Bad Tölz begins a breakthrough: New thermal energy center ensures climate protection!

Bad Tölz begins a breakthrough: New thermal energy center ensures climate protection!

Bad Tölz sets new standards in energy supply. On October 29, 2025, the new thermal energy center (WEZ) was officially put into operation, a significant step towards a CO₂-neutral energy future for the city. With a total cost of around 30 million euros, the WEZ is already being used to supply the first block of flats with environmentally friendly heat. Managing director Wolfgang Stahl emphasizes that Bad Tölz is in an exemplary position when it comes to heat planning. In contrast to many other communities that are just beginning to tackle their district heating expansion, Bad Tölz has made clear progress, as sueddeutsche.de reports.

The Bad Tölz public utility company not only laid dozens of meters of cables, which led to road closures for weeks, but also pushed forward the construction of the Isar culvert. A technical masterpiece was achieved by depositing two massive steel pipes, each weighing 35 tons and 92 meters long. The WEZ has an impressive total output of 30 megawatts. Various technologies are used to produce heat:

Renewable energies in focus

A sophisticated concept ensures that the majority of the heat comes from renewable energy sources. Specifically, two air heat pumps cover 30 percent of the heat requirement, powered by electricity from the photovoltaic systems on the roofs of the WEZ and other municipal buildings. In combination with wood chip systems, which generate 40 percent of the heat, an environmentally friendly approach is pursued that is not only ecologically sensible but also sustainable. A combined heat and power plant, to be installed in the near future, will provide an additional 20 percent of the heat, while gas-fired systems will only be used for the remaining 5 percent during peak load times. The wood chips come from regional forests and are sorted in the warehouse by a fully automatic grab crane, as stw-toelz.de emphasizes.

For the municipal utilities, the WEZ is not only a technical marvel, but also an important investment in the future. The Bad Tölz municipal utilities receive a grant of 9 million euros from the Federal Office of Economics and Export Control (Bafa), which significantly supports the implementation of the WEZ. Around 20 million euros will flow into the pipeline network, 40 percent of which will be funded. These subsidies are an important component in keeping costs stable and guaranteeing a high level of security of supply. The municipal utilities also plan to acquire new customers every year and continue to expand the supply network until 2027.

A step into the green future

The importance of renewable energies is impressively reflected in the current final energy consumption in Germany. By 2024, consumption of approximately 197 TWh from renewable sources is expected, which represents an increase compared to previous years. This development is not only a sign of climate protection, but is also directly related to Bad Tölz's intention to position itself as a pioneer in regional energy policy. According to bundeswirtschaftsministerium.de, the expansion of renewable energies contributes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, which is of great importance for all communities.

With the new heat supply system, Bad Tölz is clearly positioning itself in the competition for a green energy future. While other communities are just taking the first steps, Bad Tölz has already celebrated its first successes and thus impressively shows that innovative approaches to heat supply are not only possible, but also successful.