The Crafts as Shapers of the Heating Transition (c.HANGE)

The energy transition does not work without a heating transition. More than 80 percent of households' energy consumption is due to the provision of space heating and hot water supply. The average age of heaters in residential buildings in Baden-Württemberg is almost 20 years. When it comes to the replacement or renovation of the heating boiler, the Sanitary, Heating and Air-Conditioning CraftsHandwerk (SHK-Handwerk) plays a very central role. The crafts are the first point of contact and a trusted partner for homeowners. This is where the project c.HANGE starts.

We want to focus specifically on the potential of crafts to overcome the barriers to a sustainable heating renovation. The project analyses the role of the sanitary heating and air-conditioning craft and the reception by and the interaction with private end users, as well as specific approaches for a further development of services. The field project c.HANGE aims to improve the consulting situation between crafts and end users in order to realize a significant increase in energy efficiency and the share of renewable heating systems in the focused area of the project. The interplay between crafts and clients is analysed in detail in order to use appropriate tools (e. g. professional, methodical, communicative), as well as to develop systematically new services concerning the consultancy process.

Through the dissemination and the exploitation of the results, we expect an increase in modernization rates and the use of renewable energies, as well as corresponding climate protection and economic effects for third parties (crafts, municipalities, etc.).

In the project, the IÖW will in particular carry out a survey on the experiences of the end users with heating consultation by crafts, and implement interventions in the focal areas (Heidelberg-Ziegelhausen and Schriesheim) of the field test.