The team of the ADerN and EnerNet network of the Institute for Hydrogen and Energy Technology (iwe) at Hof University of Applied Sciences is taking the next step towards the heat transition: With the founding of GI Smart Solutions GmbH, the experienced team led by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Tobias Plessing, Matthias Kreuzer and Anton Sack is expanding its previous educational and research offerings to include practice-oriented engineering services for cities, municipalities and energy suppliers.
Until now, the experts’ work has focused on further training and knowledge transfer relating to heating networks, digitalization and municipal heating planning. “With the founding of GI Smart Solutions GmbH, this expertise is now being put into practice: The new GmbH supports municipalities, municipal utilities and companies in the planning, design and implementation of municipal heating networks – from the initial analysis to the technical design and concrete implementation,” says Prof. Dr. Plessing.
Thanks to the close cooperation with Harald Ley and the Green Innovations group of companies, GI Smart Solutions GmbH will cover the entire value chain in future: from strategic heat planning and detailed engineering planning through to structural implementation.
Strong networks as a basis
The new spin-off is based on the work of two established networks:
- ADerN (“Expansion and digitalization of efficient regenerative local heating networks”) – a consortium of research, municipalities and industry that focuses on the development of sustainable energy networks.
- “EnerNET – further education network for energy, cooling and local heating” – a practice-oriented network that promotes know-how and exchange on the digitalization, planning and operation of heating networks.
These networks form the basis for GI Smart Solutions GmbH, which now acts as a link between science, local authorities and industry.
First project and new location at Einstein1
On October 1, 2025, GI Smart Solutions GmbH will move into its office in the Einstein1 digital start-up center in Hof. From there, the team starts directly into the first municipal heat planning project. Following the successful completion of the heat planning for the town of Schwarzenbach a.d. Saale, the work will continue seamlessly – with the aim of supporting other municipalities on their way to a climate-neutral heat supply.
Target group: local authorities, municipal utilities and project developers
GI Smart Solutions GmbH is aimed at municipalities that want to implement their legally required municipal heating planning, municipal utilities and energy suppliers that are planning, expanding or modernizing heating networks, as well as project developers and engineering firms that are looking for partners for technical design and digitalization.
The aim is to support these players with digital, practical and sustainable engineering solutions – and thus make a tangible contribution to the German heating transition.
