01 — CONTEXT & INVESTMENT CHALLENGE
Developing Energy Infrastructure as Part of the Residential Investment.
Prenzlauer Gärten is a residential townhouse development in Berlin’s Prenzlauer Berg district comprising approximately 300 residential units.
The development required a reliable and efficient energy supply concept capable of providing heat and electricity locally. The challenge was therefore broader than selecting individual energy technologies: generation, distribution, investment economics and long-term operation needed to work as one integrated infrastructure model.
02 — TECHNICAL SCOPE & KEY MEASURES
Creating an Integrated Local Heat and Power System.
The technical concept combined central CHP-based energy generation with a dedicated neighbourhood heating network and local electricity supply.
The ESCO operated the energy infrastructure as a utility and supplied heat and electricity directly to residents. Individual metering measured actual consumption and provided the basis for customer-specific energy billing.
The resulting system integrated energy generation, distribution, metering and customer supply within one operating model.
03 — INVESTMENT APPROACH
Evaluating the Energy System as a Long-Term Infrastructure Investment.
The investment analysis considered CAPEX, OPEX, profitability, lifecycle costs and Total Cost of Ownership alongside the technical requirements of the energy infrastructure.
Technical and commercial assumptions were translated into the decision basis for Investment Committee and Board approval. The investment model also incorporated the commercial structure and long-term energy-supply arrangements required to operate the infrastructure as an ESCO utility.
The project therefore evaluated the energy system not simply as a technical installation, but as a long-term infrastructure and operating investment.
04 — INVESTMENT CASE & OUTCOME
Connecting Infrastructure Investment with Long-Term Utility Operation.
The project established an integrated District Energy system serving approximately 300 residential units with locally generated heat and electricity.
The ESCO model connected infrastructure development and implementation with long-term operation, metering, Energy Management and direct customer supply.
Responsibility extending into operation provided ongoing visibility of how the original technical and investment assumptions translated into actual system performance and operating requirements.
05 — ROLE OF WINFRIED HAAS
From Investment Analysis Through Delivery to Long-Term Operation.
Winfried Haas held responsibility across the full project and investment lifecycle during his tenure as Department Head and authorised signatory (Prokurist) of the ESCO.
His role included the technical energy concept and Investment Analysis across CAPEX, OPEX, profitability, lifecycle costs and Total Cost of Ownership, translating these into the decision basis for Investment Committee and Board approval.
Following approval, his responsibility continued through planning, procurement, construction supervision, commissioning and acceptance to long-term operation, Energy Management and MRV — connecting the original investment case with actual operating and economic performance.
This legacy ESCO role differs from today’s independent HAAS Perspective owner-side advisory mandate.
06 — RELEVANCE FOR OWNERS TODAY
Energy Infrastructure Must Work Beyond the Investment Case.
Major energy infrastructure should be evaluated across technical performance, lifecycle economics and long-term operating requirements — because assumptions made before capital approval ultimately shape asset performance for years to come.
Explore the HAAS Investment Decision Process →
REQUEST A CONFIDENTIAL DISCUSSION →
