At its meeting on Tuesday, 12 December 2023, the city council decided to involve the Bonn Energy Agency (BEA) in the implementation of the Bonn Climate Plan 2035. From 2024, the BEA will take over the implementation of four projects focussing on buildings. The Bonn Climate Plan was adopted by the council in March 2023. The aim is for the city of Bonn to become climate-neutral by 2035.
Mayor Katja Dörner: "With the Bonn Energy Agency, we have a qualified and already established advisory service in the field of energy-efficient building refurbishment. This expertise is of particular value, as a climate-friendly supply of electricity and heat to Bonn's buildings is one of the key building blocks on the road to climate neutrality by 2035. I am delighted that we can use the Energy Agency's expertise to implement Bonn's climate plan and further expand the range of services. This will enable even more people to benefit from it and at the same time contribute to achieving the climate targets."
Monika Hallstein, Chairwoman of the BEA Board and Head of the Climate Neutral Bonn programme office, adds: "There are around 58,000 residential buildings in Bonn. If we can successively refurbish these in an energy-efficient manner and supply them with renewable energy in line with the times, we will have taken a big step forward. This will make us independent of uncertain supplies and fluctuating prices."
In terms of Bonn's buildings, the climate plan envisages measures that will lead to a 40 per cent reduction in energy consumption and increase the refurbishment rate from the current one per cent to three to four per cent. This can be achieved through refurbishment measures such as insulation, window replacement or optimisation of the heating system. Fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas and coal are to be gradually replaced by renewable heating technologies such as heat pumps or district heating. Municipal heating planning will also play a major role in this. In order to achieve these goals, BEA will take the lead in three projects from the climate plan and play a key role in one.
Focus on target groups - neighbourhood offices and focus initiatives
A central element of this will be the development of target group-specific advice and support services in five neighbourhood offices. The plan is to set up the first three offices as early as 2024. Two more are to follow in 2025. These will address the target groups locally and provide individual advice directly to private homeowners in the neighbourhood.
Another focus is on supporting private landlords and homeowners' associations (WEGs). This focus initiative also addresses these two target groups. From 2024, the BEA will take over the "Save now!" initiative, a measure that will primarily focus on public relations. A large-scale campaign is planned that aims to inform as many citizens as possible about energy-efficient measures in a short space of time. These should lead to cost-effective, short-term energy savings. Possible measures include optimising heating systems and insulating basement ceilings. The city is currently planning a funding programme for energy-efficient renovations and heating replacements in old buildings. As soon as the subsidy programme has been set up, the BEA will offer accompanying advice.
Many years of experience meets competent expertise
The Bonn Energy Agency was founded in 2012 as an association of 21 member organisations from the building and energy sector. The aim was and is to make an active contribution to climate protection in the area of housing and construction in Bonn.
"The special thing about the BEA is that we are an association of different stakeholders who want to work together for climate protection in Bonn. We have unanimously agreed to participate in the implementation of the climate plan," explains Thomas Radermacher, Deputy Chairman of the association. "I represent the district craftsmen's association and seven craft guilds from the climate-relevant building trades. With the BEA, we have a joint platform with many competent stakeholders such as the consumer advice centre, SWB, tenants' association, Haus & Grund, architecture and engineering associations. The perspectives and experiences of the various members flow into the work of the BEA."
For over ten years, the BEA has been providing free and independent advice to private homeowners in Bonn on energy-efficient refurbishment and the use of renewable energies. Today, it is a tried and tested information platform. The trust and expertise gained from its work to date forms a solid basis for the implementation of the Klimaplan projects.
"We are proud that the city of Bonn has placed its trust in us to actively contribute to achieving the climate targets. The BEA will be significantly expanded with the projects. We will now gradually bring new colleagues on board for 15 positions in order to tackle the new tasks together with them," says Celia Schütze, Managing Director of the Bonn Energy Agency. "Last year, we experienced how the amendment to the GEG led to great uncertainty. This makes it all the more important in our eyes to provide Bonn's citizens with competent support. As part of the new projects, we can now offer more guidance, advice and support for modernisation and heating replacement."
Information on the Bonn Climate Plan at
www.bonn.de/klimaplan (Opens in a new tab).
Information on the Bonn Energy Agency at
www.bonner-energie-agentur.de (Opens in a new tab).
Source: Press release from Bonner Energie Agentur e. V. and the City of Bonn dated 13 December 2023
