Sustainable heat planning: Barbing is actively moving towards a green future!

Sustainable heat planning: Barbing is actively moving towards a green future!

As part of the municipal heat planning (KWP) in Barbing, a comprehensive strategy for sustainable heat supply has been developed since January 2025. In cooperation with ACHHAMMER Engineering, an efficient and environmentally friendly heat supply strategy for the community is to be developed. The aim of the KWP is to analyze heat requirements, examine climate-friendly options and actively involve citizens in the planning process. This is promoted by barbing.de, supported by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection.

As part of this initiative, the inventory analysis has shown that Barbing currently has a population of 6,351 residents, 87% of whom live in residential buildings. The heating structure is heavily influenced by fossil fuels: 42% of the heat supply comes from heating oil, followed by 27% gas, 9% wood, 4% district heating and only 12% from renewable energies. In addition, there are currently 1,256 decentralized heat generators in Barbing, the average age of which is 22.5 years.

Planning process and citizen participation

The KWP process includes several steps, including the analysis of heat requirements in residential areas, public buildings and businesses. The investigation of cost-effective and environmentally friendly heat supply options, such as local heating networks and solar thermal energy, also plays a crucial role. Particular attention is paid to replacing fossil fuel heating systems with renewable heating systems. barbing.de emphasizes the involvement of citizens, who should be included in the process through information events and citizen dialogues.

The potential analysis also identifies exclusion areas, such as nature conservation areas and flood risks, and examines the possibilities for using renewable energies. A key challenge is the renovation of older buildings, especially those built before 2012. Significant potential for reducing useful heat consumption is seen here.

Goals and implementation strategy

A central goal of the KWP is to reduce useful heat consumption by 2045. The aim is to save up to 15.5% (low energy efficiency) or 26.9% (high energy efficiency) of consumption. In order to achieve this, an expansion of the existing heating networks and the promotion of decentralized, CO₂-neutral heating solutions are planned. Implementation takes place via a detailed catalog of measures that is regularly updated every five years. barbing.de emphasizes that both a top-down and a bottom-up process will be used to monitor target achievement, with data on CO₂ emissions and heating systems also being collected.

Another aspect of the KWP is the participation of various actors, including citizens, the local council and energy suppliers. The continuous analysis and adjustment of the KWP based on new data and developments ensures that the community remains on the right path to creating a sustainable heat supply system.