Loopholes in the law make it possible: fossil fuel heating systems are installed even in new buildings

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Switzerland faces the challenge of being climate neutral by 2050. A decisive factor here is, among other things, the type of heating in apartments and houses. Because: Buildings are responsible for a quarter of the CO2₂-Emissions in the responsible country.

But now a study shows that fossil fuel heating systems are being installed even in new buildings. This contradicts the climate goals, which call for the use of renewable energy sources such as heat pumps or wood.

Big differences

According to analysis by Navitas Consilium, a consultancy specializing in climate issues, available to CH Media, fossil fuel heating systems are still being installed in new buildings in 22 percent of Swiss municipalities. When a non-renewable heating system was installed, three-quarters of the time it involved gas heating, and less often oil or electric heating.

Depending on the community, the differences are large. Especially in larger cities with more than 30,000 inhabitants – such as Freiburg, Thun BE, Vernier GE, Chur, Emmen LU and Köniz BE – all new buildings in the period studied (September 2022 to September 2023) used 100 percent renewable heating.

The cities of Neuchâtel, Uster ZH and La Chaux-de-Fonds have a large share of non-renewably heated buildings. Up to 47 percent of new buildings there are not equipped with renewable heating.

Tighten model regulations

According to the research, the reasons for this lie in delays in the registration of new buildings in the building register. Or in ‘loopholes’ that developers used before stricter laws came into effect.

The Energy Directors’ Conference therefore plans to tighten the model regulations for heating replacement, writes CH Media. The revised guidelines are due to be adopted in spring 2024 and stipulate that oil and gas heating systems in existing houses may only be installed under strict conditions from 2030. (oko)

Source:Blick