Green District Heating through the Use of Renewable Geothermal Energy - this is a Sustainable Principle. However, the green-generated heat must also be distributed as efficiently as possible to households. This is where a district heating network comes into play. Historically, this network is very well developed in the state capital of Schwerin.

In 2024, the Schwerin utility company celebrates 100 years of district heating in the state capital. By mid-2024, over 63 percent of Schwerin residents already heat their homes with environmentally friendly district heating – compared to only 14 percent on average nationwide. Further expansion of the district heating supply is a strategic focus for the Schwerin utility company. The goal is to connect 80 percent of Schwerin households to the district heating network by 2035.

Overall, the underground and above-ground district heating pipeline network in 2024 spans nearly 240 kilometers. Depending on the flow rate, the pipeline diameters vary, ranging from 1.5 centimeters for individual house connections to 80 centimeters for main connections.

The district heating network consists of two parts: the flow and the return. Depending on the outside temperature, the flow temperature in the primary network ranges between 80 degrees Celsius in summer and up to 130 degrees Celsius when it's very cold outside. The hot district heating water is cooled down in apartments via radiators. The cooled water returns with a return temperature of 50 to 55 degrees Celsius – ready to be reheated.

Around fifty percent of Schwerin's energy demand is for heating and hot water. To advance the energy transition in the heating sector, Schwerin's district heating plays a key role. Decarbonizing heat, for example through geothermal energy or a biogas plant, plays a crucial role in this context. The advantages of district heating lie in sustainability and the long-term reduction of CO2 emissions in central generation plants.

Furthermore, a district heating connection from the Schwerin utility company is a service promise. The company installs and maintains the facilities and is quickly on hand for troubleshooting in case of emergencies.

Most of Schwerin's district heating in 2024 is generated in the utility company's two combined heat and power plants. These have just undergone comprehensive modernization and are among the most efficient of their kind worldwide. They operate on a combined heat and power basis, meaning that electricity and district heating are produced simultaneously using natural gas as the primary energy source. Both power plants can also be partially operated with hydrogen. In 2024, around 15 percent of Schwerin's district heating is already generated green: through the biogas plant and the Lankow I geothermal plant.

The state capital of Schwerin aims to be climate-neutral by 2035. The Schwerin utility company is committed to this goal. The expansion of renewable energy sources for heat and electricity is therefore an integral part of the company's further expansion strategy.

Excursus: The Energy Performance Certificate
The Schwerin district heating has been assessed with a factor of 0.29. This value is among the best nationwide and has been certified by external assessors until 2029. The primary energy factor is a measure of the ratio of primary energy used to final energy delivered. It represents the effort from raw material provision through processing (energy conversion) and transport to the building. The lower the primary energy factor, the more favorable it is for calculating the annual primary energy requirement of a building. This value is included in the energy performance certificate of properties and plays an important role in applications for funding.