

See www.bafa.de

What alternative heating options are there?

Environmentally friendly heating systems are heat pumps, pellet heating systems and solar thermal systems.

And also a combination of these.

So it is also conceivable to feed the excess of the PV system into the heating network with a heating element.

Heat pumps are difficult in unrenovated old buildings because the building shell has to match the heating system.

You should understand the basic concepts of building physics and the interaction of building shell, mold and energy consumption.

Last but not least, the insulation condition of a building is not only relevant for the heating costs, but also has a significant influence on the decision-making process for a new, climate-friendly heating system.

And of course the order of the measures must be right and well coordinated.

The best way to do this is with an individually created renovation schedule.