Heating trends in the Ostalbkreis: Your neighbors are so dirty!

Heating trends in the Ostalbkreis: Your neighbors are so dirty!

What is happening in the Ostalbkreis when it comes to clean heating? A recently released census revealed that the majority of households rely on fossil fuels. The data was collected on May 15, 2022 and shows that no place in the Ostalbkreis has less than 54.9% oil and gas heating. In many communities this proportion is even between 70 and 80%. The city of Aalen leads here with 60.5% gas heating, while Obergröningen ranks in the lower range with only 6.7% gas heating. Interestingly, Leinzell has the highest proportion of heating oil at 66.7%, while Ellwangen has the lowest at only 22.4%, as Schwäbische reports.

Dependence on fossil fuels has increased since the Ukraine crisis, with demand rising accordingly. Nevertheless, growth rates in the gas segment are stagnating, while EnBW ODR supplies over 20,000 network customers with gas and holds out the prospect of an increase in heat pumps. Despite a current share of only 8.6% in Wört, there is a forecast for increasing use of heat pumps, especially in new development areas without new gas connections.

The challenges of the heat transition

But what does it look like in Germany in general? If you raise the temperatures a little higher and take a closer look, you can see that the operation of buildings causes around 35% of the final energy consumption and 30% of the CO₂ emissions. Sustainable heat supply is a crucial key to reducing climate-damaging emissions, such as this Federal Environment Agency explained. In order to achieve the national climate goals, the heat supply should be made greenhouse gas-neutral by 2045.

One of the main insights of this climate policy is the principle of “efficiency first”. This means that unnecessary waste of heat must be avoided and energy-saving renovations, such as thermal insulation, are urgently needed. Innovative approaches, such as serial renovation, are promoted in order to quickly align existing buildings with the requirements of the future. This shows that regular maintenance and wise user behavior can also help reduce energy consumption.

Biogas and the role of municipalities

What about alternative energy sources? In the Ostalbkreis, the use of heat from biogas and biomass has so far had little importance. In some communities this proportion is even almost zero. The highest proportion of biogas use is recorded in the town of Rainau at 0.8%, while Tannhausen can already rely on 18.9% biogas waste heat in its district heating network. Biogas still remains an important factor for energy supply because it is flexible and storable, especially when it comes to security of supply.

The role of the municipalities should not be underestimated in this regard. The local implementation of the heat transition requires a certain level of commitment and cooperation between civil society and municipal actors. Political instruments such as municipal heat planning support the transition to renewable energies. In order to overcome the challenges and find socially just solutions, energy-poor households must also be taken into account in this context.

Overall, it is clear that the Ostalbkreis is faced with the task of transforming the heating options from the previous high import of fossil fuels towards sustainable solutions. The course for the heating transition must be set now to pave the way to a climate-neutral future. The coming years are crucial to implement the necessary measures and to involve all citizens.