Sustainable heating as the key to climate protection and economy
Sustainable heating is about heating as little as possible at the expense of nature and the climate. Currently, this is still largely the case because fossil fuels provide most of the energy for the building sector. The resulting negative effects on the climate and environment, but also on health and air quality, are driving reasons why heating should be made more sustainable. Renewable energy sources are a major lever for climate protection and at the same time increase independence from fossil fuel imports from authoritarian states such as Russia. Last but not least, this also has a positive effect on energy prices and your wallet.
How sustainable heating works
Even if it is not the one solution, a large number of options have now been developed to make heating more sustainable. Energy-saving measures - on the one hand through economical everyday routines and on the other through structural adaptations for energy efficiency - are one of the options. There is already a link to the wallet here: if less heating energy is consumed through saving and efficiency measures, the costs also fall.
Another option is to switch from old heating systems to new and sustainable ones. In the podcast, we present four sustainable heating systems: Heat pumps, green district heating, solar thermal systems and biomass heating. Switching is a lengthy process that depends increasingly on individual circumstances, such as the condition of the building. We summarize an overview of the numerous options in an easy-to-understand podcast.
The Grüner Strom Label association provides support in the search for sustainable electricity and gas tariffs, including through the comparison portal Compare yourself green.
What the CO2 handprint is all about
The majority of heating systems are located in private homes, but sustainable heating is more than a personal responsibility - it is an issue for society as a whole. The concept of the ecological handprint illustrates this dimension: the handprint emphasizes that individuals can initiate structural changes that have a positive impact on the community. More on this in the podcast.
A sensitive approach is needed when it comes to environmentally friendly heating and investments, as people have different financial scopes. It is crucial to recognize that political frameworks must be created to ensure that sustainable heating is accessible to all in society, without environmental protection being dependent on individual privileges.
About the interview guest
In this twelfth episode of our podcast, we are delighted to welcome Alexander Steinfeldt. He works at co2onlinea non-profit advice center that has set itself the goal of promoting climate protection in the building sector. The advice focuses on saving electricity and heating energy, modernization, construction and funding opportunities.
In the podcast, Alexander explains these areas from a consumer-oriented perspective: he provides clear information as well as tips and tricks for assessing your own energy consumption, identifying potential for improvement and taking the next steps on the road to sustainability. The expertise of the co2online advice center is based on large data analyses. The heating index is published regularly, which examines data relating to heating in Germany. Alexander has insights from the heating index in the new podcast episode.
