Research Project: Proof of the energy standard for implementing a climate component in housing benefit

Project briefing

• Status Completed
• Project duration October 2017 – December 2018
• Programme General Departmental Research

In apartments with a high energy standard, the basic rent is often higher than the maximum amounts under § 12 Housing Benefits Act (Wohngeldgesetz). As a result, they are often not affordable for housing allowance recipients. The examination of the extension of the housing allowance for a climate component has shown that the increase of the maximum amounts for the rent to be taken into consideration for apartments above a certain energy standard is a precise and practicable way to integrate a climate component. In this research project, a simple, practicable and legally secure method for the proof of the energy standard was developed.

Project duration: October 2017 – December 2018

Background

The need to implement the politically set climate protection goals for residential buildings requires a wide range of measures, which the Federal Government has adopted in the Climate Action Programme 2020, including the National Energy Efficiency Action Plan (NAPE). This includes the examination of the introduction of a climate component in the field of housing subsidies. A report entitled "Feasibility and implementation study for a climate component in housing benefit", BBSR-Online-Publication No. 05/2017, has made a proposal compatible with the housing allowance system and also the implications of differentiating the maximum rental amounts depending on energy efficiency standards estimated on the number of housing allowance recipients as well as on the additional housing allowance expenses expenditure in the context of simulation calculations. In order to determine suitable energy efficiency standards, initial considerations were made in the feasibility study and possible detection methods were also named.

The challenge in the development of a proof procedure is to describe the energetic state of the building with as few energy-relevant parameters as possible. In addition, this information should preferably be collected from the benefit recipient or his landlord. At the same time, an accuracy of the energy standard should be guaranteed. In the construction and refurbishment practice of buildings with a high energy standard, building concepts appear in which the thermal insulation of the building envelope has a limiting effect on the achievement of a specific energy standard. In addition, the heat supply system configuration has a limiting effect in other building concepts. The detection method to be developed must reflect this insofar as the efficiency of both aspects – thermal insulation and plant engineering – is adequately taken into account.

Objective

In this research project the requirements of the procedure for the proof of the energy standard had to be specified. In order to determine a climate component in the housing allowance, a procedure was developed that moves in the area of conflict between practicable, simple data collection and an expedient, sufficiently precise description of the energetic state of the building envelope and the heat supply system. Despite the diversity of practically existing building concepts, the method should be applicable in a legally secure way and deliver results that can be used administratively easily in the housing allowance calculation.

Contractor of the project was Institut Wohnen und Umwelt (IWU), Darmstadt.