DB4KWP – Using databases and knowledge graphs to make the results and data of municipal heat planning comparable and usable

In the DB4KWP project, scientists from the Reiner Lemoine Institute are working with the University Osnabrück to develop a central database that uses tools from the Open Energy Platform to standardize, structure, and make publicly accessible the results and information from municipal heat planning (KWP). The aim is to make data for heat planning comparable, usable in the long term, and coordinatable across regions. The result is a new data set that is suitable for use in research, administration, and practice.

Uniform data structure 

Due to a lack of uniformity in data collection, naming, output, and linking, it is currently difficult for interested parties to compare heating data. To formalize and link the data with further information, the project team is using the interoperable and OpenEnergyOntology (OEO)-compliant KWP ontology and the Open Energy Knowledge Graph (OEKG). A knowledge graph is a structured representation of information that maps entities (such as people, places, objects) as nodes and their relationships as edges. This enables machines to understand and process semantic relationships. In addition, the experts are using the AI method Ontology-based Information Extraction (OBIE) to automatically link content from texts and reports to the ontology. In this way, the new database helps to manage heat planning results in a structured, standardized, and efficient manner.

Data provision 

The database is being filled in three ways: interfaces to existing portals, such as the Berlin heat register, user-friendly input masks, and AI-supported extraction. In workshops on ontology and standardization, the project team collects the knowledge and experience of the community and prepares it specifically for the further development of the ontology and the knowledge graph.

To support municipalities and service providers in using the new database, the team creates practical training and information materials. This establishes a continuous exchange of knowledge in heat planning. As a result, municipal heat planning is digitized and methodically developed and can serve as a basis for sustainable and resource-efficient energy supply in the long term.

Transparency and open source

The project enhances transparency in heat planning, enables comparability, and supports strategic planning at the regional and supraregional levels. All results are published under open licenses in accordance with FAIR and open science principles.

Project period:  January 2026 – December 2028

• Development of an interoperable KWP ontology
• Development of a knowledge graph (OEKG)
• Development of data models
• Design of the database and user-friendly interfaces