Residents become owners of their heating program

Municipalities take the next step in the heat transition: from vision to concrete neighborhood programs
After drafting the Heat Transition Vision, municipalities are now working on concrete heat programs for each district and neighborhood. Various heat scenarios are being developed together with residents and municipal councils to arrive at a well-considered choice for the heat supply of the future.

A careful approach with residents at the center
Residents are not stakeholders but become owners of their heat programs. Therefore, municipalities are opting for a careful approach in which they first systematically gather information, jointly define assessment frameworks, commission and evaluate scenarios, and are transparent about risks and costs.

Five technical scenarios
The Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL) distinguishes four technical scenarios, to which a hybrid variant is being added. Residents and municipalities can choose from individual solutions (all-electric or hybrid heat pumps per home), collective heat networks (very low or medium temperature), or a combination of both.

From information to decision in four steps
The process consists of four steps.

• Step 1: Management information
  First, management information is collected on building characteristics, available heat sources, and electrical infrastructure, using data sources from TNO, Cuby, and PBL.
• Step 2: Assessment frameworks
  Next, residents and the municipal council jointly determine the assessment frameworks: which criteria are most important? Consider monthly costs, CO2 reduction, security of supply, and support.
• Step 3: Analysis
  In the third step, risks are analyzed per scenario: technical, financial, planning, and organizational. Transparency in this process builds trust.
• Step 4: Participation
  Finally, residents go through five participation phases: from informing and consulting to brainstorming, co-decision, and ultimately participating in the implementation.

Looking ahead to implementation
This method results in a politically supported decision. The chosen scenario is then developed step by step, from detailed design to a phasing strategy for each street. Each step is presented to residents and the municipal council. An important warning: Involve the grid operator early on. Waiting times for expanding the electrical infrastructure and disconnecting the gas grid can take years.

Key actions for municipalities
Municipalities should start by documenting management information and assessment frameworks. Developing a participation strategy with clear roles for residents, making an area-specific assessment of temperature levels, and calculating total costs over 30 years are also essential. Finally, a clear communication strategy is needed to make technical decisions understandable for everyone.

Would you like to know more about management information and assessment frameworks for heat programs?

Please contact Aart van der Vlist, aart@sblc.nl