AGFW is the only independent, neutral and most powerful German Energy Efficiency Association for District Heating, Cooling and CHP. Approximately 400 utilities operating district heating systems, industrial companies, manufacturers and research institutes join the German Heat and Power association - AGFW, as a member. The interests of 54.000 MWth or round about 92 % of the German district heating connection load, the biggest in Western Europe, gets represented by AGFW at the political level since nearly 40 years. AGFW is connected to the European lobbying as an important member of Euroheat&Power. AGFW promotes the development and extension of energy-efficient district heating, cooling and combined heat and power in Germany and also international. The essential strength of AGFW is the technical, economical and juridical skilled work for the complete branch. - Professional and competent contact for the politics - developing and formulating extensive recommendations together with representatives out of the political field - Knowledge for a safe and cost – effective supply of the branch / bundled and standardized as regulator for technical norms and rules - Definition and stability in specialized knowledge as well as qualification of the branch’s employees -Basis for a quality guarantee and a certain juridical operational and organizational structure of the companies - New ideas are sustained and developments researched as a coordination point of the national and international tasks for research and development - The branches communication centre - providing information of the complete business spectrum of AGFW