Heating transition in Berlin's Schöneberger Norden district – WärmSchöN Development of blueprints for the implementation of heat planning in the neighborhood in the interaction of district, state and local actors using the example of the ‘Schöneberger Norden’ area
Heat planning in Berlin involves installing small-scale district heating networks based on local renewable energy sources and waste heat for many inner-city districts without existing district heating. There are, however, many obstacles to initiating and implementing such local networks. A key challenge is that many stakeholders must work together for district solutions to succeed.
Using the example of a neighborhood in northern Schöneberg, the WärmSchöN Project examines how local district heating networks can supply heat to inner-city neighbourhoods with limited space availability in a way that is both climate-neutral and socially acceptable. It investigates the processes and tools needed for the district and state to initiate and support such solutions in cooperation with local stakeholders.
The project team will develop solutions in four areas:
- Activation and cooperation of professional stakeholders as well as suitable financing and operating models
- Participation, acceptance, and social compatibility
- Opportunities for action and processes in the public sector
- Technical solutions for heat supply and their optimization
The transdisciplinary project is coordinated by IÖW and the Borough Office Tempelhof-Schöneberg, working in close cooperation with the Technical University of Berlin and Gewobag ED, and with the Berlin Senate Department for Mobility, Transport, Climate Protection, and Environment and the AG Wärmewende (Heat Transition Working Group) of the Schöneberger Norden neighborhood council as associated partners. The research team at IÖW analyzes stakeholders, financing and operating models, as well concepts for technical implementation. It also evaluates the (socio-)economic effects, develops transferable cooperation and participation formats, and conducts workshops for different target groups.
Building on the experiences and solutions in Schöneberger Norden, the insights and tools developed in the project can contribute to successful implementation of heat supply solutions in existing neighborhoods. To this end, overarching recommendations will be developed as blueprints for practitioners in other neighborhoods and municipalities, and existing instruments will be validated and refined. The results will be disseminated to relevant stakeholders through targeted public relations work.
