The federal government has been subsidising installations in private households since 2016. The successful funding programme was extended to companies and municipal authorities in 2017. A total of 2,630 systems have been subsidised thus far.
As the most efficient form of cogeneration, a fuel cell emits almost 60 per cent less CO2 compared to an old oil burner. The heat market is responsible for around 40 per cent of German CO2 emissions, with a third of the heating systems in German basements being outdated. Systems with an electrical output range of between 0.25 and 5 kW are funded. The grant consists of both a fixed amount of 5,700 euros as well as an output-related amount. For large fuel cell appliances with an output of 5 kW, grants of up to 28,200 euros are potentially available.
The KfW funding programme was prepared through field tests in “Callux”, a project within the National Innovation Programme for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology (NIP).
More information on funding conditions and on application procedures can be found under www.kfw.de/433.
