Local heat transitions—a comparative case study of five bioenergy villages in Northern and Southern Germany

Although the heat transition is one of the greatest challenges that Germany faces in terms of its climate and sustainability goals, local initiatives that target a renewable heat transition remain contested. In the present article, we examine bioenergy villages and investigate both how and under what conditions these villages can contribute to the heat transition. We explore five typical bioenergy villages in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and three typical bioenergy villages in Baden-Württemberg. Drawing on the analytical framework of actor-centred institutionalism, we adopt a dual perspective by focusing on both actors and institutions. In our interviews, local farmers and mayors are identified as key actors in bioenergy villages. We argue that the main contributions of these local entrepreneurs to heat transitions involve increasing social acceptance of new ecological heat infrastructures and technologies, fostering democratic governance, and supporting regional added value and learning.