Many municipalities in Germany are currently facing the challenge of implementing the heat transition in concrete terms. Numerous municipal heat plans stipulate the establishment of new heating networks with local, renewable energy sources as a central component of a climate-neutral heat supply. This info sheet particularly supports smaller municipalities without their own municipal utilities company in choosing an operating model. 

The info sheet provides a systematic overview of different organizational forms for heating networks: from municipally operated networks to leasing models and partnership constellations to pure third-party investor models. All variants have specific opportunities and risks. The central question is how municipalities can strike a balance between economic feasibility, municipal control, and social participation. The author emphasizes the importance of municipal autonomy and encourages municipalities to secure long-term scope for action without foregoing the advantages of local cooperation, for example with energy cooperatives or private actors.

In the research project “Suburban heat transition 2”, the IÖW has developed two additional info sheets that support municipalities – especially those without municipal utilities – in the implementation of heating networks. These are based on findings from the course of the project, existing literature, and interviews with pioneering municipalities and experts from the field. An introductory info sheet highlights key issues relating to the planning and implementation of district heating concepts. Another info sheet, which was developed in collaboration with the project partners – the Technical University of Berlin and the Stuhr/Weyhe Environmental Center (UZSW) – presents the case study examined in the project: the planned local heat grid in the German municipality of Weyhe.