As of: March 1, 2024, 6:00 a.m
By: Christoph Peters
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The heat pump is considered an important component for climate-friendly heating.
© DPA
Heating in Germany should become more climate-friendly.
The heat pump plays an important role here.
But it wasn't just the debate about the heating law that recently put a damper on the industry in the district.
What the guild and companies say about development.
District - It's news that should actually be a reason for celebration from an industry perspective.
According to the Federal Heat Pump Association, 356,000 heating heat pumps were sold in Germany in 2023 - more than ever before in one year and an increase of over 50 percent.
“The demand for heat pumps has generally developed positively in the last year,” says Roland Streim.
This also applies to the district, although the managing director of the Oberland guild for sanitary, heating and air conditioning technology cannot provide any specific figures.
But demand has fallen significantly since the middle of last year, says Streim.
“This is clearly due to the uncertainty caused by the unnecessary discussions about the heating law.” The managing director criticizes that the legislature made “massive mistakes” when revising the Building Energy Act (GEG).
The result: Companies like Haustechnik Oberland GmbH in Weilheim suddenly experienced a rush for fossil oil and gas heating systems after the heat pump boom in the spring.
For its managing director Christian Lorenz, whose company says it installs around 100 heaters per year, there are of course other factors that dampened demand for heat pumps in the second half of the year.
Lorenz knows that many customers have been waiting in the past few months to see where the funding journey would take them.
In many places it is still unclear what municipal heat planning will look like.
This also makes homeowners hesitate when deciding on a new heating system.
Because if you live where a local heating network will later be built, connecting to it may be a better and cheaper option.
And from Lorenz's point of view, there is another problem that the heat pump has to contend with.
“The best support would be a cheaper electricity price.
“Other countries are already further along,” emphasizes the managing director.
Finally, the easing of oil and gas prices may have contributed to the recent increase in demand for fossil fuels.
Almost 700,000 new gas heaters were installed across Germany in 2023, twice as many as heat pumps, according to Streim.
New construction projects are missing
The crisis in the construction industry also made itself felt last year.
The number of new building projects in which heat pumps are now often the heating method of choice has fallen significantly.
“The classic single-family home is missing,” says Maximilian Barnickel, owner of the Peitingen company Wechner Heat Pumps.
There is still a lot of half-knowledge among people about heat pumps, some of which is very negative.
Barnickel notes that the uncertainty surrounding the heating law contributed to the situation.
After all, the new regulation has finally been in force since the beginning of the year.
But people are not entirely happy with the conditions that now apply in this country.
Up to 70 percent funding is available.
“But you have to read the small print,” says Lorenz.
Only those who meet several conditions, such as having a certain income and switching as quickly as possible, will receive the full amount.
In addition, the eligible costs are now capped at 30,000 euros.
According to Barnickel, it could happen that, especially for more expensive renovation projects, there is less subsidy than with the current funding.
The process has also become “incredibly complex,” criticizes Peitinger.
“Our guild is fundamentally open to the heating law,” says Streim.
Ultimately, the goal must be to generally reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
We therefore do not believe in the opposition's demands to withdraw it in the current version.
“From our point of view, it is important that the federal government maintains the funding framework and, if possible, increases the funding rates again.
Only if we succeed in stabilizing the funding can we expect demand for modern heating systems to pick up again.” Whether that will be enough for another record year for heat pumps remains to be seen.
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