According to new policies, all new homes built in Germany after January 1st 2009 will be required to install renewable energy heating systems under a new law called the Renewable Energies Heating Law.

Homeowners will have to use renewable energy sources to meet 14% of a household’s total energy consumption for heating and domestic hot water.

This is exciting stuff. And that the German government is allocating 350 million euros (US $517 million) each year in grants for homeowners to install renewable energy systems (solar panels, etc.) is also exciting.