Local heating is very popular: municipal utilities are laying lines in Tölz

Created: 04/12/2022, 06:30

The municipal utilities are expanding the local heating supply in the city area: the ground has been torn open in Jahnstraße in order to lay the pipes.

© Stadtwerke

Away from oil and gas as far as possible - that is the motto in times of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and increased prices.

Local district heating networks can be a sustainable alternative to having your own boiler in the basement.

Their expansion is currently being pushed ahead.

Bad Tölz/Reichersbeuern –

Stadtwerke Bad Tölz are working on expanding the local heating supply in the city area.

Lines are currently being laid in Jahnstrasse.

But that is only the first step towards an environmentally friendly heat supply.

So far, three central heating systems have been supplying customers, and a new power plant is to be added soon.

The new heating energy center is being built on a property between the southern bypass and the Tölz fire station.

Stadtwerke Managing Director Walter Huber announced that the project is still in the middle of the planning phase.

The application for funding has already been approved, and the concept is now being fine-tuned.

"I expect that we will be able to apply for a building permit this year and that we will receive the permit at the end of 2023," says Huber.

The heat generation in the new heating center is to be largely from renewable energy sources.

Among other things, through heat pumps, which are mainly fed with electricity from a photovoltaic system on site.

In addition, natural gas-powered combined heat and power plants are planned, which can produce not only heat but also electricity if necessary.

Stadtwerke boss: Extreme influx of local heating

Conversely, excess electricity in the grid can be converted into heat using a special process.

This achieves a "holistic generation of energy from electricity and heat," says Huber.

The system is rounded off by two large wood chip boilers and two gas peak load boilers.

"The heating center is expected to go into operation from 2025," says Huber.

According to the head of the municipal utility, the expansion of the local heating network in the Tölz urban area is making an important contribution to the local energy transition.

Because a large part of the heat has so far been generated by oil and gas.

The long-term goal is therefore to “move away from fossil fuels”.

For this reason - and also because of the current price developments for oil and gas - Huber is experiencing an extreme demand for local heating.

There is a high demand, both privately and commercially.

According to Huber, people with old oil boilers in particular are currently considering switching to local heating.

However, because of the lack of lines, not all interested parties can be served.

However, the municipal utilities are planning to massively expand the local heating network.

Lines are laid in Tölzer Jahnstrasse

The Stadtwerke see potential buyers for the planned thermal power station from Griesfeld via the Karwendelsiedlung to Osterleite.

But the operators of the two planned hotels in the bathing area have already expressed an interest in local heating.

For this reason, the pipeline network along the B472 federal road at the Isar bridge is to be expanded parallel to the construction of the combined heating system.

This year, Wengleinstrasse and part of Ludwigstrasse will also be developed for local heating.

The section from Buchnerstraße to Vichyplatz is to follow in 2023.

In the coming years, the development of the Griesfeld and the Moralt site will also be promoted.

However, according to Huber, it is not yet clear whether the lines will be completed in time for the commissioning of the new power plant.

According to the Stadtwerke expansion plan, the area on Hindenburgstraße and the old station square can be connected to the local heating supply in the medium term.

However, anyone who wants to quickly convert to local heating will have to be disappointed by energy manager Andreas Scharli from the “Energiewende Oberland”.

Because: From now to the same change is not possible.

As a rule, there are fixed expansion plans for the pipeline network.

"When the connection is possible depends on when your own street is developed," explains Scharli.

Due to the current prices for fossil fuels, he is also seeing a high demand for consulting services.

"Many people only notice the dependencies we are in because of the crisis," says Scharli.

In the days of cheap oil and gas, few would have thought about this issue.

In addition, high subsidies create an incentive for homeowners to switch from oil or heating boilers to regenerative heating networks.

Because with a connection, the own heating system and the fuel storage in the basement are no longer necessary.

According to Scharli, the prices for local heating are also relatively stable.

However, this does not apply to natural gas to the same extent as, for example, to wood chips.

If combined heat and power plants are used, the customers are also affected by the high energy prices.

According to Scharli, the only disadvantage of local heating, apart from the partial use of natural gas, is the heat transport.

Despite the insulated pipes, part of the heat is lost to the ground.

"Overall, however, a local heating network is much more efficient," emphasizes the energy manager.

Reichersbeuern relies on pellet heating

Reichersbeuern has also had good experiences with local heating.

There, a pellet heating system has been supplying the town center for about two years.

"We started with a municipal network to which, among other things, the town hall, the fire brigade and the primary school are connected," reports Mayor Ernst Dieckmann.

In the meantime, private households would also use local heat generation.

"Even before the current price developments, the topic of local heating met with a great response from the population," says Dieckmann.

Demand has increased significantly in the last few weeks.

One is currently in the process of expanding the line network "into all areas where it makes sense".

In addition, the heat supply is to be expanded this year by an 800 KW wood chip power plant.

"This is our contribution to a regional, sustainable and CO2-neutral energy supply," said the head of Reichersbeur town hall.

(F Selter)

You can find more current news from the region around Bad Tölz at Merkur.de/Bad Tölz.