Co-Creation of Positive Energy Blocks

Abstract

A main challenge in building carbon-neutral built environments is the ability to scale and replicate solutions. We examine how to develop low-carbon neighbourhoods and districts, while aiming at climate-friendly and sustainable livable urban environments. We take a view that not only scales up individual building solutions, but embraces the added complexities arising from the scale change and utilizes them for a novel approach. It includes a strong focus on co-creation and open innovation to develop sustainable solutions. In this contribution, we present the approach of the +CityxChange project in implementing Positive Energy Blocks (PEB) through a European H2020 project from the topic of Smart Cities and Communities. A PEB comprises several connected buildings that have a averaged yearly positive energy balance between them. This definition excludes embodied emissions, but allows to focus on the infrastructure and systems between buildings as part of the built environment, and ways to implement and incorporate them within existing cities. The +CityxChange approach relies on co-creating Europe-wide deployment of Positive Energy Districts, with Integrated Planning and Design, Creation of a Common Energy Market, and CommunityxChange with all stakeholders of the city.

The Governance Approach of Smart City Initiatives. Evidence from Trondheim, Bergen, and Bodø

“…It is also a partner in the +CityxChange smart city project, funded by the EU Horizon 2020 research and innovation program in the topic 'Smart Cities and Communities'. The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) is coordinating the project with the lighthouse cities of Trondheim and Limerick, five follower cities in Europe, and 24 other private and public partners [35]. The main goal of this project is to co-create positive energy blocks and districts (PEB/PED) through integrated planning, common energy markets, citizen participation, regulatory sandboxes, and business models.…”

“…While many scholars advocate using smart governance to overcome many challenges of our modern society, the question of which governance model or process is best (if any) is a question that remains under lively debate in both research and empirical practice. Building on earlier work [20,[32][33][34][35][36] and aiming at understanding governance in different contexts, this paper empirically and conceptually investigates the governance in smart city initiatives. This article scrutinizes the effectiveness or usefulness of governance perspective in complex context of the smart city but developing and proposing an effective governance model is beyond the scope of our study.…”

The Next Generation of Smart Citizens: Experiences and Inspiration from the +Cityxchange Project

“…PEDs have the advantage of addressing multiple building performance improvement strategies promoted on the European level, such as deep refurbishment and smart building upgrades in existing buildings and new building zero energy requirements. In addition to the technical benefits of PEDs, co-creation is seen as a promising strategy for stakeholder and citizen engagement in order to increase the prospects for widespread PED upscaling and replication (Ahlers et al, 2019), towards meeting Europe's target of 100 PEDs by 2025 (JPI Urban Europe, 2018).…”

“…An aim of the European Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme has been to transform the building stock to carbon neutrality and even create net positive producers of clean and renewable energy (EC, 2019b). A main challenge for the carbon-neutral built environment lies in the ability to scale and replicate solutions (Ahlers et al, 2019). Here, the human element needs serious attention to ensure the uptake of innovations.…”

Challenges of Sustainable Urban Mobility Integration

“…+Cityx-Change is an EU H2020 SCC1 Lighthouse Project in the Smart Cities and Communities scheme. It develops the technological, social, regulatory, and financial foundations for the Green Energy Transition; with a focus on Positive Energy Blocks (PEBs) [2].…”