Greifswald becomes the energy community of the month: pioneer of the heat turnaround!

Greifswald becomes the energy community of the month: pioneer of the heat turnaround!

Greifswald, Deutschland - The University and Hanseatic City of Greifswald received the title "Energy Community of the Month" in June 2025 from the Renewable Energies agency (AEE). This award is not only proof of the city's committed action in terms of climate protection, but also a well -deserved praise for the large number of projects with which Greifswald drives the heat transition.

The largest solar thermal system in Germany, which has 3,792 collectors in the Helmshäger Berg energy park and produces around 8,000 megawatt hours of heat every year, is a prime example of it. This means that up to 1,000 households can be easily supplied with heat, which makes the city a pioneer in renewable energies. Already now about a third of the district heating is generated renewable, which brings tangible savings of around 46,500 tons of CO₂ annually. Greifswald shows how you can relieve the environment with a good hand and innovative solutions.

mobility and sustainable building

But Greifswald is not only ahead in the heat supply. Mobility in the city is characterized by a high proportion of bicycles: 44 percent of the paths are covered by bike, and it is even over 90 percent for students. Bus traffic is already using biomethane, and the municipal utilities successfully rely on electric vehicles - half of the fleet is operated on electrically. In addition, over 40 publicly accessible charging points are available, including eight quick charging stations.

As far as the infrastructure is concerned, Greifswald is also on course. Since 2012, municipal building construction has been consistently based on sustainable and economic construction projects. An excellent example are the Käthe-Kollwitz school and the comprehensive school Erwin Fischer, both of which pay attention to life cycle costs and recyclable building materials and at the same time use renewable energies.

renewable energies in focus

The trend towards renewable energy sources can not only be observed locally in Greifswald, but also nationwide. The Federal Environment Agency emphasizes that the use of wind and solar energy, biomass, geothermal energy and hydropower makes a significant contribution to climate protection. So the renewables are not only environmentally friendly, they also create supply and raw material security.

In order to further push the heat transition, Greifswald has also targeted the integration of locked wind power, although tax levies are currently a hurdle. In addition, an examination of the existing heating centers and the optimization of 50 heating systems is planned to further increase efficiency.

As part of the “Solarheatgrid” project, Fossil is to be connected to the central network of district heating islands. The aim is to reduce fossil heat parts, especially in the summer months and transition times. The entire package could contribute to savings of around 3,718 tons of CO₂ annually - further proof that Greifswald is on the pulse of time when it comes to sustainable and efficient heat supply.

Overall, Greifswald shows how much is possible in the region if you plan and implement cleverly. It remains exciting how the city continues to advance in the areas of renewable energies, sustainable mobility and ecological building. Greifswald, the "Sunbish of Germany", shows that an environmentally conscious lifestyle can be both practical and attractive.

For more information about the projects and initiatives in Greifswald, visit Stadt und Werk and klimaschutz.de as well as the Environmental Bundesamt .