Definitions of Positive Energy Districts: A Review of the Status Quo and Challenges

Albert-Seifried, Vicky; Murauskaitė, Lina; Massa, Gilda; Aelenei, Laura; Baer, Daniela; Gohari, Savis; Alpagut, Beril; Mutule, Anna; Pokorny, Nikola; Vandevyvere, Han

doi:10.1007/978-981-16-6269-0_41

“…In recent years, the Positive Energy District (PED) concept has emerged in which a district generates more local renewable energy than energy consumed from the outer-district boundaries while maintaining a net-zero carbon emission balance. Furthermore, the solar potential of heritage buildings can be implemented in virtual PEDs, which open the spatial frontiers of districts to allow off-site renewable generation [36][37][38][39], (Figure 1).…”

Section: Scopementioning

confidence: 99%

Potentials and Limits of Photovoltaic Systems Integration in Historic Urban Structures: The Case Study of Monument Reserve in Bratislava, Slovakia

Hubinský¹,

Hajtmanek²,

Šeligová³

et al. 2023

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In the context of the current energy crisis and climate change, the importance of discussions on how to incorporate monument protection into sustainable strategies that mitigate the human impact on the environment and implement renewable sources while preserving cultural values is raised. Through the case study of the Monument Reserve in Bratislava, Slovakia, this article presents the potentials and limits of the integration of photovoltaic systems in historic urban structures that directly affect their feasible participation in smart city and positive energy district concepts by means of energy cooperativeness. This study highlights the most current recommendations and basic principles on how to assess their visual impact and select the most appropriate solutions. Using the datafication process, it analyzes the irradiance of pitched and flat roof polygons of the set area based on their characteristics such as the normal vector azimuth and slope of the rooftops. For this purpose, a 3D morphological model in LOD3 detail and the open-source solar irradiation model r.sun implemented in GRASS GIS / QGIS were used. The data obtained provided an estimate of the output potential to endow the city’s power grid and were compared to the electricity consumption of the particular city district. Furthermore, these data are suitable for designing a customized technical and aesthetic solution for the integration of photovoltaics with respect to cultural sustainability, as well as for decision- and policy makers.

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“…The second divergence is the balance metric or key performance indicators (KPI) to be used: energy end use or flexibility KPIs [14], total or non-renewable primary energy [3,13,15] or greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions [16], or a combination of the above and others [8,14]. In the latest Annex 83 review of the International Energy Agency (IEA) however, most definitions use a primary energy indicator, with notable exceptions [17]. However still, differences in primary energy conversion can cause drastically different balance assessments [18][19][20][21].…”

Section: Of 24mentioning

confidence: 99%

A Quantitative Poisitive Energy District Definition with Contextual Targets

Schneider¹,

Zelger²,

Sengl³

et al. 2023

Preprint

1

0

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This paper presents the goals and components of a quantitative energy balance assessment framework to define PEDs flexibly in three important contexts: the context of the district's density and RES potential, the context of a district's location, induced mobility and the context of the dis-trict's future environment and its decarbonized energy demand or supply. It starts by introducing the practical goals of this definition approach: achievable, yet sufficiently ambitious to be inline with Paris 2050 for most urban and rural Austrian district typologies. It goes on to identify the main design parts of the definition: system boundaries, balancing weights and balance targets and argue how they can be linked to the definition goals in detail. In particular we specify three levels of system boundaries and argue their individual necessity: operation, including everyday mobili-ty, including embodied energy and emissions. It argues that all three pillars of PEDs, energy effi-ciency, onsite renewables and energy flexibility can be assessed with the single metric of a prima-ry energy balance when using carefully designed, time-dependent conversion factors. Finally, it is discussed how balance targets can be interpreted as information and requirements from the sur-rounding energy system, which we identify as a "context factor". Three examples of such context factors, each corresponding to the balance target of one of the previously defined system bounda-ries operation, mobility and embodied emissions are presented: Density (as a context of opera-tion), sectoral energy balances and location (as a context for mobility) and an outlook of a person-al emission budgets (as a context for embodied emissions). Finally, the proposed definition framework is applied to seven distinct district typologies in Austria and discussed in terms of its design goals.

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“…The second divergence is the balance metric or KPI to be used: energy end use or flexibility KPIs [14], total or non-renewable primary energy [3,13,15] or GHG emissions [16], or a combination of the above and others [8,14]. In the latest IEA Annex 83 review however, most definitions use a primary energy indicator, with notable exceptions [17]. However still, differences in primary energy conversion can cause drastically different balance assessments [18][19][20][21].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This can be further obfuscated by the fact that many projects do not readily achieve their positive balance without some form of "offsite subsidies", be it in the form of RES credits or outright including these resources in the PED boundary [3,9], but not necessarily clear rules how this inclusion must be performed. Temporally, most use an annual balancing period of an operation year [17].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Quantitative PED Definition with Contextual Targets

Schneider¹,

Zelger²,

Sengl³

et al. 2023

Preprint

0

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This paper presents the goals and components of a quantitative energy balance assessment framework to define PEDs flexibly in three important contexts: the context of the district's density and RES potential, the context of a district's location, induced mobility and the context of the dis-trict's future environment and its decarbonized energy demand or supply. It starts by introducing the practical goals of this definition approach: achievable, yet sufficiently ambitious to be inline with Paris 2050 for most urban and rural Austrian district typologies. It goes on to identify the main design parts of the definition: system boundaries, balancing weights and balance targets and argue how they can be linked to the definition goals in detail. In particular we specify three levels of system boundaries and argue their individual necessity: operation, including everyday mobili-ty, including embodied energy and emissions. It argues that all three pillars of PEDs, energy effi-ciency, onsite renewables and energy flexibility can be assessed with the single metric of a prima-ry energy balance when using carefully designed, time-dependent conversion factors. Finally, it is discussed how balance targets can be interpreted as information and requirements from the sur-rounding energy system, which we identify as a "context factor". Three examples of such context factors, each corresponding to the balance target of one of the previously defined system bounda-ries operation, mobility and embodied emissions are presented: Density (as a context of opera-tion), sectoral energy balances and location (as a context for mobility) and an outlook of a person-al emission budgets (as a context for embodied emissions). Finally, the proposed definition framework is applied to seven distinct district typologies in Austria and discussed in terms of its design goals.

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Definitions of Positive Energy Districts: A Review of the Status Quo and Challenges

Cited by 11 publications

References 3 publications

Potentials and Limits of Photovoltaic Systems Integration in Historic Urban Structures: The Case Study of Monument Reserve in Bratislava, Slovakia

Potentials and Limits of Photovoltaic Systems Integration in Historic Urban Structures: The Case Study of Monument Reserve in Bratislava, Slovakia

A Quantitative Poisitive Energy District Definition with Contextual Targets

A Quantitative PED Definition with Contextual Targets

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