Recommendations for a positive energy district framework – Application and evaluation of different energetic assessment methodologies

Positive Energy Districts are seen as a stepstone towards climate-neutrality for European cities. The concept aims to make districts an active contributor to urban energy systems. However, the definition of PEDs is relatively loose and there is currently a lack of a common European assessment methodology, which makes it difficult to evaluate PED in practice. This research evaluates the energetic assessment methodologies developed in three PED-relevant projects in Europe – namely MAKING CITY, Zukunftsquartier Wien, and Zero Emission Neighbourhood – in order to derive recommendations for a common PED assessment framework. For this purpose, the three methodologies have been applied to case study districts in Germany. Subsequently, the application of the methodologies has been analysed based on their general practicality as well as their fulfilment of the PED objectives. The findings suggest that a positive energy balance might not be considered as a prerequisite of PEDs as this strict requirement sets a high entry barrier for districts that lack the intrinsic factors for surplus renewable energy production. For PED as an inclusive framework, the focus should be on delivering positive impacts for the districts and the wider energy systems; whilst the positive energy balance can be seen as a complementary rather than a mandatory condition.