ExtrA

Duration: 06.2023 - 09.2026
Overall project manager: Dr Gerrit Stöckigt (FZJ)
Project manager FH Aachen: Dr Matthias Grajewski

Buildings are responsible for around a third of CO2 emissions in Germany. The switch to renewable energies in the building sector has long been a central theme of the energy transition, which has now been given an additional boost by the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine and the subsequent turbulence on the German energy markets. Experts agree that in order to become less dependent on natural gas and in particular on imports from Russia, the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energies must succeed as quickly as possible.

However, without broad public support, the heating transition can hardly be achieved. Switching to sustainable alternatives is often associated with higher costs and frequently depends on personal decisions. In the ExtrA research project, the researchers now want to clarify the extent to which extreme events such as the war in Ukraine contribute to changing attitudes towards different energy sources and heating technologies.

As part of the project "Grassroots movement in the energy transition: The role of extreme events for the social acceptance of sustainable heat supply", or ExtrA for short, two survey studies and four nationwide citizen dialogues are planned for this purpose over the three-year term. Future scenarios will be developed on the basis of the findings, from which options for action for the transformation of the heat supply can be derived using an interactive web tool.