I was digging around, and Europe seems to be pushing the envelope further forward.
All new homes built in Germany from January 1st 2009 are required to install renewable energy heating systems under a new law called the Renewable Energies Heating Law (Erneubare-Energien-Warmegesetz).
The government is allocating 350 million euros [US $517 million] each year in grants for homeowners to install renewable energy systems such as solar panels, wood pellet stoves and boilers and heat pumps.
Homeowners will have to use renewable energy sources to meet 14% of a household's total energy consumption for heating and domestic hot water. Old building have to be retrofitted to use at least 10% renewables.
Fines of up to 500,000 euros [US $739,000] will face anyone who fails to switch their heating systems.
It is not optional, it is a law. You can bypass it if you significantly exceed the insulation of the house as required by code (their code already requires much higher R-values).
I attached a couple slides with data what route homeowners went with the renewable source, geothermal was 26.7 % of the new builds.
And yes, I translated it from German into English.....
I guess if Europe is a predictor of outcome where this country is heading (and it so far was with a few years delay), we will be in for quite a wild ride!
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2007/12/germany-to-require-renewables-for-new-homes-in-2009-50746 |