Heat planning in Wolmirstedt

The term “municipal heat planning” is a technical term. It describes a planning process. In this process, the current status of energy supply and energy consumption for Wolmirstedt is first recorded. The next step is to consider how both can be made climate-neutral. This includes renovations on the one hand and changes to heating systems and energy sources on the other.

The municipal heat planning therefore shows how Wolmirstedt can be supplied with heating and hot water in the future – reliably, climate-friendly and affordably. The aim is to find good solutions for all parts of the town and districts: for residential buildings, businesses, public buildings and new development areas

Heating with oil or natural gas becomes expensive in the long term and harms the climate. Germany has decided to be climate-neutral by 2045. Heat planning helps to find new ways – with energy sources that are clean and can be used locally. With municipal heat planning, Wolmirstedt can plan and implement the steps towards climate neutrality in 2045.

The town of Wolmirstedt commissioned the engineering firm ETA-E and Bio-Wärme-Innovation GmbH to draw up a municipal heating plan. Both offices have a great deal of experience in the field of climate-friendly heat supply. The contract is 90% funded by the federal Climate and Transformation Fund. The municipality bears 10% of the costs.

– How is heating done in Wolmirstedt today?

– How much heat do households, businesses and public buildings need?

– What energy sources are available in the region?

– Where could a heating network be useful?

– Which technology is best suited to which urban area or district?

The heating plan will be completed by March 2026. By law, it must be available by mid-2028 at the latest. After that, the actual work on site will begin. Precise steps will be planned and implemented together with companies, owners and citizens. This will take several years.

Two laws form the basis:

• The Building Energy Act (GEG): In future, new heating systems must use at least 65% renewable energy.
• The Heat Planning Act (WPG): Cities like Wolmirstedt must draw up a heat plan.

Both laws are intended to help make heating more climate-friendly – and keep it affordable in the long term.

– You will find out at an early stage which heating solutions are possible in your residential area.

– If you want to build or renovate, you can plan better.

– The supply becomes more secure and stable in the long term.

– The city is becoming less dependent on oil and gas from abroad.

– The environment is relieved.

It is up to the local authorities to decide whether you have to connect to a district heating network. Most cities waive the obligation to connect. In some districts, however, a heating network can be a good and affordable long-term solution. Anyone who wants to can get connected.

Then there are other options: for example, heat pumps, wood pellet heating or solar thermal energy. There are lucrative state subsidies for many of these solutions.

Government subsidies make it possible to keep investment costs within reasonable limits. The aim of municipal heat planning is to find the most favorable type of heat supply for each residential area. In the long term, a heat supply using renewable energies is more cost-effective, as the costs of repairing environmental damage for current and future generations are avoided.

Yes, the city invites you to information events where you can ask questions and provide information. Dates can be found on the city’s website or in the local media. Interested citizens can also send questions and ideas to the e-mail address specially set up for the project: waermeplanung@stadtwolmirstedt.de

Yes, owners can participate voluntarily. They can renovate their buildings to make them energy-efficient and connect them to the district heating network.

Companies can actively participate through programs and consultations. Companies can apply for funding to implement measures to reduce CO2 emissions. You can find out about the BAFA, Sachsen-Anhalt ENERGIE and Sachsen-Anhalt MODERN funding programs, for example.

In order to secure their energy supply, many companies and local authorities are currently taking the path of making their supply independent of energy from abroad and especially from unstable countries. Oil and natural gas imports, for example from countries such as Russia, are subject to high price fluctuations and should be avoided. The municipal heat planning is intended to show how this approach can also be implemented in Wolmirstedt. If energy comes from the region, this makes the supply more secure and tax revenues also remain in the region.

The municipal heating plan is developed in four steps. Only at the end will there be a plan for how Wolmirstedt can become climate-neutral by 2045. The exact steps for the town and districts will be subsequently worked out. The municipal heating plan is the starting point.

1. Collecting data: How has heating been used so far? What heating requirements do the buildings in Wolmirstedt have?
2. Check the possibilities: How can the heat requirement be reduced? What options are there for energy generation and supply? And which solutions are suitable for Wolmirstedt?
3. make recommendations: Suitable suggestions are made for each city or district in order to implement measures.
4. Decide and implement: The city council adopts the municipal heating plan. The decision on the municipal heating plan is implemented together with partners.

The federal government bears 90% of the costs. The remaining 10% is borne by the city.

Heating systems that run on heating oil or natural gas and were installed before January 1, 2024 may continue to be operated until December 31, 2044 as long as they are intact. Heating systems that are more than 30 years old and have not yet been fitted with low-temperature or gas condensing technology must be decommissioned.

Basically, the heating plan then helps you to find a suitable, climate-friendly, future-proof solution – whether a heat pump, connection to a network or another technology. It all depends on what makes sense for your home and your residential area. If an existing gas or oil heating system breaks down beyond repair, a fossil-fuel heating system can still be installed. However, it should be noted that from 2029, increasing proportions of biomass or hydrogen will be prescribed for the heat supply. In many cases, it may therefore not be advisable to install a gas heating system again. In such cases, we recommend contacting a chimney sweep or building energy consultant.

Yes, there are various subsidy programs from the federal and state governments. Anyone who wants to install a new heating system or improve the insulation of their home can receive support. The state energy agency LENA also offers advice.

LENA

There are various formats for involving municipal stakeholders in the individual project phases. There are at least two workshops in which important players in the energy sector are involved, such as energy supply companies and grid operators or large heat consumers, such as housing associations and industrial companies. Political bodies are involved by presenting interim results and the final result of the heating plan to the city council or local councils. The citizens of the city are finally presented with the municipal heating plan at a public information event and then have four weeks to give the city administration specific feedback on the content and thus influence the final result.

In addition to these face-to-face events, the city administration provides continuous information on the website about the current status of municipal heat planning as well as regular press releases.

Yes, there are funding programs and consulting options that help owners with the energy-efficient refurbishment of their buildings. These programs support private individuals, companies and public institutions in financing and planning measures as part of municipal heat planning. The state energy agency LENA provides a comprehensive range of advice on this.

Nationwide BAFA funding programs:

– BAFA – Individual measures on the building envelope

Nationwide funding programs (among others):

– Saxony-Anhalt ENERGY

– Saxony-Anhalt MODERN

– Saxony-Anhalt PUBLICITY

For private individuals:

– Free telephone consultation hours of the Saxony-Anhalt State Energy Agency

– State Energy Agency LENA: – Consumers

– Investitionsbank Sachsen-Anhalt: Funding programs for private individuals

Renewable energies, such as solar energy and biomass, play an important role in heat planning. They should gradually replace fossil fuels to enable a climate-friendly heat supply.