Municipal heat planning in Germany

A large number of municipalities in Germany are about to make their first heat plan, the “KWP.” District heating could and should play a role in all of them, but the tasks are enormous, and access to knowledge and experienced people is limited.

The project is called CoLab KWP – playing on the words collaboration and a joint laboratory for testing new approaches.
The ambitions of the project are described like this:

• The municipalities and their heat planning re the key to the German heat transition. This project will support and empower key staff in the German municipalities in their efforts to create the best possible KWPs.
• A good KWP is the foundation for cheap, sustainable, and resilient heat supply based on district heating. A really good KWP is the foundation for energy efficiency, job creation, and integrated solutions that will benefit the whole municipality across many sectors.
• The project is a catalyst for transforming Danish experiences on heat planning and district heating to valuable support for KWPs – in close collaboration with selected German municipalities and organisations.

In a joint Danish-German effort, the project selects relevant knowledge and collaborate to strengthen and accelerate the municipal heat planning. Four topics has been identified so that experience and sparring from Denmark can support a stronger heat transition in Germany.

The topics are:

1. DH is energy infrastructure and brings a wider value to the local society
2.  How to set the scene for a successful heat plan (KWP)
3.  How to make a KWP step-by-step
4. Ownership and organisation of DH