Short studies about municipal heating planning
Freiburg, 20/07/2026
The ‘Implementing heat infrastructure planning robustly – W-rob’ project, run by the Universities of Freiburg and Marburg, the NELA Next Economy Lab and other industry partners, has published analyses and recommendations to support municipalities in the heat transition. The short studies address, amongst other things, municipal capacity, communication and public acceptance, as well as the use of industrial waste heat. The studies are now available free of charge online.
In Germany, heat supply accounts for more than 50 per cent of total final energy consumption and is responsible for a large proportion of CO2 emissions. As a result, cities and municipalites are obliged to plan which areas will be supplied sustainably in the future and how. Municipal heating planning involves overcoming numerous financial, legal and technical challenges in order to achieve not only local public acceptance but also active public support for the heat transition.
Eleven short studies now offer concrete solutions, examples and recommendations for action. They represent an interim outcome of the project ‘Implementing heating infrastructure planning robustly – W-rob’ led by Prof. Dr Philipp Späth, head of the research group Urban Sustainability Governance, and Prof. Dr Cathrin Zengerling, Professor of Transformation towards Sustainable Energy Systems at the University of Freiburg. The University of Marburg, NELA e.V. – Next Economy Lab and numerous partners from the field are also involved. The studies are now available free of charge online.
Tried-and-true approaches
“Competing demands on land use, uncertainties regarding price trends for fossil and renewable heat, public unease stemming from the ‘Heizhammer (heating hammer) debate’, and scarce financial and human resources in municipalities often present significant obstacles while pursuing the local heat transition,” says Späth. “However, our eleven short studies show that there are already tried-and-true solutions for many of these problems.”
“Competing demands on land use, uncertainties regarding price trends for fossil and renewable heat, public unease stemming from the ‘Heizhammer (heating hammer) debate’, and scarce financial and human resources in municipalities often present significant obstacles while pursuing the local heat transition. However, our eleven short studies show that there are already tried-and-true solutions for many of these problems.”
Prof. Dr Philipp Späth
Head of the research group Urban Sustainability Governance
The studies are based on findings from surveys, interviews and workshops with partners in the field, supplemented by literature reviews. The topics include, amongst others, the non-binding nature of the legislation, engaging those responsible for heating systems, municipal capacity, communication and acceptance, the use of industrial waste heat, and finding operators for local heating networks. “Our brief studies highlight the scope for municipalities to take action within the complex legal framework of the heat transition,” says Zengerling. Numerous case studies can provide valuable practical inspiration for other municipalities.”
About the authors
- Prof. Dr Cathrin Zengerling is Professor of the Transition towards Sustainable Energy Systems at the Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources at the University of Freiburg. The lawyer’s main areas of research include the regulation of resource use and resource protection, climate and energy transition law, environmental and planning law, international and European environmental and economic law, sustainable urban development, and citizen and civil society participation.
- Prof. Dr Philipp Späth is a project leader at the Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources and also heads the research group Urban Sustainability Governance at the University of Freiburg. In his research, he combines approaches from political science, human geography and Science and Technology Studies (STS). His main areas of focus include social science research into technology and the environment, the transformation of energy, transport and food systems, and regional and local energy policy.
The W-rob project
“Implementing heating infrastructure planning robustly – W-rob” is a project run by the Universities of Freiburg and Marburg, as well as NELA e.V. – Next Economy Lab, involving numerous partners from municipalities, network operators, energy agencies and planning consultancies. It is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. The project is collaborating with eleven towns and cities in Baden-Württemberg, Hesse and North Rhine-Westphalia, including Freiburg, Konstanz, Mannheim, Marburg, Bad Nauheim and Dortmund. The project will run until autumn 2027. The next step involves interventions in model municipalities. Together with local partners, the researchers are addressing issues such as planning uncertainties and the complex initial situation in Bad Nauheim town centre, as well as ensuring transparent and trust-building communication regarding the pricing structure and price trends for district heating in Freiburg. Once the interventions have been completed, the project will develop and publish further practical guidance, policy recommendations and research priorities.