In Germany, more than a quarter of total energy consumption is directed toward heating and hot water in private homes. By applying energy-saving measures, this demand and the related CO2 emissions could be reduced by up to 80%.
The 14.5 million single-family and semidetached houses in Germany offer a high energy- saving potential. In spite of the technical feasibility and the economic advantages of energy-saving measures, many home owners yet hesitate to refurbish their homes energy efficiently. Only one percent of all single-family and semidetached houses per year are refurbished in an energy efficient way, while a number of three percent appears to be feasible in technical and economical terms. A deficient market transparency as well as insufficient information and lacking motivation seem to be the main reasons for absent action.
The team of ENEF-Haus presumes that many campaigns and governmental subsidies are not adequately adapted to the specific needs of home owners and their motivations. For example, short-term campaigns often fail, since they are not adjusted to the renewal cycles of heating systems and the building envelope. Regulations as the German energy saving ordinance (Energieeinsparverordnung – EnEV) and the energy performance certificate raise awareness for energy issues. However, without good follow-up advice by competent consultants these measurements will have little impact on behaviour. Ordinary craftsmen often recommend measures exclusively in the line of their particular craft and do not see the potentials of an integrated course of action.
The main objective of the project ENEF-Haus is to increase the rate of energy-efficient refurbishment of single-family and semidetached houses. For this an integrated policy and consulting approach will be developed which matches the needs and the specific situations of different target groups.
The approach includes the specific economic and social situation of private home owners, their knowledge base, their social networks, their lifestyles, their attitudes towards energy, environment, and technology as well as the specific technical conditions of their homes.
On this basis we are developing recommendations for the designing of policy instruments and elaborate communication and consulting strategies which meet the needs of different target groups.
The findings of the project are particularly useful for following application areas:
The main deliverables of the project will be:
Two features of the project are particularly important: first, the project will emphasize the daily-life perspective of home owners, which often differs significantly from an expert’s view; additionally, the project team will cooperate very closely with actors who are involved in this field, for example energy saving consultants, architects and craftsmen.
The members of the team can also learn from the forerunner countries of the European Union such as Denmark, Austria and Italy, whose experiences will be compiled by well acknowledged scientists of these countries.
