Climate -neutral Aachen: Citizens' participation for heat planning begins!

Climate -neutral Aachen: Citizens' participation for heat planning begins!

The municipal heat planning in Aachen aims to ensure a climate -neutral and at the same time safe and economic heat supply. The authorities are currently in the phase of public participation, which begins on February 26, 2025 and will take at least 30 days. This legally required inclusion of the citizens enables valuable feedback on the planned measures recommended as part of the heat plan. These recommendations relate to basic conversions of heat supply in various districts and quarters of Aachen. According to aachen.de , this participation will be implemented in March 2025, with local information events in all districts.

The events are set as follows:

• Aachen-Mitte: 05.03.2025, Depot Talstraße, Talstraße 2
• Aachen brand: 06.03.2025, comprehensive school brand, Rombachstraße 99
• Aachen -ilendorf: 11.03.2025, GGS Brühlstraße, Brühlstraße 2
• Aachen-Haaren: 12.03.2025, GGS am Haarbach, Haarbachtalstraße 10
• Aachen-Kornelimünster/Walheim: 18.03.2025, Inda-Gymnasium, Gangolfsweg 52
• Aachen-Laurensberg: 19.03.2025, GGS Laurensberg, Vetschauer Straße 2
• Aachen-Richterich: 26.03.2025, Peter-Schwarzenberg-Halle, Grünenthaler Straße 27

participation of the citizens

The citizens can also give digital feedback via the participation portal of the city of Aachen, which can be called up at www.betiligung.nrw.de/k/1012089 . All statements and information are documented and checked. Bastian Peukert, the city's climate protection manager, also plans citizens' consultation hours under the motto "Climate -neutral Aachen" in the Oecherlab, Kapuzingraben 19D, which will take place by the end of March.

The results of the heat planning are expected to be adopted by the city council in the summer of 2025. The specialist committee "Environment and Climate Protection" has already prepared the basis for decision -making for this farewell. The preparations aim to set the course for climate -neutral heat supply, which is considered both central and decentralized supply options. This includes district heating, waste heat and geothermal energy. The heat plan created by external experts and the specialist administration of the city offers orientation in the renewal of the heat supply and measures the local conditions, whereby individual advice is recommended for funding opportunities.

legal framework and specifications

Important regulatory framework conditions that influence heat planning in Aachen come from the heat planning law and the novella of the building energy law, which came into force on January 1, 2024. All cities and municipalities in Germany oblige these legal foundations to create a local heat plan. In Aachen, new heating systems have had to be operated from renewable energies to at least 65% since January 1, 2024, whereby this requirement also applies to all new systems in the city from July 1, 2026. According to bundes- government.de the goal of this legislation is to achieve the climate goals by 2045.

The developed heat plans offer citizens, companies and energy suppliers a clear perspective with regard to central heat supply strategies. With the support of the federal government, extensive heat planning for all 11,000 municipalities in Germany are to be presented by 2028. The shift to climate -neutral heat supply is particularly important, which is to be expanded by the increased use of renewable energies and waste heat. The law also stipulates that half of the cable heat is climate -neutral by 2030.

Overall, the procedure in Aachen shows how seriously the city is pursuing its climate goals and how important the inclusion of citizens is in this process. Information on the upcoming appointments and times for the events can be found on the website aachenklima.de