Sindelfingen and Ettlingen, July 2025 |Â
Two high-level expert workshops recently brought together German municipalities and Danish district heating (DH) specialists to explore how to turn municipal heat plans into real-world, fossil-free heat systems. Organized by DBDH and partners, the events provided practical insights, technology showcases, and discussions on funding, regulation, and cooperation models.
Sindelfingen Workshop: Best Practices and Practical Pathways
District Heating: From Planning to Implementation – Danish Experience
July 11, 2025, Stadtwerke Sindelfingen
Hosted at Stadtwerke Sindelfingen, the event opened with warm welcomes from:
- Dr. Karl Peter Hoffmann, Managing Director, Stadtwerke Sindelfingen
- Dr. Susanne Nusser, Deputy Chief Executive, Städtetag Baden-Württemberg
- Stig Aagaard, Energy Attaché, Royal Danish Embassy in Berlin
The program featured:
- Best Practice from Sindelfingen, presented by Uwe Malach
- Bruchsal Case Study, with insights from Mayor Cornelia Petzold-Schick and Renate Korin
- Danish Municipal Heat Planning, presented by Patrizia Renoth (Holbæk Kommune)
- Adaptation to German Context, led by Max Guddat (PlanEnergi)
A series of thematic workshops followed, covering:
- Heat planning (PlanEnergi, Holbæk Kommune, Stadt Bruchsal)
- Heat generation (Aalborg CSP, Energy Agency Ludwigsburg)
- Heat distribution (Logstor, Danfoss, Badenova)
The workshop concluded with group presentations, followed by networking with snacks and informal exchange.
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Ettlingen Workshop: From Policy to Pipe – Getting Heat Projects Off the Ground
Expert Workshop on Implementing Heat Planning in Practice
July 10, 2025, Buhlsche Mühle, Ettlingen
This event focused on turning municipal heat plans into concrete DH projects, addressing:
- Role allocation between municipalities, utilities, and communities
- Financing models such as cooperatives and municipal guarantees
- Regulatory hurdles and technical challenges
- Digital tools and efficient network expansion
Key topics included:
- Green heat generation (heat pumps, storage, solar thermal, geothermal)
- Efficient distribution (pre-insulated pipes, digital control, low-temperature networks)
- Danish-German knowledge exchange, with speakers from Aalborg CSP, Danfoss, Logstor, PlanEnergi, and municipal leaders from Rheinsteinen, Holbæk, and Bruchsal
The session closed with a group dialogue and a preview of upcoming webinars to continue the collaboration.
Why it matters
With the heat transition at the core of Germany’s climate policy, these workshops offered timely, hands-on guidance on how to move from planning to implementation. Danish expertise in low-temperature district heating, smart regulation, and citizen-inclusive financing served as both a model and a motivator for German municipalities.
Key takeaways
- Municipal leadership and clear planning are essential to success
- Cross-border knowledge sharing accelerates progress
- District heating is a collective, flexible, and future-proof solution
