Your challenge, our solution

The Heat Planning Act (“WPG”) passed in January 2024 obliges all 10,900 municipalities in Germany to draw up heat plans by June 2028 at the latest and to update them every five years. This law underlines the political importance of municipal heat planning and ensures compliance with legal requirements that minimize disputes and create financial incentives.

Our expertise in municipal heat planning offers you high-quality heat plans, including professional GIS visualizations and comprehensive technical, economic, strategic and legal support. Our interdisciplinary team of engineers, business consultants, tax advisors, accountants and lawyers ensures that your projects are optimally planned and implemented.

You receive customized participation models and targeted communication strategies for citizens and key stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation of your heating projects. Our experts analyze local needs, generation possibilities and infrastructures in detail in order to find the best solutions. We offer open-source GIS systems for free use, professional data management and comprehensive profitability analyses and investment planning. Thus, we ensure the financial feasibility and sustainability of your projects and always take the latest legal developments into account. Rely on our expertise for a future-proof heat supply.

Our services

Preparation of professional heat planning:

  • Legally compliant development of municipal heat planning at the highest level.
  • Provision of a free open-source GIS system.
  • Committed, young team accompanied by seniority in project management.
  • Many years of experience in the energy sector with municipalities and utilities.
  • Security of the collected data through professional data management.

Participation and communication with the public / key players:

  • Organization and implementation of public participation and communication offerings for various target groups.
  • Involvement of municipal utilities, grid operators, housing companies, commercial enterprises, etc.
  • Support with public relations work (press releases, preparation of information for citizens, etc.) from professional colleagues in our marketing department.

Strategic advice - decision on the role of the municipality:

  • We work with the municipality to plan its short and long-term role and direction.
  • If the municipality wishes to play an active role after the planning stage, we are available in advance with our municipal experience.
  • We can contribute legal and tax expertise to provide support at any stage of the project.

Business modeling, profitability calculations, investments and funding opportunities:

  • Preparation of a precise cost plan and a long-term business plan including a profitability calculation.
  • The business case provides information on the expected financing volume and identifies forms of financing.
  • In this context, we work closely with our financial experts and accountants.
Hartmut Müller

Hartmut Müller

Partner

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General information on municipal heat planning

Legal basis

Municipal heat planning is a legally prescribed measure for all 10,900 municipalities in Germany. The regulation aims to ensure an efficient and sustainable heat supply. While the law is already in force at federal level, the federal states still have to pass specific laws at state level in order to support its implementation.

Phases of municipal heat planning

1. Status analysis
In the first phase, the status analysis, the municipality’s current status is recorded. This includes the current building stock, the existing energy infrastructure, greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), the energy balance and, in particular, the municipality’s heating requirements.

2. Potential analysis
The second phase, the potential analysis, examines the generation and saving potentials. Generation potential identifies the available energy sources for heat generation, including heat and electricity sources. Savings potentials include opportunities for building renovation and process optimization in order to reduce energy consumption.

3. Target scenario
In the third phase, the target scenario, the different areas of the municipality are categorized and assigned to specific heat supply types. These include centralized supply solutions such as district heating and decentralized solutions such as heat pumps or hydrogen supply areas.

4. Implementation strategy
In the fourth and final phase, the implementation strategy, concrete measures for implementing the heat supply plans are defined. This includes a schedule specifying when which measures are to be introduced.

Complexity and participation
Municipal heat planning is a complex issue that goes far beyond technical and economic aspects. Successful implementation requires the involvement of various stakeholders as well as well sophisticated communication strategies in order to involve and inform the population and all relevant interest groups. With this structured approach, municipal heat planning can make a significant contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting a sustainable energy future.

Challenges and solutions for municipal heat planning

Municipal heat planning is facing significant challenges:

1.    Data collection and coordination: Difficult data coordination and quality. Our solution: Professional data management and project organization.
2.    Communication: Need for public acceptance and effective public relations. Our solution: Dedicated communication strategies and involvement of key players.
3.    Heat planning: Preparation and technical analysis of heat plans. Our solution: Interdisciplinary expertise and experience in heat planning projects.
4.    Legal aspects: Lack of state laws and legal uncertainties. Our solution: Taking account of legal developments and specialized legal advice.
5.    Financing: investment issues and the role of the municipality. Our solution: Profitability calculations and strategic advice on financing.

Our comprehensive solutions effectively support municipalities in overcoming these challenges and promote a sustainable heat supply.

Areas of application for municipal heat planning

Urban planning and development
The integration of district heating networks in new and existing districts plays a central role in the field of urban planning and development. This involves planning energy-efficient districts and buildings and optimizing the spatial distribution of heat sources and consumers. The strategic placement of these elements can significantly increase the efficiency of the heat supply.

Climate protection and energy efficiency
Municipal heating planning makes a significant contribution to reducing CO2 emissions by promoting the use of renewable energies and efficient technologies. Another focus is on improving energy efficiency in buildings and industrial plants. In addition, the use of waste heat from industrial processes and power plants is supported in order to optimally exploit existing energy sources.

Renewable energies and sustainability
A key area of application for heat planning is the integration of renewable energies such as solar thermal energy, geothermal energy and biomass into the heat supply. The use of wastewater heat and other unconventional heat sources is also being promoted. The aim is to promote a sustainable and resource-conserving heat supply, thus sustainably reducing the environmental impact.

Supply infrastructure and network planning
The construction and expansion of district heating networks are fundamental aspects of municipal heating planning. This involves continuously optimizing the efficiency and security of supply of heating networks. Furthermore, the integration of decentralized heat sources and storage facilities into existing networks plays an important role in increasing the flexibility and reliability of the heat supply.

Industry and commerce
In industry and commerce, the focus is on the efficient use of process heat. This also includes the use of waste heat to supply neighboring residential and commercial areas. In addition, heat usage concepts in production processes are optimized in order to minimize energy consumption and improve economic efficiency.

Economic planning and investments
Another important area of application is the economic planning and evaluation of investments in heating infrastructures. This includes profitability analyses for various heat supply concepts as well as the identification and use of funding programs and financing options for heating projects. This ensures that the investments are both ecologically and economically sustainable.