"GI Your Energy"

Geoinformation for the Energy Transition: How Municipalities Use Digital Twins for Planning and Citizen Dialogue

Interview with Christoph Kany, Head of the “Geodata Management” Working Group (DVW)

In the latest INTERGEO TV Expert Talk, we welcome Christoph Kany, head of the DVW working group "Geodata Management". Together, we take a look ahead at the INTERGEO CONFERENCE 2025 in Frankfurt and the session “GI Your Energy”, which is specifically aimed at municipal decision-makers. Christoph Kany explains how municipalities can strategically use geodata to drive the energy transition, strengthen transparency with citizens, and make well-informed decisions.

Localizing the Energy Transition: “Everything starts with the question ‘Where?’”
Christoph Kany emphasizes: “Whether it's district heating networks, solar panels, or wind turbines – it all depends on one central question: Where exactly do we begin?”
For municipalities, spatial analysis is key to identifying and leveraging the potential of renewable energy in a sustainable way. The keyword is “municipal heat planning” – a legally mandated task where geoinformation helps municipalities efficiently assess and plan building conditions, solar potential, and infrastructure.

Digital Twins Revolutionize Citizen Dialogue and Transparency
A key tool in this process is the digital twin – a virtual representation of the real world. With this technology, citizens can, for example, virtually test how a new wind turbine might impact their surroundings even before it is built. “Transparency creates acceptance,” explains Kany. “Citizens can digitally understand the effects of new projects and thus be more effectively involved.”
This technology offers municipalities a completely new level of citizen participation and conflict prevention.

Breaking Down Technical Jargon: Clear Language for Municipal Leaders
Another important point Kany highlights in the interview is the need to communicate complex geoinformation in a clear and understandable way. To better support municipalities and policymakers without technical backgrounds, the DVW is developing an initiative that conveys geoinformation and relevant case studies in simple language. Kany sums it up: “Clear answers instead of complicated terms.”

Watch the INTERGEO TV Expert Talk with Christoph Kany here:

Practical Use Cases at INTERGEO 2025

At the INTERGEO Conference 2025 in Frankfurt (October 7–9), the DVW working group will present real-world applications in the “GI Your Energy” session, showcasing how geodata management can support the energy transition. Top-level speakers from utilities, energy companies, and municipal administrations will present real-life examples of how geoinformation helps to efficiently plan and expand heating networks.

Interested municipalities and decision-makers will have the opportunity at INTERGEO to connect directly with experts to launch or improve their own local projects.

Conclusion: Making Municipalities Future-Ready – Geoinformation Is the Key

Geoinformation and digital twins give municipalities the tools to make well-founded decisions for the energy transition, involve citizens with transparency, and secure long-term sustainability.
INTERGEO 2025 offers the perfect platform to learn directly from the experts and take away practical, actionable insights.

Get your tickets now for INTERGEO 2025 and actively shape the local energy transition!