Gas consumption
Allocation of final energy for gas consumption to application areas for the year 2019 in Germany (based on [BMWK 2021])
Graphic representation: per capita gas consumption in Germany in kWh per person per year, allocated according to the application. The total is approximately 7300 kWh per capita per year 1). An additional proportion of the natural gas consumption is converted into secondary energy sources (district heating and electricity) in heating and power plants and has not been shown here (around 3400 kWh/person in the year 2019).
| The largest chunk is used for: | Space heating (red)! | (52%) |
| The next largest chunk: | Process heat (dark red) | (37%) |
| And the next: | Hot water (red/blue) | (10%) |
If we want to do something in this respect, the priorities are immediately clear:
- Space heating is absolutely predominant; however, this is also where considerable savings can best be achieved with efficiency measures: this precisely is the task of the "Efficiency NOW" initiative.
- The situation with process heat is complex because this concerns extremely diverse processes with different temperatures. Very fast conversion is generally difficult, and although investing in improved efficiency is possible, this requires time for advance planning and time-consuming approval procedure are also necessary. Specific processes can certainly be reduced here as well (e.g. shutdown of a production line).
- In the case of hot water generated using natural gas, the losses are extremely high currently (estimated to be over 50%), because mainly insufficiently insulated storage tanks and pipes are permanently (24*7) operated at temperatures above 60° due to protection against legionella. Only some pipes can be accessed and subsequently insulated. Some energy can be saved by using water-saving shower heads.
The focus here should be placed on space heating. Many EnerPHit building modernisations that have already been carried out have shown that savings between a factor of 4 and 8 are possible. Not all of these measures can be implemented 'rapidly' all at once in one year, of course, but a few of them can easily be carried out earlier than planned, and even changing over to heat pumps is possible almost everywhere – of course, not everywhere in one year. Additional room air conditioners with a heating function (German only) may at least replace some of the heating energy and thus offer another option.
For the total final energy consumption (including coal, oil, electricity and biomass) we have prepared the allocation of consumption according to the final application in Energy consumption in Germany.(German only)