and small-sized ones, this could mean serious capacity issues. To alleviate this problem, a new competence center for the heating transition (Kompetenzzentrum Wärmewende, KWW) took up its work in the city of Halle at the beginning of the year. The center will pool expertise on heat planning and offer guidance to municipalities on how to approach the manner. This is a thoughtful initiative, but the municipalities are still in charge of producing the heat plans. They may, of course, choose to source this task out. However, the combination of mandatory heat planning and transformation plans being a re- quirement for access to funding will probably fill up the order books of the consultancy companies quite quickly. Additionally, the complexity of heat planning needs to be borne in mind. As an excellent tool to solve various techni- cal issues using a holistic approach, heat planning combines scanning the local building stock, identifying potential heat sources, and developing measures that lead to optimal match- making of supply and demand. But technical feasibility does not automatically result in pipes in the ground. In other words, heat plans need to be more than accurate technical drawings and neat mathematical calculations. The Danish approach to heat planning In Denmark, stakeholder involvement and partnerships across sectors have proven to be crucial for the successful implemen-
tation of heat plans. Bringing together local administrations, utilities, housing companies, and citizens to chip in with ideas and concerns alike can significantly increase the acceptance of heat planning. Of course, inviting different interest groups to sit at the same ta- ble can spark disagreements. To limit the possibility of conflict, the Danish Energy Agency maintains a technology catalogue comprising a set of common assumptions regarding general aspects of planning, such as the development of fuel prices or technical components. The state Baden-Württemberg is intro- ducing a German technology catalogue, which might develop over time to a nationwide catalogue. Without having to get lost in these kinds of discussions, heat planning can be a strong tool for municipalities to take matters into their own hands, strengthen communal ties and promote local empowerment. Furthermore, pursuing a bottom-up approach and involving different perspectives leads to a better quality in planning and ultimately to greener and more affordable communities. All the above shows that there are many boxes to be ticked off to lift the great potential in heat planning. However, it appears that Germany has come to a pivotal realization: Awareness and ambition can only be the first steps to improvement. Eventual- ly, change is needed, and actions need to be implemented – in this case, rather sooner than later. The time for action is now.
Renewable Energies – share of heat supply in Germany 1999-2020 and the 2030 target Share in percent
Figure 3 Source:
Results based on public data
For further information please contact: Christian Bjerrum Jørgensen, chrjor@um.dk
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