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© AdobeStock/Mathias Weil

Urban Energy Transition

This department supports local authorities and stakeholders, promotes neighbourhood-based approaches and advances the heating transition

Thüringer Dorf in Herbstlandschaft
© Getty Images/Nikada

Our mission

Local forces must be able to act locally as effectively as possible if Germany is to achieve its goal of climate neutrality. After all, the energy transition and climate protection can only be organised regionally and implemented together. Our teams support local authorities and other local stakeholders in making faster and more targeted progress. We see ourselves as the German federal government’s central institution for applied energy transitions at a local level. We are a qualified partner for the federal states, municipalities and local stakeholders, both nationally and internationally.

 

© Getty Images/Bim

Our approach

We develop recommendations for action, implementation tools and instruments for local decision-makers and stakeholders using technical analyses and studies. We test specific measures as a contribution to market development and regional value creation and support their introduction. In doing so, we ensure good networking of the stakeholders and organisation of the processes at a local level. We aim to provide neutral and comprehensive information, motivation and inspiration through target group-oriented communication and public relations work. 

 

Blick über den Rhein auf den Kölner Dom und die Skyline von Köln
© Shutterstock / S.Borisov

Our organisational structure

The department has around 90 employees and is divided into three work areas. 

 

Neighbourhoods and Cities work area: We are shaping the heat and electricity transition at a local level. In our work, the two central implementation levels are the municipality as an organisational unit of administrative and political activities, and the neighbourhood as an organisational unit of space. Our focus is on: 

  • Decentralised energy concepts
  • Local infrastructures
  • Building portfolios
  • Public properties 

Municipal Heating Transition work area: The Kompetenzzentrum Kommunale Wärmewende (Municipal Heating Transition Excellence Centre, KWW) in Halle an der Saale is working towards a fair and sustainable heat transition. The key lever here is municipal heat planning (Kommunale Wärmeplanung (KWP)). The Municipal Heating Transition Excellence Centre provides guidance and support to local authorities and politicians.

International Building and Construction work area: We analyse local conditions and support the development of solution strategies in various countries – for example, in China or Central Asia – based on our experience in Germany. To this end, we work on standards, technical solutions and viable business models and promote the exchange of best practices.

Our contacts

  • Nicole Pillen

    Head of Division Urban energy transition

  • Susanne Schmelcher

    Director, Districts & cities

  • Robert Brückmann

    Robert Brückmann

    Director, Municipal heat transition

  • Thilo Cunz
    © Götz Schleser

    Thilo Cunz

    Director, International building and construction