Sustainable heat supply: Community energy concepts in focus

Sustainable heat supply: Community energy concepts in focus

Deutschland - In Germany, heat supply is increasingly subjected to a change that promises a sustainable future. Over 50% of the final energy consumption is due to the heat supply, which is largely covered by fossil fuels such as gas and oil. In view of the high heating costs due to increasing energy prices, it is crucial to find new approaches.

In order to master the challenges of future heat supply, many cities and municipalities have started to create municipal heat plans. These plans are part of the strategies for reducing CO2 emissions, with the current proportion of renewable energies in municipal heat supply in 2023 only 18.8 %. The main part is related to natural gas and coal.

Community heat supply and tenant electricity models

The concepts for effective heat supply often focus on community systems, such as local heating networks, which are particularly used in densely populated quarters with many apartment buildings. Among other things, these can be fed by waste heat from companies or geothermal energy. Combined heat and power plants that are operated with biogas could also be part of these new systems. Tenants and building owners are active co -designers in these processes, with initiatives can assume both municipal housing companies and private sector providers. The users also have the option of founding their own cooperatives, whereby this is associated with increased effort.

An interesting option is the tenant electricity model, which enables self -generated electricity to use the heat pumps to improve economy and climate neutrality. However, high bureaucratic hurdles must be observed. A community building supply (GGV) promotes the installation of photovoltaic systems on apartment buildings, which enables power supply without taxes and taxes for the tenants.

strategic heat planning and state support

The heat planning law, which comes into force on January 1, 2024, demands that new heating networks move into at least 65% of net heat generation from renewable energies or waste heat. The federal government will provide a total of 500 million euros to support the municipal heat plans by 2028. In addition to inventory and potential analyzes to determine the heat requirement and the available heat sources, these also include planning the infrastructures.

The requirements for the existing heating networks are ambitious: by 2030 they have to obtain 30% and until 2040 even 80% of the heat from renewable sources or waste heat. In order to support this change, it is also pointed out that the economy increases with the number of supplied buildings. There are also numerous advisory services from local government to facilitate the feasibility study for new projects.

challenges and perspectives of the heat change

A study by the public economy, infrastructure and general interest at the University of Leipzig has shown that a transformation to climate -neutral heat systems will be sought by 2045. Participants and energy supply companies involved emphasize that the heat transition has many opportunities for regional developments. Nevertheless, there are risks, for example in the form of tense budget situations and personnel bottlenecks. A proposal includes the formations of cooperations among small municipalities to bundle resources.

The implementation of these far -reaching changes requires considerable investments that amount to around 10.8 billion euros. Therefore, the established systems and practices must be reconsidered in order to provide warmth sustainably and cost -effective. While the plans and analyzes are now going, the implementation of the change process is crucial for the design of a climate -friendly future for all citizens in Germany.

For more information on the municipal heat plans and the associated strategies, please visit Ostsee-Zeitung , bmwsb and kowid