RES-H building obligation

GEG 2020

Since November 2020, the Building Energy Act (“Gebäudeenergiegesetz”) replaces previous laws on energy efficiency requirements of buildings, requirements for renewable energies in buildings and the energy saving directive.
The heating and cooling energy demand in new buildings has to be covered by the use of renewable energies in following percentage:
• at least 15 % in case of solar thermal (§ 35 GEG 2020)
• at least 50 % in case of heat pumps (geothermal energy, environmental heat or waste heat from waste water), biomass and liquid biomass (§§ 37, 38, 39 GEG 2020)
• in case of biogas: at least 30 % of the heating and cooling energy demand must be covered if biogas is used in a CHP plant, and at least 50 % if biogas is used in a condensing boiler (§ 40 GEG 2020).
Building developer or building’s owners are obliged to prove and certify to the competent authority that the requirements are met after completion of the building by means of a declaration of compliance (§ 92 GEG 2020).

House owners or clients for whom buildings are being built are responsible for complying with the provisions of this act. Also responsible are, within their respective spheres of activity, persons who act on behalf of house owners or clients for whom buildings are being built, and persons installing or altering the system technologies or the building on the owners or clients’ commission. (GEG 2020, para. 8)

The Federal Ministry for the Economy and Energy, and the Federal Ministry for Internal Affairs, Construction and Homeland will review the obligations in the year 2023 and submit a revision.
The competent authority is the authority as stated in regional laws of the respective Bundesland (§ 92 GEG 2020)