International Study Tour on “Energy Efficiency in Residential Buildings”

Buildings consume about 40% of primary energy and are responsible for 1/3 of Germany’s total CO2 emissions. Energy efficiency (EE) in buildings is an essential pillar of government policy to achieve a reduction of the country’s heat and energy requirements. In Germany the promotion of EE in buildings is at an advanced state by international comparison.

The driving force behind the country’s success in EE in the residential building sector is its well-balanced combination of a clear legal framework and regulation, advanced promotional programmes as well as measures for market transformation and capacity building. Germany’s experiences in this field provide best-practice examples for transitioning countries like India, where EE in buildings plays an increasingly important role.

Within the framework of the KfW Promotional Programme for Energy Efficiency New Residential Housing in India, that aims to transfer the German experiences and concepts to the Indian context, an international study tour on “Energy Efficiency in Residential Buildings” took place in Berlin and Frankfurt from 6-12 October 2013. The study tour was facilitated by adelphi and gave ten Indian participants, including representatives of the National Housing Bank (NHB) of India and Housing Finance Companies, an architect and a representative of India’s Ministry of Finance, the opportunity to get a picture of the experiences and lessons learned in promoting EE in residential buildings in Germany. Through lectures at German key institutions responsible for promoting EE in buildings as well as site visits to energy efficient residential building projects the study tour aimed at helping the participants to understand the challenges of financing and implementing EE in buildings and transfer the German concept to India. The key players visited included the Federal Ministry for Transport, Building and Urban Development and the German Energy Agency in Berlin, the Passive House Institute in Darmstadt as well as the KfW Development Bank in Frankfurt.