In the Süddeutsche Zeitung (SZ), Munich on July 10, 2008 under the heading: "Restricted view of the world with contradictions," there were five Letters to the Editor about an interview with BASF Chairman Juergen Hambrecht: "The culture of positive people is lost" / SZ, June 28. One of these readers' letters was submitted by Prof. Dr. Hans-Peter Duerr from Munich. Here is the Letter to the Editor published by Arno A. Evers, Starnberg:

Letters to the Editor printed in the Süddeutsche Zeitung, July 10 2008: Everybody can now be pleased to have found the "guilty ones" in energy consumption. But what do the facts say? The German Association of Energy Balances published figures from Germany about this. Thus, the primary energy consumption in 2006 (more recent figures are hard to find) was 497.8 million t.c.e - Tons Coal Equivalents. Of this amount, the following branches "consumed" or rather the energy was transferred to: industry: 89.0 million t.c.e.; transport: 90.0 million t.c.e.; households: 91.3 million t.c.e.; trade, commerce and services: 48.9 million t.c.e. Between primary energy consumption and final energy consumption, with a "consumption" of 122.4 million t.c.e. in 2006, there is a "user" who is only little known: the Flaring and Transmission Losses, mainly in the actual production and distribution of electricity as delivered today. These conversion losses must therefore receive our main attention. The culture change, desired by Juergen Hambrecht has to begin at this point. It becomes all the more interesting when you compare the changes from 2005 to 2006: industry: plus 6.3%; transport: plus 0.4%; household: plus 1.4%; trade, commerce and services: minus 0.6%. And now…the Flaring and Transmission Losses: plus 5.8% from 2005 to 2006. Here you can see who has done his homework. With such figures, it is easy to see who saves energy in Germany and who does not.

Original letter to the Sueddeutsche Zeitung, Munich:
The highlighted passages were not printed

Here Mr Hambrecht was in error: "The culture of positive people lost,"
SZ No. 149, 28./29.6. 2008
BASF - Chief Executive Officer Juergen Hambrecht summarized it strikingly in his interview: "... The big savings potential lies not with the industry, but in every one of us, for example at the energy consumption of houses, apartments and cars. This is a culture change. The largest oil well is situated below Germany. It is the energy efficiency ... This sounds all very consistent, others have already said so or similar and will gladly be quoted."
Everybody can now be pleased to have found the "guilty" in energy consumption. But what does the facts say? The German Association of Energy Balances published figures from Germany about this. Thus, the primary energy consumption in 2006 (more recent figures are hard to find) was 497.8 million t.c.e - Tonnes Coal Equivalents. Thereof "consumed" (correctly, this should read): This energy was transfered in: industry: 89.0 million t.c.e.; Transport: 90.0 million t.c.e.; Households: 91.3 million t.c.e. and: Trade, Commerce and Services: 48.9 million t.c.e. Between primary energy consumption and final energy consumption, with a "consumption" of 122.4 million t.c.e. in 2006, there is a "user", who is only little known: the Flaring and Transmission Losses, mainly in the actual production and distribution of electricity, as delivered today. These conversion losses must therefore get our main attention. The culture change, desired by Juergen Hambrecht hast to begin at this point.
Why the SZ-Economic Editors Marc Beiser, Karl-Heinz Büschemann and Ulrich Schaefer did not ask for more information at his point, is surprising. Was is a question of not being able to ask more or not wanting to ask more?
Even more interesting is it getting, when you compare the changes from 2005 to 2006: Industry: plus 6.3%; Transport: plus 0.4%; Household: plus 1.4%, Trade, Commerce and Services minus 0.6%. Now is: Flaring and Transmission Losses : plus 5.8% from 2005 to 2006. Here you can see, who made his homework. It is illustrated by these figures, and everybody can figure it out, who saves energy in Germany and who is not.
Even more interesting is it to have the changes from 2005 to 2006 considered:
Industry: plus 6.3%, transport: plus 0.4%, Household: plus 1.4, as well as industry, trade and services: minus 0.6%. Now it: Umwalndlunsgverluste: plus 5.8% from 2005 to 2006. As you can see then who made his homework. It may be the basis of these figures to calculate each himself, who saves energy in Germany and who is not.

Arno A. Evers, Starnberg, founder of the Group Exhibit Hydrogen and Fuel Cells at the annual Hannover Fair since 1995
Achheimstrasse 3, 82319 Starnberg, Tel: 08151 998923

Sources: Association of energy balances e.V.
http://www.ag-energiebilanzen.de/

Flow of energy Germany 2006
https://www.hydrogenambassadors.com/background/energiefluss-deutschland-2006.php

Flow of energy Germany 2005 compared to 2006 in percent
https://www.hydrogenambassadors.com/background/energiefluss-deutschland-vergleich-2005-zu-2006.php