KommWPlanPlus: Implementation of municipal heat planning

Objective of the “KommWPlanPlus” project: To support municipalities and other stakeholders in implementing the municipal heat transition. The researchers are examining, among other things, how local projects for a social and sustainable heat transition can be implemented in municipalities and are investigating the following questions: Which implementation projects are relevant? What options for action are available to the respective actors? And what financing options could be useful? They also consider when such implementation projects should be taken into account in the preparation of municipal heating plans and at what point the various actors should be involved in planning or implementation. The focus is not only on heating, but also on integrated projects with interfaces to the electricity and/or mobility sector.

Municipal heat planning is an important element of the local energy transition. Each municipality develops its own individual path toward climate neutrality. This offers the opportunity to identify and plan possible implementation measures with various stakeholders. For climate protection, it is crucial that municipal heat planning does not remain on paper, but is implemented in a timely manner.

The project involves close cooperation between research, municipal utilities and municipalities. At the three practical locations in Hagen, Wuppertal, and Garbsen, the project team identifies challenges in the implementation of heat planning and develops practical tools to support municipalities and other stakeholders. Among other things, the following aspects are considered: data ownership (How can municipalities be enabled to reuse data dynamically?), economic feasibility analysis (How can the economic feasibility of projects be efficiently assessed?), financing options (Which investment and operating models can be used for which projects?) and municipal options for action (What scope for action do municipalities have and how must they position themselves in order to take advantage of it?).

Implementation profiles for individual measures are intended to support municipalities in planning measures, provide examples of good practice, highlight operating models, and offer assistance for stakeholder activation and cooperation. As the project progresses, the focus will be on developing further support tools for municipalities and applying them in practice. Particular attention will be paid to the spatial level of neighborhoods, which is a good starting point for implementation and offers good opportunities for integrated projects.

In addition, the project will organize and run the “Komm.InFahrt” series of events. The online format, which takes place every three months, is aimed at municipalities and is intended to highlight options for action and solutions for the municipal energy transition. Results reports from research projects will bridge the gap between research, planning and practice. The focus is on experience reports from municipalities so that they can learn from each other and move forward with implementation.

• items project GmbH
• Civitas Connect e.V.
• Stadt Wuppertal – Geschäftsbereich: Wirtschaft, Stadtentwicklung, Klimaschutz, Bauen und Recht – Koordinierungsstelle Klimaschutz
• WSW Wuppertaler Stadtwerke GmbH
• Stadt Hagen
• ENERVIE Service GmbH
• Stadt Garbsen – Dezernat 4: Fachbereich 43 Umwelt und Stadtgrün