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Positive Energy Districts: Identifying Challenges and Interdependencies

Author

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  • Savis Gohari Krangsås

    (Department of Architecture and Planning, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), 7491 Trondheim, Norway)

  • Koen Steemers

    (Department of Architecture, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1PX, UK)

  • Thaleia Konstantinou

    (Faculty of Architecture, Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), 2628 BL Delft, The Netherlands)

  • Silvia Soutullo

    (Department of Energy, Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (CIEMAT), 28040 Madrid, Spain)

  • Mingming Liu

    (School of Electronic Engineering, Dublin City University, 9 Dublin, Ireland)

  • Emanuela Giancola

    (Department of Energy, Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (CIEMAT), 28040 Madrid, Spain)

  • Bahri Prebreza

    (Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Pristina, 10000 Pristina, Kosovo)

  • Touraj Ashrafian

    (Faculty of Architecture and Design, Özyeğin University, Istanbul 34794, Turkey)

  • Lina Murauskaitė

    (Laboratory of Energy Systems Research, Lithuanian Energy Institute, LT-44403 Kaunus, Lithuania)

  • Nienke Maas

    (Department of Strategy and Policy, The Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), 2595 AD The Hague, The Netherlands)

Abstract

Positive Energy Districts (PED) are areas within cities that generate more renewable energy than they consume, contributing to cities’ energy system transformation toward carbon neutrality. Since PED is a novel concept, the implementation is very challenging. Within the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) Action, which offers an open space for collaboration among scientists across Europe (and beyond), this paper asks what the needs for supporting the implementation of PEDs are. To answer this, it draws on Delphi process (expert reviews) as the main method alongside the literature review and also uses surveys as supplementary methods to identify the main challenges for developing PEDs. Initial findings reveal seven interacting topics that later were ranked as highest to the lowest as the following: governance, incentive, social, process, market, technology and context. These are interrelated and interdependent, implying that none can be considered in isolation of the others and cannot be left out in order to ensure the successful development of PEDs. The resources that are needed to address these challenges are a common need for systematic understanding of the processes behind them, as well as cross-disciplinary models and protocols to manage the complexity of developing PEDs. The results can be the basis for devising the conceptual framework on the development of new PED guides and tools.

Suggested Citation

  • Savis Gohari Krangsås & Koen Steemers & Thaleia Konstantinou & Silvia Soutullo & Mingming Liu & Emanuela Giancola & Bahri Prebreza & Touraj Ashrafian & Lina Murauskaitė & Nienke Maas, 2021. "Positive Energy Districts: Identifying Challenges and Interdependencies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-20, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:19:p:10551-:d:641332
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    Cited by:

    1. Martina Dell’Unto & Louise-Nour Sassenou & Lorenzo Olivieri & Francesca Olivieri, 2023. "Technical Feasibility for the Boosting of Positive Energy Districts (PEDs) in Existing Mediterranean Districts: A Methodology and Case Study in Alcorcón, Spain," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-21, September.
    2. Zarrin Fatima & Tomas Vacha & Kavyashree Swamygowda & Reef Qubailat, 2022. "Getting Started with Positive Energy Districts: Experience until Now from Maia, Reykjavik, Kifissia, Kladno and Lviv," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-20, May.
    3. Federica Leone & Francesco Reda & Ala Hasan & Hassam ur Rehman & Fausto Carmelo Nigrelli & Francesco Nocera & Vincenzo Costanzo, 2022. "Lessons Learned from Positive Energy District (PED) Projects: Cataloguing and Analysing Technology Solutions in Different Geographical Areas in Europe," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(1), pages 1-28, December.
    4. Andrea Kerstens & Angela Greco, 2023. "From Buildings to Communities: Exploring the Role of Financial Schemes for Sustainable Plus Energy Neighborhoods," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(14), pages 1-18, July.
    5. Federica Leone & Ala Hasan & Francesco Reda & Hassam ur Rehman & Fausto Carmelo Nigrelli & Francesco Nocera & Vincenzo Costanzo, 2023. "Supporting Cities towards Carbon Neutral Transition through Territorial Acupuncture," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-31, February.
    6. Hasan A. M. Hamdan & Luitzen Boer & Poul Houman Andersen, 2023. "The architecture of procurement in sustainable and zero-emission neighborhood projects—strategic challenges and new realities," Environment Systems and Decisions, Springer, vol. 43(3), pages 472-488, September.
    7. Sesil Koutra, 2022. "From ‘Zero’ to ‘Positive’ Energy Concepts and from Buildings to Districts—A Portfolio of 51 European Success Stories," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-23, November.
    8. Moa Mattsson & Thomas Olofsson & Liv Lundberg & Olga Korda & Gireesh Nair, 2023. "An Exploratory Study on Swedish Stakeholders’ Experiences with Positive Energy Districts," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(12), pages 1-22, June.

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