un a survey, a majority of Germans are in favor of renewable energies to make Germany less dependent on energy imports. 75 percent of those surveyed want to rely on solar energy, followed by wind energy and hydrogen from renewable energies (65 percent each), according to a survey published on Friday by the opinion research institute Forsa on behalf of the German Federal Environmental Foundation (DBU).
Only a quarter (25 percent) of the survey participants rely on nuclear energy, while gas (six percent) and coal (five percent) hardly play a role. First had the “Rheinische Post” reported on the survey.
More than every second German currently heats their apartment or house with gas (52 percent). This is followed by oil (18 percent), district heating (eleven percent) and wood (five percent). Homeowners whose home was built before 1978 were reported to be more likely to use oil for heating (31 percent) than those who owned homes built after 1978 (15 percent).
“The future of energy supply belongs to renewable energies,” said DBU General Secretary Alexander Bonde on Friday in Osnabrück. “We have to push forward the expansion of renewables with courage.” In addition to faster expansion, more energy efficiency is also necessary, “ie smart measures from insulation to heating, especially in old buildings,” he emphasized. Since many buildings in Germany were built before the first thermal insulation ordinance, there is “enormous savings potential for more energy efficiency”.
For the survey, the opinion research institute Forsa surveyed 1,000 citizens aged 18 and over and 1,011 homeowners in Germany online from April 14 to 30.