Demystifying Distortions in Heat Planning Tender Processes: A Call by the German Energy Consultant Network

Intensifying in several states across Germany is the municipal heat planning scheme, a development followed keenly by the Solarserver. The German Energy Consultant Network (DEN), however, has raised eyebrows about the distortion of the tendering process, with independent energy consultants often overshadowed in the awarding stage. Through a press release, the industry association is urging municipalities to rethink their tender processes to make them more inclusive, particularly for smaller consultancies.

Often, the task of drafting heat plans falls into the hands of large-scale players such as energy suppliers or municipal utilities - a trend worrying to Dietmar Rieth, State Spokesperson of DEN in Rhineland-Palatinate. According to Rieth, energy consultants, with their expertise, can offer valuable insights particularly to smaller communities in creating energy-efficient buildings and future-proof heat supplies. Unlike larger players, consultants can provide personal, unbiased, and competent guidance, extending beyond heat planning.

The DEN affirms that energy consultants possess the exact skill-set outlined by the Ministry of Construction for heat planners. They are proficient in identifying heat requirements, formulating renovation measures, coordinating various stakeholders' investment decisions, and ensuring the harmony of all initiatives in place.

Size Matters less in Municipal Heat Planning Tenders: Addressing the Bias

Despite these capabilities, independent energy consultants are sometimes overlooked when awarding heat planning contracts. Rieth attributes this to the municipal government's biased tender practices. They often articulate their request for proposals in ways that exclude smaller technical players and conglomerates of engineering and professional firms. Predefined office sizes or the demand for experience in recently developed municipal heat planning strategies serve as typical exclusionary criteria. Yet the competence in key areas like building assessment and heat needs often go unnoticed. The end result? A skewed favoring of larger entities and a missed opportunity for knowledgeable energy consulting offices to showcase their expertise.

Concern rises within the DEN over potential drawn-out effects from such discriminatory awarding practices. Municipalities are tying themselves down to heat planning concept providers for the next decades and are getting energy consultation services from the same firms. Consequently, an interest conflict emerges given that energy suppliers and municipal utilities also profit from specific forms of heat supply. This creates a hinderance to appropriate building works as well as the reform of the heat networks.

The DEN further anticipates escalations in cost pressures on energy efficiency experts through the heat plan implementations. More often than not, these specialists will be sourced through larger heat planning offices, leading to a quality-compromising price war.

This approach, DEN concludes, does not permit an unbiased, high-quality building assessment and successful heat transition. The network appeals to municipal decision-makers to broaden their competence-seeking scope for heat planning beyond the large, often familiar players. Tender processes need to be transparent and just, matching the task requirements and giving an opportunity also to those bringing crucial expertise, local knowledge, and potential for community enhancement beyond municipal heat planning.