New guide to promote geothermal energy in urban districts

16.04.2026

Source: E & M powernews

The Stiftung Umweltenergierecht (Environmental Energy Law Foundation) has published a guide on how heat supply concepts with near-surface geothermal energy can be implemented in existing districts.

A new guideline from the Environmental Energy Law Foundation and its project partners shows how heat supply concepts with near-surface geothermal energy can be planned and implemented in existing urban districts. It is aimed at energy suppliers, local authorities and real estate stakeholders, the Environmental Energy Law Foundation announced on April 14.

The guidelines were developed as part of the "UrbanGroundHeat" research project. The Fraunhofer IEE and Fraunhofer IEG, Gasag Solution Plus, the Institute for Solar Energy Research and the Environmental Energy Law Foundation were involved. The latter was responsible for the legal analysis. The aim is to structure planning processes and accelerate the development of geothermal supply solutions in existing urban areas.

Near-surface geothermal energy uses geothermal energy down to depths of around 400 meters and temperatures of up to around 25 degrees Celsius. According to the project partners, it is therefore suitable for supplying heating and cooling to buildings and for integration into district networks. This is because geothermal probes enable both decentralized applications and integration into local and district heating systems. Among other things, the guide refers to the continuous availability of heat and its possible use in densely built-up areas.

Focus on the legal framework

The guidelines are based on the central phases of project development. It begins with a feasibility check, which assesses the basic suitability of a location. This is followed by information on determining requirements and analyzing geological and technical potential.

Another focus is on the presentation of technical variants for district supply. The guide compares different system configurations and provides information on preparing for implementation. It also deals with economic evaluation approaches and the basis for investment decisions.

The authors focus on the legal requirements. In particular, water law requirements that determine the planning, approval and operation of geothermal probes are decisive. These include regulations from the Water Resources Act, the Ordinance on Installations for the Handling of Substances Hazardous to Water and state regulations. In addition, an integrated expert opinion analyzes the legal requirements for access to public and private areas. It deals with contractual design options for energy suppliers in the context of borehole fields and heating networks.

The guide also takes legal developments into account. These include regulations from the Geothermal Acceleration Act, the Heat Planning Act and the Building Energy Act. In addition, the publication explains requirements from mining law as well as notification and documentation obligations under the Federal Mining Act and the Geological Data Act. The authors see the guide as a supplement to existing regulations of the federal states, which have so far mainly addressed individual buildings.

The "Guidelines for heat supply concepts with near-surface geothermal energy" can be downloaded free of charge as a PDF from the homepage of the Environmental Energy Law Foundation.

Author: Heidi Roider