Heating turn in Germany: These cities are pioneers in the heat plan!

With the entry into force of the heating law in 2024, German cities and municipalities have the task of actively working on the heat turnaround. A current report shows that implementation is already in full swing. The heating law was introduced together with a law on municipal heat planning, which sets the necessary framework conditions for the development of heat plans.

property owners must participate in the private heat transition if their city has created a corresponding heat plan. The deadlines set in the heating law are directly related to municipal heat planning. Cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants are obliged to submit a heat plan by June 30, 2026, while smaller communities have time until June 30, 2028

progress in heat planning

The Federal Association of Energy and Water Management (BDEW) pointed out that 98 percent of cities with more than 45,000 inhabitants have started either with the creation or completion of their heat planning. Kerstin Andreae, chair of the BDEW main management, emphasizes the importance of stable framework conditions for the success of the project. Cities in particular are particularly available in Baden-Württemberg, where there is already a state law for municipal heat planning.

The cities that have already completed their heat planning are Weinheim, Heidelberg, Bruchsal and Stuttgart. In Germany, around 80 percent of district heating currently comes from fossil fuels. However, there are also five cities that have not yet given any information on heat planning, including Neunkirchen and Bamberg.

Goals and requirements of the Heat Planning Act

The heat planning law and the amendment to the building energy law (AG) come into force on January 1, 2024. The aim is to reach the climate goals by 2045. All cities and municipalities are obliged to draw up local heat planning. These heat plans should offer both citizens and companies and energy suppliers security in relation to central heat supply.

The deadlines for the creation of the heat plans are staggered according to the city size: large cities must deliver by June 30, 2026, while smaller communities have time until June 30, 2028. For existing buildings, longer deadlines apply for the exchange of fossil heating, which also depend on municipal heat planning.

The heat planning law strives for a climate -neutral heat supply by 2045, with the aim of operating all heating systems 100 percent with renewable energies. By January 2024, at least 65 percent of renewable heat will be integrated into new heating networks.

The federal government supports the heat planning with 500 million euros by 2028, whereby this support is unbureaucratically through increased shares in sales tax for the federal states. The challenges include the expansion of the district heating supply, which should be made more efficiently and environmentally friendly so that up to 80 percent of the heating networks have been converted to renewable energies or inevitable waste heat by 2040.