Waste heat platform is available on the Internet

17.04.2024

A new online platform for commercial waste heat is now available. Providers must register and specify their potential.


The waste heat platform has been online since April 15, 2024 and is now open to users for registration and data entry. The aim is to make commercial waste heat usable and thus further increase energy efficiency in Germany. To this end, data on waste heat from companies with a total final energy consumption of more than 2.5 million kWh per year will be made available on a public platform and made visible to potential local waste heat consumers. The deadline for initial data reporting is January 1, 2025.

The platform is a measure in the Energy Efficiency Act (EnEfG), which came into force on November 18, 2023. The platform is intended to provide an overview of commercial allergy potential in Germany for the first time. The Federal Agency for Energy Efficiency (BfEE) at the Federal Office of Economics and Export Control (BAFA) is responsible for setting up and operating the platform for waste heat.

Companies with the aforementioned final energy consumption are obliged to register. However, the deadline for this has been extended by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection (BMWK). Fines will only be imposed for reporting after January 1, 2025. The platform for waste heat is intended to promote the exchange of information between regional heat producers and consumers. To enable this exchange of information, waste heat data from companies is published on the platform.

Waste heat to flow into heating networks

The data is intended to help interested parties such as district heating suppliers or companies with heating requirements to obtain an initial assessment of existing potential and encourage the bilateral exchange of information. According to the BMWK, the platform will facilitate contact between potential heat suppliers and providers. In addition, the new platform serves as a data source for the fulfillment of government monitoring and reporting obligations at federal and European level.

The data provided can also support cities and municipalities in their municipal heat planning. The Federal Agency for Energy Efficiency (BfEE) is the central point of contact for the platform. It has provided a fact sheet on the website.

The website of the platform for waste heat is available on the Internet.

Author: Susanne Harmsen