HEAT it!
Municipalities and citizen energy make the heat transition work
The German "HEAT it!!" project focuses on the citizen-centred implementation of the heating transition in small municipalities in Germany. The aim is to develop offers that motivate and support small municipalities in rural areas to get involved in municipal heat planning. In addition, we want to encourage local citizens to set up renewable heat communities or integrate renewable heat supply into established energy communities.
The project actively supports two pilot municipalities that are open to working with citizen energy communities in their heat planning activities. This is done through knowledge building and mentoring for the individual process steps, from analysing the current situation and potential, target scenarios and heat transition strategy through to the initial implementation steps. These pilots will demonstrate how heat planning can be successfully realised in small municipalities with limited human and financial resources. At the same time, an accompanying group of representatives of small municipalities and citizen energy stakeholders will be established, who are interested in the project results. There, like-minded people can exchange experiences and gain exclusive access to the latest knowledge and materials. At the same time, the group will provide feedback on the strategies and materials developed in the project.
Overall, the project will provide successful solutions and strategies to encourage other small municipalities in Germany to get involved in heat planning. In addition, we will develop recommendations for suitable federal policy frameworks to promote renewable heat supply with citizen participation in small municipalities as quickly as possible.
Climate Alliance and Bündnis Bürgerenergie e.V. are jointly implementing the project, with Climate Alliance coordinating the project. The project is funded by the Mercator Foundation.
Project funding period: July 2024 – June 2027
via Mercator Stiftung
Want to learn more? Contact Edgar Bazing at e.bazing(at)climatealliance.org.
region-n.net/heatit
