IN-PLAN PRACTICE
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Spatial planning is crucial for energy planning due to the spatial dimension of both energy demand and energy availability. On the energy demand side, cities, industrial centres, and densely populated areas have a much higher energy demand density compared to small settlements. Further, even within settlements, energy demand can vary significantly between districts and neighbourhoods, influenced by factors such as the composition of the building stock (building density, refurbishment rate, etc.) and specific use cases (residential areas, recreational activities, services, industrial processes).
On the supply side, the availability of energy is also spatially differentiated. Renewable energy potentials (such as photovoltaic (PV), solar thermal, wind, hydropower, biomass, geothermal, and waste heat) vary significantly in the surface area required for energy generation and the locations where they are available. For example, PV and wind energy require substantial surface areas, while waste heat from industrial processes and hydropower are location-specific.
While local and regional authorities and municipalities may only be able to establish spatial (energy) plans and set measures for their own territory, it is advised to cooperate with surrounding regions and municipalities to streamline secure energy supply on a broader scale.
Integrated energy planning should strive to match energy potentials with energy demand by accounting for their spatiality, in order to provide energy efficiently and reduce costs. This can present a particular challenge for dense urban areas with limited available surfaces and high energy demand density. It may be necessary to mobilise energy potentials beyond the boundaries of the settlement to satisfy energy demand.
In addition, the necessary energy infrastructure should be assessed in the planning phase. Grid infrastructure (heat networks, gas pipelines, electricity grids, etc.) may need to be extended or re- dimensioned to accommodate future peak loads. Similarly, the phasing out of fossil fuels will lead to the decommissioning or repurposing of fossil fuel infrastructure. The increased volatility of renewable energy sources also requires that the needs for energy storage facilities are anticipated, both for short- term and seasonal storage. Ideally, when planning new buildings or settlements, the energy demand should be calculated beforehand, and nearby energy potentials and the necessary energy supply infrastructure should be included in the planning.
The transition to renewable energy may require the temporary use of public and/or private spaces, such as road works to maintain or adapt network infrastructure, or construction works to convert buildings from fossil fuel to renewable heat. Ideally, these interventions are synchronised to reduce costs, save time, and minimise disruption to residents and mobility. This could mean combining building refurbishment with a switch to renewable heating, or greening public spaces with grid maintenance, and allows synergising with other measures related to climate adaptation and mobility.
On the energy demand side, a number of measures can support the uptake of renewable energy and promote energy efficiency:
Stipulating and incentivising the use of renewable energy: Both in new settlements and in the existing building stock, areas can be defined where either the use of fossil fuels, or the use of fossil-fuelled heating systems, can be prohibited, or where the use of renewable energy is mandated.
Similarly, energy performance requirements for buildings could be established. It is fundamental to investigate the feasibility of such a measure before implementation. Some measures may be hard to implement due to specific configurations of the building stock. For example, the protection of historic buildings can limit the options for refurbishment measures or for PV installations. Further, it is important to make sure that the market has sufficient capacities to accommodate the subsequent demand increase in terms of workforce and know-how, and of material supply. Also, the costs incurred need to be estimated and it should be anticipated by whom they are to be borne. Finally, the measure needs a clear time horizon, e.g. until when and under which conditions a heating system needs to be switched, to ensure smooth operation.
Matching local energy demand and supply through energy communities: energy communities allow citizens to both produce and consume (renewable) energy. For electricity, this can reduce strain on the power grid, for example if it is consumed and stored locally rather than transported across long distances.
In order to provide a clear guideline for the retrofit of historic buildings in the UK, Historic England has produced an Advice Note with detailed information on suitable measures to reduce carbon emissions and improve the energy efficiency whilst conserving the significance and aesthetics of the British architectural heritage.
For further information see Energy Efficiency and Retrofit in Historic Buildings | Historic England.
Identification and quantification of energy potentials: to ensure secure supply of energy, in particular with regards to the clean energy transition, the available renewable energy potentials must be identified and quantified. In particular for dense settlements and cities, relevant potentials (e.g. geothermal heat potentials or open surfaces for PV) may be situated outside of the respective territorial authority and therefore require cooperation with other local, regional or national authorities, and energy providers and grid operators.
Reserving energy generation areas and surfaces: In densely populated settlements, a multitude of surfaces can be mobilised for PV (or solar thermal energy). These primarily include:
As a general rule, built-up areas, dual-use surfaces, or lower-grade surfaces such as brownfields should be prioritised for PV before expanding into open and natural spaces. Estimation of PV potential in a settlement or urban area could be carried out via a systematic analysis of surface suitability (i.e. using GIS data) and made available to planners as a potentials map.
In less densely populated areas, similar conflicts for space can arise. Wind turbines may require minimum distances to the nearest settlements. The usage of biomass (wood, crops) for electricity production or heating may compete with growing food or biodiversity. Synergies between multiple usages should be exploited, trade-offs should be minimised and carefully considered.
To support the mobilisation of surfaces beyond legal obligations (see above), a system of subsidies and other financial incentives as well as counselling services (such as One Stop Shops often run by the municipalities themselves) could be employed.
Heating and cooling infrastructure is strongly dependent on the characteristics of the built environment, such as building density, heat demand density, refurbishment state, and usage.
Therefore, matching heat demand and supply is best done through a dedicated heating and cooling (H/C) plan. Its purpose is to indicate, which heating solutions should be employed in which parts of a settlement (and possibly in which timeframe). This requires knowledge about the existing heating infrastructure, the current and future heat demand density (in accordance with expected settlement development) and available (renewable) heating and cooling sources. As far as data is available, further aspects may be integrated in the H/C plan according to local needs.
Beyond naturally available heat potentials, waste heat from industrial processes, geothermal heat, or ambient heat should be evaluated. These heat potentials should be characterised based on their temperature levels and the extent to which they can be upgraded using heat pumps. If additional power plants or the expansion of existing ones are necessary (such as combined heat and power or biomass plants), they should also be included in the planning process. Seasonal underground heat storage systems such as Borehole Thermal Energy Storage (BTES) under urban areas (inner courtyards of buildings, gardens, parks, parking areas) might be necessary as well.
On the consumption side, heat demand can vary considerably between and inside neighbourhoods. Residential buildings are generally easier to switch to renewable energy solutions: a spatially differentiated H/C plan can help identifying whether large-scale, grid-based systems like district heating are suitable, or if individual heating solutions such as air heat pumps, biomass boilers, or small, low-temperature heating networks are to be preferred. Besides technological feasibility, socio- economic factors such as financial costs, risks, and social acceptance of proposed solutions should be considered in the decision-making process.
Particular consideration should also be given to service- or production-oriented businesses as well as larger industrial sites, which may be dependent on very specific machinery or high temperature levels where renewable solutions may not be technologically or economically feasible (yet). In particular, it should be evaluated which areas may need renewable gaseous fuels (green gas, hydrogen) in the future, and which infrastructural needs this entails.
he guide for developing a Heating and Cooling (H/C) plan was elaborated in the EU Horizon 2020 project Decarb City Pipes 2050. It details creating an H/C map using the method of the city of Winterthur, Switzerland. It includes making infrastructure, heat demand, and potential maps to assess heat supply feasibility. It also addresses economic considerations, data quality, and integrating heating and cooling with the power grid amidst increasing electrification.
For further information see Guidance for cities developing Heating and Cooling plans – Decarb City Pipes 2050.
The Tallaght District Heating Scheme is a newly built system in Tallaght, a suburban satellite town of Dublin, Ireland. It utilises heat from a recently completed data centre to supply both heating and hot water to County Hall and other public buildings. This innovative scheme effectively matches local heat potentials with local energy demand, promoting efficient energy use and sustainability.
For further information see Heatworks – Ireland’s first not-for-profit energy utility.
The Vienna Heating Plan 2040 indicates the most suitable heating solutions for buildings that are currently heated with oil or gas until 2040. It is based on the current and expected heating demand, renewable energy potentials, and existing infrastructure.
For further information see Vienna Heating Plan 2040.
