Positive Energy Districts (PEDs) are the pinnacle of community-driven urban energy transition. They improve energy efficiency, integrate local renewables and excess heat more effectively, and enable interaction with the energy and non-energy sectors like mobility, ICT, and industry.

A common misconception is that PEDs are a means to an end. After all, an urban energy transition is constantly evolving. This is due to continual environmental changes: evolving social context, new urban development, adapted legislation, novel technologies, increased electric vehicles and thus storage capacity, more dynamic energy markets, and carbon intensity of electricity and energy prices. As such, there is a strong analogy with the theory of evolution.

In this context, PEDvolution paves the way for cross-sectoral integration of ever-evolving PEDs. For three years (consisting of three consecutive phases: analyse, co-develop and demonstrate), European pioneers in PED conceptualisation, implementation and tool development, will materialise this through the co-development and implementation of seven interoperable solutions accommodating the constant evolution of PEDs:

1) PED design and planning toolset

2) PED readiness assessment

3) Dynamic decision support guidelines for PED development

4) PED energy manager

5) Data exchange, integration and interoperability platform

6) PED business models

7) Social innovation tool

The solutions will be tested and validated in at least six real-life PEDs across Europe, paving the way for replication, upscaling and mainstreaming.

Three of them have already been defined:

1) Schönbrunn village, Wunsiedel, Germany 

2) Residential neighbourhood Planina, Kranj, Slovenia 

3) Gemeinschaft Hard, Winterthur, Switzerland

PEDvolution partners:

• Inlecom Innovation Astiki Mi Kerdoskopiki Etaireia
• Vlaamse Instelling voor Technologisch Onderzoek N.V.
• Smart Innovation Norway AS
• NTNU: Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet
• Sympraxis Team P.C.
• Offset Energy
• WWW Wunsiedel GmbH
• ES-GEHT!-ENERGIESYSTEME GMBH
• TU Wien: Technische Universität Wien
• Intracom SA Telecom Solutions
• ELEKTRO GORENJSKA PODJETJE ZA DISTRIBUCIJO ELEKTRICNE ENERGIJE DD
• GORENJSKE ELEKTRARNE PROIZVODNJA ELEKTRIKE DOO
• ZukunftsEnergie Nordostbayern GmbH
• Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschafte
• Stadt Winterthur

Start date: January 2024 - End date: December 2026

For more information visit the project’s official website and follow us on LinkedIn, X (Twitter) and Bluesky.