Municipal heat planning in Erlangen

So-called suitability areas are identified in the municipal heating plan. Within these areas, the construction or expansion of heating networks is theoretically possible. Whether and when an actual connection will be made will be decided gradually over the coming years as part of concrete expansion planning. If you would like to know now whether a connection is possible for your building, you can contact the municipal utilities directly at waermewende@estw.de.

Outside of the suitability areas, a connection to a heating network is not realistic. In the long term, you will have to switch to your own renewable heating solution such as a heat pump.

The costs for local and district heating depend on the respective heating network. You can find tariff information on district heating at ESTW - Erlanger Stadtwerke AG - Wärme and on grid connection at ESTW - Erlanger Stadtwerke AG - Netzanschluss. If a new heating network is being built, potential connection customers will receive cost information in advance.

In terms of the initial investment, connecting to a heating network is generally much cheaper than installing a new heating system. The connection to a heating network can be subsidized via the KfW heating subsidy.

The difference between local and district heating is fluid. In Erlangen, the inner city area is supplied centrally with district heating. Local heating are smaller independent networks in neighborhoods with their own central heat generation plant. In both cases, heat is generated outside the building itself and supplied via a heating network, which means that the building's own heating system is much more space-saving than other systems.

Connection to a local or district heating network is voluntary in Erlangen. You can also opt for an alternative heat generator.

The conversion of district heating generation to renewable energies is part of the district heating transformation plan. Instead of natural gas, the future heat supply will primarily rely on large heat pumps using waste heat or environmental heat, for example from the Regnitz river and a data center. Other renewable energy sources such as hydrogen and direct electricity will be used for peak loads. The switch from natural gas to renewable heat generation will take place step by step over the next few years, e.g. at least 30% of heat is to be provided in a climate-neutral manner by 2030.

The Building Energy Act (GEG) regulates the type of heating that can be used: New heating systems installed by June 2026 must run on 15% renewable energy from 2029, 30% from 2035 and 60% from 2040.

New heating systems installed in the city from July 2026 must normally be operated with 65% renewable energy.

The following options are available: Within a suitability area, connection to a heating network may be possible (see above). Furthermore, the following heat generators are available for existing buildings to ensure the proportion of renewable energy: Heat pump, biomass (wood chips, pellets, logs), biogas can only be recommended to a limited extent (see next question).

Hydrogen will only be available in limited quantities in the future and will be correspondingly expensive, making it unsuitable for heating residential buildings. Biogas is also not available in sufficient quantities in Germany and the price will rise sharply as demand increases. Further information on this is available from the consumer advice center.

It is therefore not recommended to rely on hydrogen or biogas to heat buildings. In the best case scenario, the use of a heat pump or connection to a heating network should be considered.

There is no obligation to connect to heating networks. This means that you can voluntarily opt for your own decentralized solution and install a heat pump, for example.

The grid operators are legally obliged to allow the connection of heat pumps. The electricity grid is continuously being expanded and modernized by the municipal utilities. Furthermore, the grid operators have the right to throttle larger consumers in individual cases. Electricity bottlenecks due to the increasing use of electrical consumers such as heat pumps or electric cars are therefore not to be expected.

You can take advantage of the KfW federal subsidy for efficient buildings for energy-efficient refurbishment.

When replacing the heat generator, you can apply for a grant of up to 70% via the KfW heating subsidy.

Do you have questions about the municipal heating plan in general? Please contact waermewende@stadt.erlangen.de.
Do you have specific energy-related questions about your individual building? Contact the city's free energy advice service or the Stadtwerke energy advice center, which is also free of charge.
Would you like to know specifically whether a connection to a heating network is possible or planned for your building? Contact waermewende@estw.de.