GSG Berlin and GETEC Establish Joint Energy Infrastructure for Berlin’s Commercial Courtyards
- By 2031, the energy supply for an initial 16 GSG commercial courtyards with around 270,000 square metres of rental space is to be largely decarbonised
- G²Energy (G2E) is investing more than 20 million EUR in new heating and energy systems
- Neighbouring properties may also be connected in the future
Magdeburg/Berlin, Germany, 30 September 2026 – GSG Berlin and energy services provider GETEC are consolidating their cooperation on decarbonising Berlin’s commercial property portfolio in a jointly owned company. The G²Energy GmbH (G2E) joint venture will gradually transform the energy supply at GSG sites. The transition is scheduled for completion by 2031. To achieve this, the partners are developing site-specific solutions for the individual commercial courtyards that could eventually also be used beyond the property boundaries of GSG Berlin.
Initially, the cooperation covers 16 GSG commercial courtyards with a total rental area of around 270,000 square metres. Investments of more than 20 million EUR are planned through 2031. As part of the cooperation, CO₂ emissions are to be reduced by around 4,900 tonnes per year, or by 80 to 90 percent.
Joint venture combines investment and operations
With G2E, GSG Berlin and GETEC are creating a joint structure for planning, financing and operating the future energy supply. The aim is to combine the high upfront investment in new energy systems with cost neutrality.
“We are investing in our energy infrastructure today because we do not want to wait to modernise our portfolio until fossil energy becomes significantly more expensive for us and our tenants,” says Oliver Schlink, Commercial Managing Director of GSG Berlin. “Our goal is a solution that combines significantly lower CO₂ emissions, economically viable investments and energy costs that are as stable as possible. If we can achieve this across the portfolio, we will create a model that works sustainably, both ecologically and economically.”
In doing so, GSG Berlin is also responding to the long-term increase in cost risks associated with fossil fuels and carbon pricing. The gradual conversion of the heat supply is intended to significantly reduce dependence on these factors. For tenants, the transformation is to take place without additional financial burdens while also making heating costs more predictable.
“Decarbonising existing buildings is not solely a question of technology. The decisive factor is to consider investment, operations and energy supply together over many years,” says Henning Lustermann, Senior Vice President (SVP) GETEC Germany. “With G²Energy, we are creating a long-term structure for this. This enables us not only to implement the transformation technically, but also to make it financeable, operable and economically robust.”
The right energy solution for every commercial courtyard
“Our approach combines the individual requirements of each site with the economies of scale of a large portfolio. Proven experience, standards and processes can be transferred and developed in a targeted manner. In this way, we create solutions that are tailored to each individual commercial courtyard while enabling cost-effective decarbonisation on a larger scale,” says Lustermann.
From a technical perspective, the sites will therefore not all be converted according to a uniform template. GSG Berlin and GETEC intend to develop solutions for each commercial courtyard that reflect the buildings, their uses and the local infrastructure. Depending on the site, different technologies will be intelligently combined—for example, heat pumps, photovoltaic systems and storage solutions, as well as other heating and energy supply systems.
Reference sites demonstrate the potential of the new heat supply
One reference site that has already been completed is econopark Pankstraße, which covers around 45,000 square metres. There, GSG Berlin and GETEC fundamentally transformed the previously entirely gas-based heat supply. With annual heat demand of around 2,170 MWh, approximately 80 percent of the heat will in future be supplied from renewable energy. The systems used include air-to-water heat pumps and pellet systems in particular; natural gas now accounts for only around 10 percent. As a result, CO₂ emissions from the site’s heat supply will fall by around 80 percent.
At the Zossener Straße site, GSG Berlin and GETEC have also already implemented or prepared a site-specific heating and cooling concept. With around 500 kW of heating capacity and 500 kW of cooling capacity, the site uses a combination of adiabatic cooling, adsorption and combined heat and power. Cooling is generated through the evaporation of water and with the aid of heat, among other methods; combined heat and power simultaneously provides electricity and usable heat. In this way, the new building is supplied with heating and cooling in line with demand.
Energy infrastructure to extend beyond property boundaries
G2E will now build on this experience and transfer the decarbonisation approach to the remaining sites. The infrastructure does not necessarily have to end at GSG Berlin’s property boundaries. Where the technical, economic and regulatory conditions allow, neighbouring properties may also be connected and supplied with heating or cooling in the future.
“With G2E, we are laying the foundation for implementing site-specific energy solutions economically across a larger portfolio,” says Sebastian Blecke, Managing Director Operations of GSG Berlin. “This is not just about replacing individual heating systems. We want to develop an energy infrastructure that is sustainable over the long term and, where it makes sense, can also be used beyond individual properties.”
Energy supply as a key lever for decarbonisation
For GSG Berlin, the cooperation is also part of the long-term development of its existing portfolio. Energy-efficiency improvements to roofs, windows or other building components will continue to be carried out when corresponding refurbishment or replacement work is due. Initially, however, the key lever for reducing CO₂ emissions will be the conversion of the energy supply. The goal is to reduce CO₂ emissions from the commercial courtyards included in the cooperation by around 90 percent by 2031.
About GETEC
GETEC is a leading specialist for reliable, decarbonised energy and infrastructure solutions in Europe. With more than 3,100 dedicated employees at around 50 locations, we leverage our engineering, regulatory, and sustainability expertise to help our industrial and real estate customers navigate the complexities of the modern energy landscape while reducing their carbon footprint. Operating over 11,000 plants, the company has a broad decarbonising technology offering. GETEC develops, finances, and runs critical energy infrastructure and industrial parks in Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Benelux, Austria, Poland, Spain and Portugal.
