
German Bundestag passes Building Energy Act
The legislative process has been underway for several years. It was actually intended to standardize and simplify the requirements in the building sector. the Building Energy Act (GEG) is unlikely to make things any clearer. Although it will replace several other laws (such as the EnEV and the EEWärmeG), many complicated requirements, more comprehensive regulations, and references mean that the Building Energy Act is by no means simpler than its predecessors.
The most important point for builders first: The GEG does not affect the requirements for new buildings. The currently mandatory minimum level of the Energy Saving Ordinance (EnEV) is declared the lowest energy building and thus remains valid. The Bundestag's decision also included the removal of the so-called 52-gigawatt solar cap in the EEG.
Structural thermal insulation as a basis
The focus of the Building Energy Act is on limiting the energy requirements of a building through high-quality structural thermal insulation, primarily through good insulation, good windows, and the avoidance of heat bridge losses. The law thus prioritizes energy conservation over environmentally friendly energy production and primarily pursues the approach of keeping the primary energy demand of buildings low. Renewable energies should then cover the remaining energy demand.
While there will be hardly any changes in the area of new construction, some tightening is planned for existing properties, such as the use of oil heating systems. However, the energy requirements for renovation measures will not be tightened.
According to Article 82 of our Basic Law, each law can determine for itself when it comes into force. We have seen in recent weeks that this can also be at very short notice. If a law does not specify a date on which it comes into force – and the draft GEG does not specify a date – then, according to the Basic Law, it comes into force "fourteen days after the end of the day on which the Federal Law Gazette was published."
In the optimistic scenario, the GEG could therefore come into force on August 1, 2020, although the draft law itself, which is publicly available, specifies a number of transition dates.
Would you like to know whether it is worthwhile to optimize the energy efficiency of your property before selling it? Contact us! We will be happy to advise you.
Not found:
- bmwi.de: Law on the standardization of energy saving regulations for buildings – Building Energy Act.html
- Wikipedia: GEG
- umweltbundesamt.de: Solar energy
Legal notice: This article does not constitute tax or legal advice in individual cases. Please consult a lawyer and/or tax advisor to clarify the facts of your specific case.
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