Munich prepares a heating scheme. - Will the heat pump hammer arrive by 2030?
Municipalities with over 100,000 inhabitants are required to submit plans by July 2026 as per the Heat Planning Act. The goal is to replace non-renewable heating energy with sustainable options by 2045.
For instance, Munich's agenda relies heavily on an expansion of the district heating infrastructure maintained by the local utilities. The service area is to be enlarged, and more buildings in existing areas are to be connected. However, there are two significant challenges:
- For several suburban neighborhoods, integration into the district heating network is not a practical solution. The environment department indicated that this isn't technologically or financially viable, particularly affecting the areas with single-family homes.
- The city also fears they cannot achieve the desired climate neutrality by 2045 without banning the utilization of oil or gas for heating purposes.
District heating stands to supply around 34% of the households in the Munich metropolitan area, impacting roughly 60% of the population. On the contrary, 48% of buildings with 40% of the residents would be situated outside the district heating domain and necessitate a "decentralized heat supply." The city predicts that these areas will require groundwater heat pumps, followed by ground-coupled heat pumps, and air heat pumps.
Nonetheless, the city expresses doubt whether homeowners will immediately install heat pumps. They've explored two potential scenarios: "A 'base scenario,' which incorporates current regulations, and a 'target scenario,' which exploits new rules." The outlook: If existing laws continued, climate neutrality in heat supply by 2045 won't be attainable. Instead, from 2030, owners of gas or oil heating systems receive a 15-year notice to upgrade. Yet, this doesn't have any legal basis.
Ulrike Kirchhoff, spokesperson for the property owners' association 'Haus und Grund,' comments, "We understand the city's preference for heat pumps, as it shifts the responsibility to the owners." Yet, she questions the cost-effectiveness of installing groundwater and geothermal heat pumps, asserting that legal barriers to these technologies persist. She also highlights the potential difficulties in procuring suitable systems, notably for apartment buildings.
She vigorously condemns the proposed discontinuation of gas heating systems, "Munich is effectively abandoning the gas supply. This overlooks that it's feasible - and adheres to the GEG (Gas Emission Control Act) - to heat with green gases."
Others like Hanover are formulating related plans. Their strategy also revolves around surging district heating and heat pumps: by 2045, district heating is speculated to account for 56% of heating requirements, heat pumps for 34% while local heating networks could potentially cover 9% of thermal needs.
Hamburg's preliminary planning reveals a map highlighting outlying regions unable to connect to the district heating network.
Within this context, local authorities are dedicated to enforcing stricter rules, encouraging decarbonizing heating. Some cities are transitioning to district heating systems, while others are embracing more decentralized technologies like heat pumps. However, challenges remain in terms of technical and financial feasibility as well as the potential for resistance from property owners.
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Source: symclub.org
