How can logistics properties be turned into energy hubs for the heat transition? The new study "Logistics Properties as Pillars of Municipal Heat Planning," largely developed by LIST Eco under the direction of Jannick Höper and Benedikt Scholler, provides a well-founded answer to this question—with concrete recommendations for action for municipalities and the real estate industry.
The publication was commissioned by the Logistics Real Estate Initiative (Logix) and produced in collaboration with Siemens and Fiege Logistics. It focuses on the hitherto underestimated potential of logistics real estate for municipal heat planning (KWP), which will become mandatory for all German municipalities by 2028 at the latest under the new Heat Planning Act (WPG).
Dual role: energy producer and consumer.
Logistics warehouses have large roof areas, favorable locations, and high energy consumption—ideal conditions for generating electricity and heat from solar energy, geothermal energy, or waste heat for local use or feed-in. At the same time, depending on their specific use, they are sometimes energy-intensive consumers themselves, which creates synergies for a stable, decentralized supply system.
A lever for climate protection, economic efficiency, and acceptance.
In addition to technical analysis, the study also examines the role of logistics real estate in energy cooperatives, the mobility transition, and grid expansion. The results show that, when properly planned, logistics locations can make a significant contribution to decarbonization.
"Logistics real estate is becoming increasingly sustainable anyway due to ESG, political guidelines, and market requirements," says our colleague Jannick Höper (managing director and partner at LIST Eco). "The fact that it can also contribute to the municipal energy transition is a new quality—and a door opener for better acceptance at the municipal level."
Regulatory hurdles must be removed.
However, a lack of grid capacity, complex regulations, and economic hurdles are still slowing down the transition. The authors therefore call for simplified conditions for feed-in and direct marketing, as well as closer cooperation between local authorities, industry, and energy suppliers.
