Determining the Potential of Waste Heat in Berlin Final Report
The heating sector is responsible for almost half of Berlin's CO2 emissions. The transformation of the heating supply is therefore necessary in order to achieve the climate protection targets. A climate-neutral heat supply in Berlin requires the comprehensive utilisation of local renewable heat and waste heat potentials. The potential analysis by the Institute for Ecological Economy Research (IÖW) and the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research (ifeu) now presents the first comprehensive assessment of waste heat potential in Berlin. It was carried out on behalf of the Senate Department for Urban Mobility, Transport, Climate Action and the Environment (SenMVKU).
The analysis shows that waste heat at present could already make a relevant contribution to the heat supply in Berlin. This potential is increasing with the growing number of data centres and the production of hydrogen in the city. The sources of waste heat in Berlin are largely decentralised and mostly have low temperatures.
The utilisation of waste heat is not a given, as demonstrated by the small number of projects implemented in Berlin to date. In order to utilise the existing potential as quickly as possible in spite of existing obstacles, the state of Berlin therefore needs to create supportive framework conditions. The project recommends a holistic approach to this – from consulting and financing to the concrete implementation of projects for the utilisation of waste heat.
