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Interview on Gropiusstadt: This is how financially weak municipalities can refurbish energy

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Interview on Gropiusstadt: This is how financially weak municipalities can refurbish energy

Interview on Gropiusstadt
In this way, financially weak municipalities can make energetic renovations

Heating replacement, renovation, modernization – climate change adaptation will be difficult, especially for financially weak regions in Germany. But a housing estate in Berlin-Neukƶlln shows how low-income communities can also make their contribution. In an interview with ntv.de, district councilor Jochen Biedermann explains how an overall concept can be the solution for renovations in financially weak regions.

ntv.de: You have just developed a redevelopment concept for Gropiusstadt, a district of Berlin-Neukƶlln that is mostly populated by financially weak households. Doesn’t that threaten to overwhelm the residents?

Jochen Biedermann: That is a central problem. The residents of Gropiusstadt are not really financially able to cope with major renovations. On the other hand, there is an urgent need to renew the buildings here. The fluctuations in energy prices last winter hit precisely these financially weak households particularly hard.

How do you deal with this contradiction?

Recovery plans must be tailor-made. We have to look at the overall balance of the measures. If we stick a lot of emission-intensive insulation to the walls, no matter what the hell, and we already know that in 20 years it will be disposed of as hazardous waste, that doesn’t save a lot of energy in the end – but it costs a lot of money. We always have to look on a case-by-case basis to see which measures are suitable for certain groups and regions. That’s why we decided on the neighborhood concept.

What exactly is a neighborhood concept?

When we think of an energy renovation, we usually think of a single house. It will be insulated, the windows will be replaced, maybe a heat pump will be installed. But as soon as it comes to rented apartments, we have to approach the topic of renovation differently – especially in a district like Neukƶlln, where many people with little money live for rent. On the one hand we have to carry out important energy modernizations – but on the other hand the rents have to remain affordable. The district concept does not only consider the residential buildings, but also the public buildings, the green areas – the entire district.

Why not leave the renovation to the landlords?

It makes no sense for each individual owner to sit down and consider what is right for their home. If we look at the entire quarter, we can pick out the potential with the best cost-benefit effect – i.e. the best measures with the least effort, which are individually tailored to this quarter and can be implemented on a larger scale.

How did you involve the citizens of Gropiusstadt in the development of this concept?

That wasn’t always easy. Many people cannot imagine anything under a district concept. And on top of that: It is much more difficult to get people to participate if it initially has no direct impact on their everyday life. Nevertheless, we have always sought contact, because this public participation is crucial for the energy transition.

How did the residents react to your ideas?

The topic of modernization and the associated levy are major topics of concern. The housing stock in Gropiusstadt is showing its age – most of the buildings are now 50 years old and need to be thoroughly renovated. Nobody disputes the necessity of these renovations. The only question is which measures bring the greatest possible benefit and are socially acceptable at the same time.

What measures, for example?

We see great potential for photovoltaics in Gropiusstadt because we have good conditions for solar systems thanks to the flat roofs and high-rise buildings. Theoretically, 40 percent of the on-site energy requirement could be generated by photovoltaics.

The whole thing also costs money. For a single school you have come to the cost of around 4.7 million euros for a complete renovation. Were you able to draw up an overall calculation for the district concept?

No, we didn’t do an overall calculation because that would end up being a staggering number. It scares everyone, but it doesn’t really help anyone. We have to start somewhere – we have to move forward with implementation. It would take too long to look at all the buildings in detail and not get started right away.

But 4.7 million euros for the renovation of a single school is a lot. When is such a costly renovation worthwhile?

It’s hard to say because there are many uncertainties. For example: The development of electricity and heating prices makes a big difference in the cost-benefit calculation. We saw last winter how quickly that can change. That’s why I don’t want to give a point in time when the investment will pay for itself. Ultimately, that is not the right approach either, precisely because the climate issue is simply far too pressing for that.

Still, it has to be funded somehow. How do you imagine that?

The next step is to set up a restructuring management system, for which we are hoping for funding from the Reconstruction Loan Corporation (KfW). Owners should be advised on this and measures initiated. An important aspect will be where suitable funding can be applied for.

Gropiusstadt is partially under milieu protection. To what extent does this affect the recovery plans?

This means a special social responsibility to ensure that rents do not rise excessively. We have to balance this out with each other and not just hope that the housing industry will take care of it on its own. In the end, it has to work for both the housing industry and the residents.

Clara Suchy spoke to Jochen Biedermann

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