Heerlen chooses Douve Weien as third neighborhood for heat transition
The municipality of Heerlen has designated Douve Weien as the third neighborhood to prepare for the transition to sustainable heat. Together with residents, housing corporations, energy cooperative Heerlen Duurzaam and other partners, we are making a plan to heat the neighborhood without natural gas in the future.
The heat transition means switching from natural gas to sustainable heat sources, such as heat networks or heat pumps. The goal is for all buildings in Heerlen to no longer use natural gas by 2050.
Why Douve Weien?
A survey by energy cooperative Heerlen Duurzaam shows that almost half of the residents are willing to participate in sustainable solutions. There are also many opportunities to combine projects in Douve Weien. Housing corporation Wonen Zuid, for example, is going to make homes near the Van Weerden Poelmanstraat more sustainable. And for the new construction of BSO Windekind, we will see if we can connect to the Mijnwater network.
We are also investigating the possibility of a neighborhood battery. This could relieve the power grid and allow for better storage and sharing of locally generated energy.
According to Alderman Casper Gelderblom , the choice of Douve Weien is logical: "The choice of Douve Weien is no coincidence. There are concrete opportunities here, and residents themselves have indicated that they want to move forward. Thanks to the preliminary work of Heerlen Duurzaam and the involvement of our partners, we can show here how cooperation leads to sustainable solutions that really work for the neighborhood and the city."
Together with partners and residents
The municipality works closely with partners such as Heerlen Duurzaam, housing corporations and Mijnwater. We also involve other parties. This is not only about technology, but also about the residents. How do we make the facilities for energy and heat ready for the future? And how do we ensure that residents feel involved?
This creates a plan in which technology, cooperation and residents who participate come together. Douve Weien can thus become an example for the rest of Heerlen in the heat transition.
"The Coöperatie Heerlen Duurzaam is pleased that the municipality of Heerlen has chosen Douve Weien as the district in which the energy transition will get off to a tangible start. As a cooperative, we believe in an approach with and for residents. Together we will ensure that the changeover from gas is not only sustainable, but also feasible for everyone in the neighborhood." said Coöperatie Heerlen Duurzaam.