Heat turn-up festival in Donnerskirchen: News for climate protection and energy!

Heat turn-up festival in Donnerskirchen: News for climate protection and energy!

Hauptstraße 75, 7082 Donnerskirchen, Österreich - On June 11, 2025, the first heat-turning festival of the Burgenland University of Burgenland took place in the Martinschlössl in Donnerskirchen. This event aims to present the best alternatives to conventional oil and gas heaters. Among the prominent participants were Mayor Johannes Mezgolits and governor's deputy Anja Haider-Wallner, who in a round of discussion exchanged experts on the challenges and opportunities of the heat turnaround. bvz.at reports that ...

The festival started in the morning with a reception, followed by an official opening moderated by Barbara Karlich. Nicole Kirchberger from the climate and energy fund and Marcus Keding from Burgenland also welcomed those present. An important component of the program was the keynote speeches, including Bernd Windholz to alternative heating systems and from Johannes Schmidl to modern pellet and biomass heating.

impulses for the energy transition

At the festival, specific solutions were discussed in order to advance the energy transition on site. For example, Isabella Plimon presented the status of federal funding, while Walter Holzer spoke about Burgenland's financing models. Another item on the program was the discussion about social aspects of the heat transition, in which Valentin Neuhauser emphasized that an energy transition must be possible for everyone without disadvantages. Waermewende-burgenland.at informs that ...

Lunch offered the participants the opportunity to fortify themselves with regional specialties. Several workshops took place from the early afternoon, including through regional financing models and practical tips for changing energy. These workshops offered valuable information and approaches for everyone who wants to actively participate in the heat transition.

renewable energies in focus

The discussion about the heat transition is in the context of an important trend in energy policy. According to current data from bmwk.de , the final energy consumption for heat from renewable energies in 2024 was around 197 TWh, which shows that the use of fossil energies slowly decreases. The proportion of renewable energies in total final energy consumption has increased to 18.1 % in the area of ​​heat and cold. This means progress on the way to achieving the climate goals.

The heat-turn-in-one festival was therefore not only a platform for exchange and learning, but also an important step towards a sustainable energy future in Austria. The educational work and the innovative approaches to decarbonization are becoming increasingly important in the coming years in order to effectively meet the challenges of climate change.