Neighborhood approaches play a key role in achieving climate policy goals in the building and heating sector. By developing cross-building supply concepts, local renewable energy potentials such as waste heat, geothermal energy or ambient heat can be used efficiently. Besides, human and financial capacities can be pooled effectively. At the same time, a large number of – sometimes new – stakeholders come together, particularly in existing districts, who have different needs and challenges with regard to the heat transition. In order for the concepts developed to actually be implemented, committed stakeholders are needed who invest in the implementation or actively drive it forward.

To accelerate the heat transition in the district, new, innovative business models are needed which, in addition to the climate policy objectives, also guarantee the financial viability and affordability of the heat transition. This publication provides an overview of possible fields of action, operator and organizational models, as well as financing channels for business models for the district heat transition. In addition to the advantages and disadvantages of different forms of organization, the publication shows the effects of the choice of an operator and financing model on site and the challenges that can arise in practice during implementation.