Building Energy Act - are you affected too?
We already reported on the Energy Efficiency Act at the end of last year and in our last technical report. It obliges companies to produce more energy-efficiently and is intended to help reduce energy costs and meet Germany‘s climate targets more quickly.
Even if it is connected with possible costs and personnel efforts, it also leads to a more conscious use of energy – with benefits for companies.
At the beginning of this year, the next measure to save energy or promote the use of renewable energies followed with the entry into force of the new Building Energy Act (in German: “Gebäude Energie Gesetz”, in short: GEG): In addition to numerous regulations for private households, Section 71a is particularly relevant for public institutions and companies.
This affects all buildings that are not used as living space and have a high-performance heating, air conditioning or combination system. In addition to office buildings and productionfacilities, this also includes property management companies and hotels as well as public facilities such as schools, clinics and administrative buildings.
By the end of December, operators must equip their facilities with building automation and control systems – including energy management systems. This means that many operators do not have much time left – non-compliance may result in fines. However, those who retrofit in good time will benefit more quickly from lower energy costs thanks to the corresponding systems.
In short: By upgrading your energy data management – for example with solutions from KBR – you are investing in your sustainable future.
The Building Energy Act (GEG)
The act was originally enacted in 2020 as a central component of the German energy transition (or more precisely: heating transition). It is intended to help reduce green-house gas emissions and focus more strongly on the use of renewable energies and waste heat to supply buildings with energy.
In nine parts, the act regulates, for example, requirements for new buildings (§§ 10-45), energy certificates (§§ 79-88) and financial subsidies for the use of renewable energies (§§ 89-91).
Part 4 (§§ 57-78) is particularly exciting, as it deals with heating, cooling, hot water and ventilation systems.
As soon as you maintain a large hall or building, you are very likely to be affected by this act.
The amendment to section 71a
Four years later – on January 1st of this year – the act amending the GEG came into force. Even though this primarily addresses sustainable heat generation, the amendment to Section 71a also affects ventilation and air conditioning systems.
Specifically, this newsletter will focus on subsection 4, more precisely on the “Regulations on building automation”.
Don‘t worry, we‘re not going to overwhelm you with convoluted legal trivia. Instead, we want to draw your attention to deadlines that are coming to an end soon and thus protect you from the threat of fines.
According to Section 71a, all non-residential buildings that were put into operation before January 1 of this year must be fitted with a building automation and control system by the end of December 31, 2024, if they are equipped with:
a heating system
a combined space heating and ventilation system
an air conditioning system
or a combined air conditioning and ventilation system
with a rated output of more than 290 kW.
This affects numerous businesses and facilities. These include, for example:
Companies with large heating or ventilation systems (office buildings, production facilities, hotels, hospitals, shopping centers, etc.).
Property management companies with older buildings that are not yet up to date.
Public institutions (schools, universities, public administration buildings).
If you are one of the above, you should read on carefully.
Energy data management and control in demand
The amendment requires affected operators and responsible parties to introduce a comprehensive energy data management system, such as the one offered by KBR. The requirements that these systems should fulfill are defined in sentence 2 of the paragraph:
1. Continuous monitoring, logging and analysis of the consumption of all main energy sources and all technical building systems are required.
2. The data collected must be made accessible via a common and freely configurable interface – it should be possible to carry out evaluations independently of the company and manufacturer.
3. It must be possible to set requirement values in relation to the energy efficiency of the building.
4. Efficiency losses of technical building systems should be measurable.
5. The person responsible for the facility or technical building management (e.g. the energy manager) should be able to be informed about possible improvements in energy efficiency.
This is where KBR systems come into play: The module-based interaction of our measuring devices with our visual energy software makes exactly this possible: With powerful tools, you can easily keep your energy under control – far beyond industry standards.
Also important: Based on the data collected, companies and institutions must also in-troduce building automation for new buildings in accordance with level B of DIN V 18599-11: 2018-09 or better.
KBR supports you here with a comprehensive energy data management system. In addition, according to the act, optimal operation must then be ensured through appropriate commissioning and adjustment.
Deadline only until the end of this year - act now!
Is your ompany affected by the Building Energy Act, you don‘t have much time left. This is because the deadline for installing and commissioning the aforementioned systems is December 31, 2024.
Anyone who has not equipped their buildings by this date or does not comply with other parts of the act must expect fines of several thousand euros.
You should also allow for the lead time required for successful implementation. But this should not be the only motivation: Because with intelligent energy data management and systems for peak load and reactive power compensation, you are investing in your future and taking control of your energy costs yourself. This not only benefits the environment, but also your balance sheet.
In addition, compliance with ESG criteria is an increasingly important competitive factor. ESG stands for Environmental, Social and Governance and describes criteria that companies should adhere to as a valuable part of society – for example, responsible energy use.
We recommend you: Take action now!
We are happy to assist you with all topics relating to intelligent and precise energy management – from an initial, non-binding consultation through to implementation and training. We would like to invite you to attend our free planner webinars. Then you will be well prepared – for acts such as the GEG as well as for your future.
Yours, Jonas Klaus
Technical Editor
KBR GmbH
