How can logistics real estate be transformed into energy hubs for the heating transition? The new study, “Logistics Real Estate as a Pillar of Municipal Heating Planning,” developed primarily by LIST Eco under the leadership of Jannick Höper and Benedikt Scholler, provides a well-founded answer to this question—along with concrete recommendations for action for municipalities and the real estate industry.
This publication was commissioned by the Logistics Real Estate Initiative (Logix) and produced in collaboration with Siemens and Fiege Logistics. It focuses on the previously 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 feature large roof areas, convenient locations, and high energy consumption—ideal conditions for generating electricity and heat from solar energy, geothermal energy, or waste heat, and for using it locally or feeding it into the grid. At the same time, they are themselves energy-intensive consumers (depending on their specific use), which creates synergies for a stable, decentralized energy supply system.
A lever for climate protection, economic efficiency, and public acceptance.
In addition to the 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 sites can make a significant contribution to decarbonization.
“Logistics real estate is already becoming increasingly sustainable due to ESG, political mandates, and market demands,” says our colleague Jannick Höper (Managing Director and Partner at LIST Eco). “The fact that it can also contribute to the local energy transition is a new dimension—and a gateway to greater acceptance at the local level.”
Regulatory barriers 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 feeding electricity into the grid and direct marketing, as well as closer cooperation between local governments, the business community, and energy providers.
