What are Positive Energy Districts (PEDs)?
Positive Energy Districts (PEDs) are defined as “energy-efficient and energy-flexible urban areas or groups of connected buildings that aim to produce net zero greenhouse gas emissions and actively manage an annual local or regional surplus production of renewable energy”.
They require the integration of different systems and infrastructures, as well as the interaction between buildings, users, mobility, and ICT systems. All this while securing the energy supply and a good life for all in line with social, economic, and environmental sustainability.
Key Elements of PEDs
An important element that characterises PEDs is the definition of their boundaries, which can be geographic or virtual. The boundary will be geographic if the energy system is in a geographical area that does not include other independent energy systems. However, if there are different energy systems disaggregated but all interconnected and managed together, the PED will have virtual boundaries.
PEDs energy systems will typically count on four different components. The two main components are a high level of energy efficiency in the services provided to residents and businesses and a high share of renewable energy production. The third component is energy flexibility, which allows a higher level of integration of renewables in urban areas. E-mobility is emerging as the fourth component of PEDs, as a result of the cities’ plans of expanding the charging infrastructure for electric vehicles.
The role of PEDs in the energy transition
The term Positive Energy Districts (PED) arises from previous concepts with similar meanings such as Net Zero Energy Buildings (NZEB), Positive Energy Blocks (PEB) or Energy Positive Neighbourhoods (EPN). All of them with a common goal: meeting the energy demands of a residential and/or commercial area from low-cost, locally available and environmentally friendly renewable sources.
Therefore, once buildings in a city produce a surplus of energy (because the buildings themselves are not consuming all the energy they generate), they can start sharing this excess of energy with others, becoming not only prosumers but also local generators.
This approach can lead to more significant upgrades in the energy system, following a natural hierarchy where these buildings (NZEB) will be complemented by neighbourhoods (EPN), which in turn, will be complemented by greater areas or districts (PEDs).
This process would eventually enable the path towards Positive Energy Cities or Regions, extending progressively the scale of integration: from local to regional, and finally, national. In this manner, the energy generation and consumption paradigm would change drastically from a centralised system with big and off-site power plants to a decentralised system with on-site prosumers supplementing the larger plants.
Business models in PEDs
Thus, the large-scale deployment of PEDs requires the inclusion of sustainable business models that consider the whole process of building, operating and maintaining PEDs. This is a complex process that involves many stakeholders, each with their own interests and conditions. Hence, a crucial part in the development of business models for PED will be the right identification and mapping of their stakeholders’ network.
Depending on the component in which the PED is mostly based (energy efficiency, renewable energy, flexibility or e-mobility), some options of business models will be more suitable than others. For instance, a One-Stop-Shop (OSS) or Energy Performance Contracting (EPC) model will be more common in PEDs based on the energy renovation of buildings. On the other hand, a cooperative model would fit better in a PED focused on the generation of local renewable energy.
Benefits of PEDs
For all the reasons mentioned above, in terms of impact, PEDs involve a number of environmental, technical and societal benefits that can be summarised as follows:
- Reduced energy consumption and carbon emissions.
- Reduced grid congestion.
- Reduction of energy poverty and fossil fuels dependency.
- Financial savings and additional incomes for citizens from delivering energy services.
- Increase of citizens’ awareness and knowledge of the energy sector, improving their acceptance of new technologies and behaviours, while becoming active elements in the energy transition.
- Innovative governance structures that empower active energy communities and promote community engagement.
- New challenges that can help to accelerate the lifting of policy, legal and regulatory barriers in place.
InterPED: Bringing Positive Energy District Concepts to Life
The InterPED project exemplifies the practical application of PED concepts through the collaboration of various European regions. This project enhances PEDs by integrating advanced energy-efficient systems and renewable energy technologies within urban districts. Each pilot site within InterPED serves as a model for effectively implementing and optimizing these integrated energy systems.
Customized Solutions and Community Engagement
InterPED focuses on customized solutions that cater to the unique needs and conditions of each pilot site, involving local communities in the energy planning process. This ensures that the solutions developed are not only sustainable but also aligned with local preferences and requirements, which is essential for the success and acceptance of PEDs.
Advancing PEDs through InterPED Initiatives
Through its initiatives, InterPED demonstrates the feasibility and benefits of PEDs in a real-world setting, providing a roadmap for other cities and regions to follow. The project addresses the scalability and replicability of PED solutions, aiming to inspire widespread adoption across Europe and potentially globally.
As the InterPED project illustrates, Positive Energy Districts (PEDs) stand at the vanguard of urban and regional energy transformation. By championing the principles of sustainability, integration, and community involvement, PEDs offer a blueprint for future cities and regions to achieve energy self-sufficiency and significantly reduce carbon footprints. The success of such districts depends not only on technological innovation but also on the active participation of local communities and stakeholders, ensuring that the benefits of such initiatives are widely distributed and sustainable. With the InterPED project leading the way, PEDs may soon become a common feature of urban landscapes across the globe, marking a major stride toward our collective environmental goals and a resilient, energy-positive future.
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Blog signed: R2M Team
Sources:
Lindholm, Oscar & Rehman, Hassam & Reda, Francesco. (2021). Positioning Positive Energy Districts in European Cities. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings11010019.