KfW 522 — Heating Subsidy for Businesses, Non-Residential Buildings (Heizungsförderung)

KfW 522 — Heating Subsidy for Businesses, Non-Residential Buildings (Heizungsförderung)

Funds organizations upgrading non-residential building heating with efficient, climate-friendly technologies and support instruments.

KfW Program 522 (Heizungsförderung für Unternehmen – Nichtwohngebäude) is a rolling direct grant from KfW Bankengruppe that funds the installation of climate-friendly heating systems in non-residential buildings across Germany. Eligible applicants span a wide range of entities — sole proprietors, corporations, municipal enterprises, non-profit organizations, churches, and private individuals owning non-residential property. Eligible heating technologies mirror those in the residential program: solar thermal, biomass boilers, heat pumps, fuel cell heating, and district heating connections, plus associated planning and supervision costs. There is no fixed application deadline; applications are accepted continuously subject to annual budget.

The base grant is 30% of eligible project costs. An additional +5% efficiency bonus applies to heat pumps that meet specific performance criteria, bringing the ceiling to 35%. A flat €2,500 emissions reduction surcharge supplements the percentage grant for biomass systems that meet the dust emissions standard. Eligible cost caps are calculated by heated net floor area: €30,000 for buildings up to 150 m², plus €200/m² for the 150–400 m² band, €120/m² for 400–1,000 m², and €80/m² above 1,000 m². Every funded installation must increase the building's share of renewable energy in final energy consumption, and hydraulic balancing of the heating system is a required component.

Applications must be submitted via the Meine KfW portal before any construction work begins. Projects must be completed within 36 months of KfW approval, and documentation including invoices and completion evidence must be submitted within six months of the final invoice date. The grant is paid in arrears after completion. Companies and organizations in Germany with a genuine non-residential building and a qualifying heating replacement project can apply at any point during the year when the program is open.