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This study presents an experiential process and a market-oriented approach for realizing cities’ energy transition through smart solutions. The aim of this study is twofold: (a) present a process for defining a repository of innovative solutions that can be applied at building, district, or city level, for two European Union cities, Evora and Alkmaar, and support the deployment of positive energy districts enabling a sustainable energy transition, and (b) understand in a systematic way the attributes of value offered by energy-related smart city solutions, in order to facilitate the development of sustainable value propositions that can successfully address city needs. The repository is assessed against four elements of value, which include social impact, life-changing, emotional, and functional attributes, according to the value pyramid of Maslow. Results show that the value attributes of quality, motivation, integration, cost reduction, information, and organization are highly relevant to the proposed smart solutions. The results presented in this study are useful for city planners, decision-makers, public bodies, citizens, and businesses interested in designing their energy transition strategy and defining novel technologies that promote urban energy sustainability.

Building retrofitting is seen as an efficient method for improving a building’s energy performance. On the other hand, when historical buildings are considered for this procedure, retrofitting gets more complicated. As historical buildings typically consist of low-performance building and energy systems, energy retrofits can be highly beneficial. However, not every retrofit technology can be installed in a historical building. In this paper, the study carried out for the implementation of Building-Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) solutions in the Historic Centre of Évora is provided, within the framework of the European project POCITYF (Project H2020). The study took into consideration all the observations of the Regional Directorate of Culture of Évora and the administration of the involved schools (including the Association of Parents), the needs of the Municipality of Évora, and the capabilities of technology developers ONYX and Tegola. The proposed solutions aim at fulfilling all the guidelines for preserving the historic centre and achieving the positivity metrics agreed with the European Commission on the challenging and indispensable path to the decarbonisation of European cities.