Municipal heat planning

Municipal heat planning is a long-term, strategic process that is open to all technologies and aims to achieve a largely climate-neutral heat supply for the city. As a planning instrument, it coordinates the coverage of future heat requirements throughout the municipal area using locally available and sustainable heat sources.

The municipal heat planning shows the city of Jena the way to a heat supply free of fossil fuels. To this end, the city was divided into 57 so-called heat supply areas.

For each of these areas, the most suitable form of heating for the future was examined - be it a connection to an existing or planned heating network, a decentralized solution such as a heat pump or open test results for which further investigations are required. An interactive digital map presents the results clearly and at the exact address. The map is available onthe municipal utilities (link is external)website.

Heat planning creates planning and investment security for citizens, companies and the city itself. Property owners can thus better plan which investment in climate-friendly energy supply is the most economical for them and when.

Technical development

Hamburg Institut Consulting GmbH was commissioned with the technical development of the municipal heating planning. This was carried out in 2024/2025 in close cooperation in a core team consisting of the planning office, city administration and Stadtwerke Jena Netze GmbH.

Representatives from the housing industry, companies, relevant associations and interest groups were involved in the development of the heating plan at regular stakeholder meetings.

Presentation of the draft

In February 2025, the results of the municipal heating planning were submitted in a draft and presented at a public event. Representatives of the planning office, Stadtwerke Jena Netze GmbH and the city administration presented the draft and answered questions from citizens in an open question and answer session. The information event was recorded by Jena-TV and can be accessed via the Jena-TV website or is listed under Links.

Informal participation process

All citizens were able to contribute their comments on the planning via an informal participation project. The numerous responses helped to further improve the plan.

The process for creating the municipal heating plan was roughly divided into the following work packages:

1. Inventory analysis: The current heat demand, the building stock and the energy infrastructure relevant to the heat supply were analyzed for the Jena urban area and assumptions were made about the future development of heat demand.
2. Potential analysis: The potential for renewable energies available in the long term and for unavoidable waste heat was estimated.
3. Target scenarios and development paths: Based on the future heat demand and the long-term potential available, the urban area was divided into 57 sub-areas - so-called prospective heat supply areas. The specific results of the municipal heat planning are presented for each of these in a profile.
4. Strategy and measures catalog: The catalog of measures presents a total of 26 measures in the form of fact sheets that are necessary to achieve a climate-neutral heat supply. Implementation is carried out by the city itself or by agreement with third parties.

Continuation strategy and controlling concept

The heating plan must be reviewed regularly, at least every five years, on the basis of the latest information and findings and the progress made in implementing the strategies and measures identified must be monitored. In Jena, the evaluation takes place every three years at the latest and therefore for the first time in 2028.

At its meeting on 25.06.2025, the city council adopted the municipal heating plan for the entire city area. The draft resolution with all documents can be found under Links. Now the actual implementation of the municipal heat planning begins.

The report on municipal heat planning and the overview of the expected heat supply areas can be found under Downloads.

Heat planning is strategic planning and the results of heat planning are not legally binding. The municipal heating plan therefore represents an important information basis for third parties in order to inform stakeholders in the heating transition and the population about the planned future of the heating supply at an early stage. However, there is no entitlement or obligation to a specific supply.

This is based on the Heat Planning and Decarbonization of Heating Networks Act ( Wärmeplanungsgesetz(link is external)). It was passed by the Bundestag on 20.12.2023 and came into force on 01.01.2024.

The Heat Planning Act is also closely interlinked with the Building Energy Act(link is external). Among other things, it stipulates that since 01.01.2024, only heating systems based on 65% renewable energy may be installed in new buildings within new development areas. For existing buildings, on the other hand, there are longer deadlines for replacing fossil heating systems. However, these requirements in the Building Energy Act only apply one month after the city council has passed a resolution on the designation of areas for the construction or expansion of heating networks or from 01.07.2026.

The preparation of the Jena municipal heating plan is funded by the Municipal Guidelines(link is external), a funding line for municipalities within the National Climate Initiative.

With the National Climate Protection Initiative, the German government has been initiating and funding numerous projects that contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions since 2008. Its programs and projects cover a broad spectrum of climate protection activities: From the development of long-term strategies to concrete assistance and investment-based funding measures. Diversity is a guarantee for good ideas. The National Climate Initiative helps to anchor climate protection on the ground. It benefits consumers as well as companies, local authorities and educational institutions.

In 2025, ThEGA and the Thuringian consumer advice center will be offering "Feierabendtalks", a series of online events on saving electricity and heating costs.

You want to do something for climate protection and your own bank account by generating your own energy or using less energy. It helps to know where savings are particularly effective. In our online holiday evening talks, we show Thuringian tenants and homeowners how they can make clever use of energy at home. Source: ThEGA website(link is external)

For example, on 09.09.2025"New heating: Is the heat pump the best solution for your home?(link is external)" a one-hour evening talk will take place. On 30.09.2025, the topic will be"Where do I start? How to renovate your home in the right order and save costs(link is external)".

You can find other advice on renovating buildings, replacing heating systems or installing photovoltaic systems on the city of Jena's energy advice page.

On the"Questions and answers on municipal heat planning" page, we answer frequently asked questions about municipal heat planning in Jena. These relate to general questions about heat planning in Jena, the Building Energy Act (GEG), Jena district heating and decentralized heat supply.