By Jack Dini ——Bio and Archives--April 17, 2023
Global Warming-Energy-Environment | CFP Comments | Reader Friendly | Subscribe | Email Us
Most Germans used to be enthusiastic supporters of the country's Energiewende (transition of renewable energies),especially in the early days when they were brazenly misled about the endeavors humungous costs and technical limitations. (1)
Those days are gone. Catastrophic report: whopping 88% of those surveyed see move to green energies as unachievable.
As the government gears up to try to pass legislation that would force most home owners to carry out extensive renovation to their homes and upgrades to their heating systems, the Energiewende is suddenly no longer looking like a bargain and is no longer welcome by the vast majority of Germans. (1)
The Green Tyranny expands as the German government readies to ban oil and gas heat beginning in 2024. The proposed plan comes just after the EU Parliament voted to ban the registration of new fossil fuel cars beginning in 2035. (2)
According to draft legislation, homes and buildings would replace oil and gas heating systems with those operating with renewable energies, such as a heat pump. Only heating systems that produce heat from at least 65 percent renewable energy are to be installed. This proposal would mean another huge economic blow for citizens who are already reeling from high inflation, high interest rates and as shrinking economy.
Like gas furnaces, heat pumps also require regular maintenance, usually annually. The system has to be checked for leaks and the refrigerant monitored. According to the manufacture, the costs for the mandatory annual maintenance of a heat pump are about 300 euros in Germany. By contrast, the cost of maintaining a gas heating system in a single family home averages about 130 euros, so they are generally much lower than the maintenance of a heat pump. (3)
The high purchase and maintenance costs of a heat pump represent a significant financial burden. It is extremely doubtful that a heat pump will pay for itself in operating costs compared to a modern gas heating system, as the service life of a gas heating system is 25 to 30 years, which is significantly longer than that of a heat pump.
If all this isn't negative about heat pumps, here is a real kicker. The Federal Ministry of Economics, headed by the Green party, has GROSSLY MISCALCULATED the cost of removing oil and gas heating systems from homes and buildings, and installing heat pumps in their place by 2045. Instead of 132 billion euros cost by 2045 for citizens, the real price tag will be a whopping 621 bullion euros! The total price tag for all buildings will be 776 billion euros. Citizens will be stuck with these costs. (4)
Over 21 million German households heat with natural gas and are now threatened with exorbitantly high additional payments for their gas; already most bills have multiplied.(5 ) Not only are consumers being severely impacted, but so are companies across Germany. As of September 2022, as many as 16% of them have completely shutdown or drastically reduced production because they cannot pass on the gas prices to their customers.
Germany saw a record price for households in 2021. It was the sixth year in a row with an increase. Electricity in 2021 costs double what it cost 20 years ago. Much of the price increase over the past two decades is the result of the renewable energies feed-in act. (6)
In spite of all this, Germany has earmarked 200 billion euros ($220 billion) to fund industrial transformation between now and 2026, including climate protection, hydrogen technology and expansion of the electric vehicle charging network. (7)
President Biden's net zero goal will result in higher electricity prices, instability to the grid and higher taxes to pay for the tax incentives renewable energy is demanding despite tens of billions of lavish subsidies and mandates already in place. Sounds like he is doing his best to follow Germany's lead.
Support Canada Free Press
View Comments
Jack Dini is author of Challenging Environmental Mythology. He has also written for American Council on Science and Health, Environment & Climate News, and Hawaii Reporter.