Digital energy management in existing buildings

The Smart Living industry association has submitted a statement on the Building Energy Act to Peter Altmaier, Federal Minister of Economic Affairs and Energy. In this statement, the association refers to the climate protection contribution of digitisation in buildings.

For this statement, Borderstep has calculated figures on the possible CO2 reduction through building automation systems in existing residential buildings in Germany.

“With an annual renovation rate of 300,000 apartments, around 2.3 million tons of CO2 can be avoided in 2030,” explains Dr. Severin Beucker, an expert on smart energy at Borderstep.

The building stock in Germany is responsible for a significant proportion of energy consumption and CO2 emissions. Digital energy management can help to significantly reduce this share and promotes the use of renewable energies. It is both economically and ecologically an important alternative for the refurbishment of existing buildings.

The use of smart building technology and intelligent control of energy use in buildings can thus make a substantial contribution to climate protection. This should be supported by targeted incentives for the use of intelligent systems and digital solutions in buildings, according to the statement.

The figures come from the Borderstep working paper “Reduction of CO2 emissions in existing buildings through digital energy management“. The publication (only in german) can be downloaded free of charge.

Your Contact

Dr. Severin Beucker
  • Senior Researcher
  • Co-founder and CEO

Borderstep News

Borderstep develops sustainability label for data centres in the EU – Commission launches call for feedback 07.04.2026

As part of the EUDCEAR project, the Borderstep Institute, in collaboration with partners such as EY and AIT, has developed the first EU-wide sustainability label for data centers. Based on data from Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) reporting and a comprehensive stakeholder dialogue, an innovative assessment system was created that takes local contexts across Europe into account. More

Borderstep expert Dr. Ralph Hintemann on CNN: Data centers and their impact on the local climate 02.04.2026

CNN reports on a recent Cambridge study that examined the rise in land surface temperatures in the vicinity of data centers. Borderstep digitisation experts Dr. Ralph Hintemann and Simon Hinterholzer provide context for the study’s findings. More

Data Digits 11.12.2025

Sometimes a single number tells the whole story – or at least a pretty interesting one. In cooperation with DataCenter-Insider, we highlight standout figures from the world of data centers. More