ᐅ Implications of the Coalition Agreement for Home Builders?

Has anyone here already looked into the coalition agreement presented today and its implications for (us) homebuilders?

A positive point for new homeowners could be that there will be an exemption for property transfer tax if the property will be owner-occupied. The rent control measures are planned to be extended. There is a goal to build 400,000 new homes, of which 100,000 will be publicly subsidized.

As the operator of a gas condensing boiler, I would have been very interested to know whether Nord Stream 2 will become operational or not, but I haven’t read anything about that. Natural gas-generated electricity is supposed to be phased out by 2040, whatever “phased out” actually means. In the mid-2030s, natural gas heating systems are expected to be discontinued.

People want to enable bidirectional charging for electric cars. I think that's a good idea 🙂

Everything sounds surprisingly restrained in the new construction sector. Private new builds are generally expected to install a photovoltaic system. Whatever the rule will be?

I am also unclear about the 65% renewable energy quota for new buildings starting in 2025. Could this mean a mandatory heat pump combined with the electricity mix and photovoltaic system, together with the KfW 40 minimum standard?

At least it is not KfW 40+, so the questionable battery storage is omitted.

Overall, there are high demands for new construction, but in my view, unfortunately, very little mandatory regulation for existing buildings. After all, ownership is supposed to come with responsibility. Except for listed buildings, much more can be achieved in existing buildings than upgrading from KfW 70 to KfW 40.

Araknis schrieb:

They want to enable bidirectional charging of electric cars. I think that’s great 🙂

I had to look up "bidirectional charging" at first, but I also think it’s a good idea. Even better than enabling it would be to promote it. ;-)

The self-builder is (rightly) not the main focus of the coalition agreement. In the long term, they will benefit from the digitalization of planning and permitting processes. I find some measures particularly promising, although they are still somewhat vague in wording. Here are some points I found noteworthy.

Excerpt:
By January 1, 2025,
2992 every newly installed heating system must operate on the basis of 65 percent renewable energy;
2993 from January 1, 2024, for significant renovations, conversions, and extensions of
2994 existing buildings, the standards in the building energy act will be adjusted so that the parts to be replaced meet EH 70;
2995 in the building energy act, the new construction standards will be aligned with KfW-EH 40 as of January 1, 2025. In addition, under the innovation clause, equivalent measures aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions can be used.

--> Energy standards will be raised further. I think this will make building single-family homes somewhat more expensive.

3012 We will establish the basis to increasingly consider embedded energy as well as life cycle costs.
3013 To this end, among other things, we will introduce a digital building resource passport. This way, we want to move towards a circular economy in the building sector. Additionally, we will develop a national wood construction, lightweight construction, and raw material security strategy. We want to facilitate market entry and approvals for innovative materials, technologies, and start-ups.

--> The shift to a circular economy can lead to long-term stabilization of raw material prices and minimize resource consumption. I think that’s very positive. This does not affect the self-builder in 2022.

3031 We will promote serial renovation by continuing and expanding the funding program within the framework of the BEG. Within the “Future Construction” research program, we will further develop serial and modular construction and renovation, for example following the Dutch Energiesprong principle,
3034 and identify and remove planning and building regulation hurdles. We will improve, standardize, and digitize the building energy certificate. We will consider creating a digital building energy cadastre.

--> The real energy gain for the climate lies in existing buildings. The Dutch model is excellent. Self-builders in 2022 are also unlikely to be affected by this yet.

Pinkiponk schrieb:

I had to look up "bidirectional charging" first, but I also think it's a good idea. Even better than enabling it is encouraging it. ;-)

You only need to encourage desirable behavior that isn't yet economically beneficial for the individual. Bidirectional charging and discharging of a vehicle at the house is a no-brainer—especially with a time-of-use tariff. The two newly listed stock companies, Rivian and Sono, have already conceptually integrated this feature into their vehicles.