In the district of Böblingen, homeowner associations with the intention to renovate will soon have the opportunity to try out a new service. It does not matter whether they want to renew their heating system, insulate their roof or even carry out a complete renovation.
Owners who do not know which contractors to contact or how to organise the renovation, have a point of contact in the Böblingen One-Stop-Shop.
As part of the ProRetro project, which is funded within the European Union’s Horizon 2020 programme for research and innovation, the implementation partner Energieagentur Böblingen can provide impartial support for refurbishment projects free of charge as service of a new One-Stop-Shop.
Why is there a need for a One-Stop-Shop?
Space heating accounts for roughly 25 percent of Germany’s total final energy consumption. There are a total of 1.8 million homeowner associations in Germany, which own around 20 percent of residential buildings. Of these, only about 0.6 percent have been renovated yet.
The refurbishment backlog in the district of Böblingen, especially in the area of homeowner associations, is also gigantic. Thus, a great need for action can be identified.
This is mainly due to the fact that the owners lack the right knowledge of the subject, disagreements arise about the economic viability and there are different opinions on which solutions and technologies to pick. Furthermore, differences in interests resulting from differences in age often play a role.
Lack of financial reserves and the high time expenditure, which should not be underestimated, are important factors as well. This is precisely where the new One-Stop-Shop aims to provide support.
The One-Stop-Shop of the Böblingen Energy Agency is intended to serve as a central point of contact for owner associations in the Böblingen district and to accompany and support the complete process of renovation. Thus, the advice can save time, generate the appropriate funding and ensure the optimal solution for the individual renovation project.
What does the Böblingen One-Stop-Shop offer?
During the refurbishment process, the Böblingen Energy Agency takes over the coordination of all organizational measures. In a first step, the energy agency provides interested parties with comprehensive advice on renovation topics and subsidies. The employee is also happy to come to the owners meeting and present the results to the entire homeowner association. Here the One-Stop-Shop will profit from other projects of the Böblingen Energy Agency, such as the WEG-Offensive or the Photovoltaic Network.
Subsequently, the owner associations are accompanied during the implementation process. The One-Stop-Shop has a coordinating role. The homeowner associations remain involved throughout the entire decision-making process. Decisions are thus made jointly.
In a first step, the possible measures are to be determined and selected. This is done with help of the Böblingen Energy Agency’s energy advisors based on the specific state of the buidling. Examples for important factors to take into account are the existing roof area, the size of the boiler room, energy consumption and the energy carrier used to heat the building.
The Böblingen One-Stop-Shop benefits from close cooperations
The next step is to select contractors. Here, the Böblingen Energy Agency cooperates with the “Hand in Handwerkern”, an association of contractors in the district, but also with the district’s chamber of crafts. At least two to three offers are obtained for each service or product. The energy agency and customers together compare and evaluate the quotations. Contracts are closed between the homeowner association wanting to renovate and the respective contractors.
Independent energy consultants are to be consulted for the preparation of a renovation roadmap and for calculations when applying for subsidies. Here, the Böblingen Energy Agency benefits from its comprehensive network of energy consultants and can thus refer to reliable and competent colleagues.
In the area of financing, the energy agency can support the homeowner associations by refering them to banks and other funding porviders. Here, the Böblingen Energy Agency can as well build on its many years of experience in the field of consulting on subsidy programmes and its extensive regional network.
When do we begin to offer this service?
The One-Stop-Shop for the district of Böblingen will officially start in October 2021. Interested parties who have a concrete renovation project in mind can already contact the Böblingen Energy Agency from now on.
Where can I find more information?
For more information about the Böblingen Energy Agency and the ProRetro project, please visit the Energy Agency’s website.
The Böblingen Energy Agency
The Böblingen District Energy Agency (Energieagentur Kreis Böblingen gGmbH) is a district institution that acts as an impartial and independent advisory service. It gives advice not only to homeowner associations, but also to owners of single-family and two-family homes, companies and municipalities. It counsels on all technical and legal aspects of renovation and existing subsidies.
If you would like to contact the Böblingen Energy Agency, please call +49 7031 663 2040 or send an e-mail to info@ea-bb.de.
