For weeks, the so-called heating law has been dominating public debate. But what does the future of construction and housing in Germany look like? This question was addressed in the "TechnikRadar 2023", a survey among citizens by the German National Academy of Science and Engineering (acatech), the Körber Foundation [de], and the University of Stuttgart’s Center for Interdisciplinary Risk and Innovation Studies (ZIRIUS).
According to the findings of the representative survey, 90 percent of Germans see opportunities to save energy in changing their own behavior – especially in the area of heating and hot water (32.2 percent). When purchasing new appliances, however, Germans see the greatest potential to save energy not in heating and hot water, but in the area of electricity consumption (40.3 percent). In terms of saving energy, people find it more reasonable to buy LED lights or an energy-efficient refrigerator instead of acquiring a new heating or hot water system.
Prof. Cordula Kropp, who is the scientific project manager of the TechnikRadar survey and a sociologist at the University of Stuttgart’s Center for Interdisciplinary Risk and Innovation Studies (ZIRIUS), comments on the results as follows: “Overall, we observe that the topics of climate protection, renewable energies, using energy-efficient appliances as well as renovation options in construction and housing are important to Germans. However, the fact that one in ten respondents see no opportunity to save energy in the areas of electricity consumption, heating/hot water, or mobility/travel is cause for concern. Obviously, a lot of information about technical possibilities is still needed here, as well as a lot of support for renovation and energy conversion. Otherwise, the ambitious political goal of making existing buildings sustainable and facility management climate-neutral by 2045 cannot be achieved.”
The results in detail:
Topics of the future: Job security remains the number one priority
Since 2018, the TechnikRadar has determined the topics of the future that are most important to Germans. Since then, the respondents have continued to perceive job security as the most important social task. Climate protection is in fourth place and remains important, but is pushed out of second place, by a narrow margin, by the topics of internal security and data protection. Limiting the increase in rental and housing costs, on the other hand, occupies one of the lower ranks in the list of the topics queried. This issue is of particular importance only to women and low-income earners.
Solar energy and smart-home appliances are becoming ever more popular
Since the price increases in the energy sector, photovoltaics and solar thermal energy have become more important. The surveyed homeowners, too, rely on these technologies: 79 percent intend to carry out renovation measures in the near future. 45.9 percent of these plan to install a photovoltaic system, and just under a third (31.7 percent) want to equip the house with a solar thermal system.
Similar to the use of solar power, smart-home devices are on the upswing. Compared to the TechnikRadar from 2018, the use of smart-home technologies has more than doubled among respondents in Germany: While 8.1 percent reported using them in 2018, 21 percent did so in the current survey. The proportion of female users, in particular, has since tripled in all age groups. Even in the group of men over 65, who are usually less tech-savvy, about one in five (19.5 percent) say that they use smart-home devices.
Smart city: More than half of the respondents show a high willingness to share data
In future, the idea of the smart city and better urban planning are to be achieved through networking, for example by means of digital construction data. Accordingly, "city dashboards" will give citizens, companies, and municipalities continuous insight into information on urban development, energy demand, and the use of transportation services. In the TechnikRadar from 2023, more than half of the respondents (59.2 percent) show a high willingness to share data on their own energy consumption in anonymized form for this purpose.
More comments on the TechnikRadar 2023:
Prof. Ortwin Renn, Co-Project Manager of the TechnikRadar and acatech Presidium Member: "As in the past TechnikRadar surveys, job security is the most important topic of the future for Germans. It is worth noting, however, that despite the uncertain situation regarding energy imports and rapidly rising energy prices, limiting global warming remains an important goal – and this is also evident in the area of construction and housing."
Dr. Thomas Paulsen, Member of the Executive Board of the Körber Foundation: "The TechnikRadar survey shows that the majority of Germans are ready for more sustainability in construction and housing. What is crucial now is implementation. With a sense of proportion, good communication, manageable options for action, and a reliable framework, policymakers must ensure that the planned renovations are feasible and that Germany can become a climate-neutral industrialized country."
About TechnikRadar
The TechnikRadar is a regular, nationwide representative survey that is developed according to social science standards and evaluated using methods of empirical social research. As a long-term early warning system, it makes undesirable developments in technological change recognizable in good time and points out a particular need for communication. At the same time, the TechnikRadar wants to promote innovation processes, so that products and technologies are in line with citizens’ expectations. The results provide a sound basis for the discussion on the significance of technological innovations, the creative possibilities as well as the associated regulatory requirements.
Expert Contact:
Prof. Dr. Cordula Kropp, University of Stuttgart, Center for Interdisciplinary Risk and Innovation Studies (ZIRIUS),
phone: +49 711 685 83 941, E-Mail