Renovating Berlin’s building stock will cost billions

Legislation on zero-emission buildings sets out some very specific targets: according to the EU Buildings Directive, all new buildings must be emissions-free from 2028, with existing buildings required to meet the same standard by 2050. In order to bring emissions in the German capital under control, Berlin’s Senate has set itself the target of reducing emissions by 70% by 2030, with the primary focus is on heating, air conditioning, and hot water supply, which collectively contribute approximately half of Berlin’s emissions. Specific measures include the electrification and decarbonisation of the heating supply as well as the expansion of renewable energies and district heating networks. However, a building’s age is a major factor in its energy consumption. The majority of Berlin’s two million apartments were constructed during the Wilhelminian era at the end of the nineteenth/beginning of the twentieth century, or between 1949 and 1978. According to calculations by Bulwiengesa, around 27% of Berlin’s apartments require urgent refurbishment and energy efficiency upgrades over the next ten years in order to meet the final energy consumption targets. Bulwiengesa estimates that the total investment needed to comply with the German Climate Protection Act (KSG) of 2019 by 2045 is approximately 41 billion euros, or 1.9 billion euros annually. This estimate excludes buildings constructed after 2001 that already meet current energy efficiency standards.