{
  "id": 8860020,
  "title": "Kühlen verboten: Wie die Baubürokratie Hauseigentümer weiter schwitzen lässt",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/21/kuhlen-verboten-wie-die-bauburokratie-hauseigentumer-weiter-schwitzen",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-21T06:32:40.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "NZZ Wirtschaft",
    "slug": "nzz-wirtschaft",
    "url": "https://www.nzz.ch/wirtschaft/kuehlen-verboten-wie-die-baubuerokratie-hauseigentuemer-weiter-schwitzen-laesst-ld.10023853"
  },
  "original_language": "de",
  "account": "The practice of granting permits for air conditioning systems remains rigid. As summer approaches, these devices are often sold out. Homeowners looking to keep their houses cool in the coming summer should get their plans in order now. At the end of a hot summer, Zürich's Dreikönigstrasse 34 looks its finest. This representative business building from 1892, located just a few hundred meters from the Paradeplatz, boasts intricate stone carvings, delicate balconies, and the unmistakable charm of the turn of the century. These qualities make it a popular choice among tenants in the business district willing to pay a premium. The idyll is marred by the reality that as the summer heat wave sweeps through the neighborhood, office work becomes impossible. Ventilation offers no relief, as the oppressive heat of the summer air infiltrates not only through the windows but also the noise from the two-lane road. For Claude Ginesta, an owner of a rental office at Dreikönigstrasse, the consequences were dire. \"At temperatures above 30 degrees, working here was no longer tolerable,\" he recounted. For two months, the doors of the office were left open most afternoons as employees fled to home offices or air-conditioned branches. A portable air conditioner from a hardware store could not have solved the problem. The exhaust pipe required for proper ventilation would have to remain open. The building is owned by the Lunch-Check cooperative, which operates its own offices there. CEO Tobias Fürholz does not intend to wait for the next hot summer. \"No, it would be nice,\" he said. The real work begins then. Distributing cooling vertically within the building proves to be highly complex, time-consuming, and costly. The existing building technology and heating distribution were not designed for this purpose. Retrofitting the facade of the 1892 building is out of the question due to strict conservation rules. Fürholz noted that the fate of the attic, where two apartments are located, appears almost grotesque. Despite the extreme heat during the summer, they remain unheated. \"The building planner considers it excluded that the Zürich city authorities would approve the heating of the apartments,\" he said. \"We are now pushing ahead with the work for vertical cooling in the offices before the craftsmen are booked again next summer.\" A homeowner who plans ahead for the winter is apparently the exception. Daniel Burkhardt, owner of a building technology company in Dübendorf, experiences the exact opposite each year. \"We had up to fifteen requests for air conditioning on peak days in the summer,\" he reported. The business is seasonal, he explained, \"it is driven by the heat. Once the heat makes people uncomfortable, they call the installer. The industry is already booked.\" Planning, noise mitigation certification, and building permits take two to three months each. \"Many homeowners delay the issue if they do not receive a device within two weeks,\" Burkhardt noted. The industry is already booked when the planning begins. \"In many cases, the requirements are unrealistic,\" Burkhardt said. Especially high are the standards in Zürich and Winterthur. It is an open secret among contractors that many homeowners resort to self-help by installing cooling systems without permission. Andreas Voigt, a Zürich architect, calls the approval process a \"jungle.\" Obtaining official permission for a fixed installation with exterior sun protection is almost impossible in cities like Zürich. The root of the problem lies in the building and energy laws. Before any active cooling, authorities require comprehensive, automatic solar protection. The awnings must automatically close when the sun shines. Many historic facades and old buildings lack such a system. Authorities deny approval or request complicated compensations, such as solar panels or other energy-saving measures. In addition, strict noise protection requirements add more fuel to the fire. The result is quantified. Last year, Zürich granted only 162 permits for air conditioning, while by mid-July this year, the number had dropped to 73. There is not even one permit for every thousand homes. Winterthur's numbers are even lower: last year, authorities approved eight residential air conditioning units, and by mid-July this year, only two applications had been received. Cooling is still necessary. Many install without permission, while others settle for unapproved devices due to the lack of permits. (see box) Roberto Zenobini, from the engineering firm Sero in Oberrohrdorf, AG, considers the authorities' stance outdated. A decade to fifteen years ago, the dogma held that active air conditioning was \"inefficient and costly.\" This perspective disregards the new reality. \"On extremely hot summer days, photovoltaic systems generate such a surplus of power that it is practically wasted.\"",
  "summary": "Die Bewilligungspraxis für Klimaanlagen bleibt rigid. Und im Sommer sind die Geräte meist ausverkauft. Wer sein Haus im nächsten Sommer kühl halten will, sollte die Planung jetzt an die Hand nehmen.",
  "key_points": [
    "Permit process for air conditioning remains rigid and complex",
    "Zürich granted only 162 permits last year, 73 by mid-July",
    "Authorities require solar protection before approving air conditioning"
  ],
  "editors_take": "Stricter regulations and permit requirements for air conditioning systems in cities like Zürich and Winterthur leave homeowners with limited options, often forcing them to either forgo cooling or install systems without permission.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}