Civil engineering work in Jena: Hermann-Löns-Straße becomes a construction site!

Civil engineering work in Jena: Hermann-Löns-Straße becomes a construction site!

A hot topic is just around the corner: Stadtwerke Energie Jena will start civil engineering work on Hermann-Löns-Straße, in the Jena-Süd district, on Monday, November 3rd. The conversion to the new district heating pipes should be completed by the end of November. Around 25 meters will be laid, which represents a small challenge for all residents.

Hermann-Löns-Straße will be completely closed in the area of ​​house number 65; A diversion via Winzerlaer Straße will hopefully ensure a smooth flow of traffic. The municipal utilities are already asking for your understanding of the resulting restrictions. This work is part of the comprehensive effort to expand and densify the district heating network in Jena, which ultimately also benefits environmental protection, as the city has set itself the goal of being climate neutral by 2035.

The importance of district heating expansion

Currently, around 34,000 of around 60,000 households in Jena are supplied with district heating. The goal is clear: the number of households that have this sustainable form of heat supply should be further increased. In order to identify suitable streets and urban areas, a concept for generating district heating from renewable energies by 2040 was developed as part of municipal heat planning. This planning is in line with the political requirements that are influenced by the new Building Energy Act (GEG) and the associated expression of municipal heat planning.

The Building Energy Act, also known as the “Heating Act”, comes into force on January 1, 2024. The aim is to significantly reduce the use of fossil energy for heating and cooling buildings. Although the legal requirements are still being discussed - Section 71 GEG, among other things, provides for the possibility of heating either via electric heat pumps or via a connection to a heating network - the trend is clear: renewable energies must be given priority.

Shared responsibility for the environment

Stadtwerke Jena Netze is responsible for the technical operation of the district heating networks in Jena, Pößneck, Hermsdorf and Blankenhain. In this context, the municipal heat planning department will also draw up a detailed plan for the use of energy sources to generate heat in the urban area. Completion is planned for early/mid-2025 and will probably be crucial for how Jena and its neighboring areas will master future energy supply challenges.

The city of Jena has already identified various district heating priority areas in which connection to the district heating network is prioritized. In other parts of the city, connections are possible upon customer request. Interested owners can therefore register for a district heating connection in order to take advantage of the advantages of this sustainable type of heating. Because honestly, in the long term you are doing good business with district heating - not only for you, but also for the environment.

The current change in Hermann-Löns-Straße is just one building block in a much larger mosaic that should ultimately lead to Jena becoming climate neutral by 2045. With the federal Efficient Heat Networks (BEW) program, which supports transformation planning, there is hope that the ambitious climate goals can also be realistically achieved.

We will keep you up to date on further developments in the area of ​​district heating in Jena. Stay tuned!

For further information and a digital map with the planned supply areas for the district heating connection, see the Jena public utilities as well as the Stadtwerke Jena networks Stop by and find out about the possibilities that the new Building Energy Act offers you. There is also interesting information on municipal heat planning Website of the Federal Agency for Civic Education.