Advancing the Urban Energy Transition: Opportunities, Barriers and Challenges of Positive Energy Districts and Community-Based Energy Systems Towards Carbon Neutrality

Dear Colleagues,

According to the data published in May 2024 by the International Energy Agency, cities contribute to approximately 75% and 70% of global energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, respectively. Tackling climate change and implementing the Net Zero Scenario by 2050 require the pivotal role that cities play in the energy transition to be recognized and the scope of building-oriented strategies to be expanded at a greater scale. This framework requires research that supports the shift towards a new energy paradigm grounded in decentralized, renewable, and highly efficient energy systems involving clusters of buildings and communities.

Positive Energy Districts (PEDs) have recently emerged as essential enablers of energy autonomy, carbon neutrality, and sustainability in cities. Leveraging interactions among buildings through energy sharing may enable the development of efficient multi-vector energy systems that optimally integrate renewable energy production, storage, and conversion technologies. In addition, community-oriented initiatives may enhance the engagement of local stakeholders in energy and urban planning, facilitating the attainment of energy and climate goals. Nevertheless, the practical implementation of PEDs requires various challenges related to the technological readiness of proposed configurations, urban planning and governance to be addressed, in addition to the availability of methods for energy, environmental, and economic analysis. Therefore, research and advancements in PEDs require the synergistic integration of engineering, environmental, urban and social sciences.

This Special Issue aims to present and disseminate innovative research regarding the design, development, operation, control and assessment of PEDs. More generally, it aims to provide an overview of district-based energy systems, including renewable energy communities.

The scope of this Special Issue includes, but is not limited to, the following topics:

• Renewable energy generation and storage in decentralized energy systems.
• Novel metrics and methods for energy and the environmental impact assessment of districts and communities in climate-neutral cities.
• The advanced modelling and simulation of multi-vector energy systems.
• The modelling, control, and optimization of smart energy networks.
• Energy efficiency in the built environment.
• Heat pumps and renewable-based energy conversion systems for the decarbonization of heating and cooling sectors.
• Life-cycle analysis and circular economy principles applied to district-based energy systems.
• Energy planning and democratization.
• Sector coupling, demand-side management and energy flexibility programs for sustainable urban scenarios.
• Policies, business models and economic support schemes for renewable energy sharing.
• Social aspects related to public acceptance, local stakeholders' engagement, and energy poverty mitigation in districts and communities.
• The integration of renewable energy sources and electric vehicle charging infrastructure for sustainable mobility in cities.
• Best practices and the lessons learnt from real applications and case studies.

Dr. Carlo Roselli
Dr. Giovanna Pallotta
Dr. Rosaria Volpe
Guest Editors

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• positive energy districts
• renewable energy communities
• district energy systems
• renewable energy
• energy efficiency
• energy transition
• carbon neutrality
• energy democracy