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Designs
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Design and Applications of Positive Energy Districts
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Design and Applications of Positive Energy Districts

A special issue of Designs (ISSN 2411-9660). This special issue belongs to the section "Energy System Design".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2025 | Viewed by 11605

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Tony Castillo-Calzadilla

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Industrial Engineering, School of Engineering and Technology, University of La Laguna, Camino San Francisco de Paula s/n, P.O. Box 456, 38200 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
Interests: positive energy districts; renewable energy building integration; photovoltaic systems; geothermal energy; heat pumps; low-voltage DC distribution; physical modelling; power electronics; microgrids; distributed generation; machine learning; artificial intelligence
Dr. Carlos Quesada Granja

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Deusto Institute of Technology, Faculty of Engineering, University of Deusto, Av. Universidades, 24, 48007 Bilbao, Spain
Interests: data science; machine learning; artificial intelligence; mathematical modelling; research and development

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Cities are the primary concern of world leaders because they are the biggest contributors to climate change. According to United Nation Habitat, cities nowadays represent 78% of the global energy consumption and are responsible for 60% of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This situation is unlikely to change in the future as cities will comprise around 70% of the world’s population by 2050. This is a challenging situation for world leaders, decision-makers and also for the energy providers. Energy is being the key aspect to transform cities into greener and more livable places to preserve not only the comfort of these large settlements but also a healthy environment. Leaders are in a way forced to pay even more attention to green energies in order to provide the resources that citizens need to live in a comfortable and safe manner. It is very important, at the same time, to reduce the carbon footprint of the cities because of the aforementioned ambition.

European Union has created its own roadmap. This challenging strategy is called Green Deal, and has unveiled the concept of Positive Energy District (PED). PEDs are gaining significant attention. PEDs consist of several connected buildings (either new, retrofitted or even a combination of both) that actively manage the energy flows through the integration of renewable energy systems (RES), the deployment of smart grids, the facilitation of flexibility strategies, etc. PEDs rely on the implementation of bio-based materials, local renewable energy sources, local (on-site, virtual) storage, distributed microgrids, demand-response strategies, cutting-edge energy management for electricity and/or thermal energy, citizen interaction through ICT tools, and prosumption as new energy business models within the boundaries of the PED.

The main objective of this special issue is to look for new solutions to successfully reach 2050 having a green economy that fully meets the Sustainable Development Goals to keep the temperature increase below 2 ⁰C. We truly believe that Positive Energy Districts are the cornerstone of this energy transition era, since cities, urban areas and highly populated metropolises are the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions worldwide and it is possible to turn them into self-sustainable and greener places.

Dr. Tony Castillo-Calzadilla
Dr. Carlos Quesada Granja
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Designs is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Positive Energy Districts (PEDs)
  • PED design
  • IA application to PED design
  • PED standardization
  • PED methodologies
  • PED planning
  • PED modeling
  • PED simulation
  • PED deployment
  • PED replication
  • Zero energy districts
  • Sustainable urbanization

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

26 pages, 2509 KiB  
Article
The Benefits of Positive Energy Districts: Introducing Additionality Assessment in Évora, Amsterdam and Espoo
by Aristotelis Ntafalias, Panagiotis Papadopoulos, Mark van Wees, Danijela Šijačić, Omar Shafqat, Mari Hukkalainen, Julia Kantorovitch and Magui Lage
Designs 2024, 8(5), 94; https://doi.org/10.3390/designs8050094 - 17 Sep 2024
Viewed by 856
Abstract
Positive Energy Districts (PEDs) are a promising approach to urban energy transformation, aiming to optimize local energy systems and deliver environmental, social and economic benefits. However, their effectiveness and justification for investment rely on understanding the additional value they provide (additionality) in comparison [...] Read more.
Positive Energy Districts (PEDs) are a promising approach to urban energy transformation, aiming to optimize local energy systems and deliver environmental, social and economic benefits. However, their effectiveness and justification for investment rely on understanding the additional value they provide (additionality) in comparison to current policies and planning methods. The additionality perspective is not used yet in current evaluations of PED demonstrations and pilots. Therefore, this paper introduces the concept of additionality in the evaluation of PEDs, focusing on the additional benefits they bring and the circumstances under which they are most effective. We discuss the additionality of PEDs in addressing the challenges of climate neutrality and energy system transformation in three European cities that are funded by the European Commission’s H2020 Programme. It should be noted that given the ongoing status of these projects, the assessment is mainly based on preliminary results, as monitoring is still ongoing and quantitative results are not yet available. The paper discusses the drivers and barriers specific to PEDs, and highlights the challenges posed by technical complexities, financing aspects and social and legal restrictions. Conclusions are drawn regarding the concept of additionality and its implications for the wider development of PEDs as a response to the challenges of climate neutrality and energy system transformation in cities. We conclude that the additionality perspective provides valuable insights into the impact and potential of PEDs for societal goals and recommend this approach for use in the final evaluation of R&I projects involving PEDs using actual monitored data on PEDs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Applications of Positive Energy Districts)
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24 pages, 5783 KiB  
Article
Mapping the Potential of Zero-Energy Building in Greece Using Roof Photovoltaics
by Angeliki Kitsopoulou, Dimitris Pallantzas, Evangelos Bellos and Christos Tzivanidis
Designs 2024, 8(4), 68; https://doi.org/10.3390/designs8040068 - 4 Jul 2024
Viewed by 828
Abstract
The present study investigates the incorporation of renewable rooftop photovoltaic systems in fully electrified residential buildings and estimates the zero-energy demand building potential in relation to the climatic data of Greece. Specifically, the aim of the analysis is to calculate the maximum possible [...] Read more.
The present study investigates the incorporation of renewable rooftop photovoltaic systems in fully electrified residential buildings and estimates the zero-energy demand building potential in relation to the climatic data of Greece. Specifically, the aim of the analysis is to calculate the maximum possible number of stories and therefore the total building height for a complete transformation to zero-net-energy building. The energy analysis, which is conducted using the DesignBuilder software, focuses on single-floor up to seven-story buildings. The importance of the present work lies in the acknowledgment of the diversity of the Greek residential sector, the adherence to national energy policies, and the European goal of fully electrified buildings. The examined case studies are equipped with electrically driven air-to-air heat pumps serving the space heating and cooling demands and with an air-to-water heat pump covering the domestic hot water requirements. The investigated locations are the four main cities of Greece, Athens, Thessaloniki, Chania, and Kastoria, which represent the country’s four climatic categories. The conducted analysis allows for the mapping of the zero-energy building potential for the climatic data of Greece, demonstrating the possibility of striking a positive building energy balance through the integration of on-site renewable energy sources and the production of necessary electrical energy. The novelty of the present work lies in the identification of a key factor, namely, the building height, which determines the feasibility of transforming multifamily buildings into zero-energy buildings. According to the analysis results, the critical number of stories is calculated at six for Chania, five for Athens, four for Thessaloniki, and two for Kastoria. Regarding a three-story residential building, the incorporation of a renewable photovoltaic system can result in an annual surplus electricity production of 13,741 kWh (Chania), 10,424 kWh (Athens), and 6931 kWh (Thessaloniki), and a corresponding coverage of 100% (Chania), 69.0% (Athens), 38.9% (Thessaloniki) and 0% (Kastoria). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Applications of Positive Energy Districts)
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36 pages, 4610 KiB  
Article
Techno-Economic Feasibility Study of a 1.5 MW Grid-Connected Solar Power Plant in Bangladesh
by Md. Feroz Ali, Nitai Kumar Sarker, Md. Alamgir Hossain, Md. Shafiul Alam, Ashraf Hossain Sanvi and Syed Ibn Syam Sifat
Designs 2023, 7(6), 140; https://doi.org/10.3390/designs7060140 - 7 Dec 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 4301
Abstract
This study addresses the pressing energy constraints in nations like Bangladesh by proposing the implementation of photovoltaic (PV) microgrids. Given concerns about environmental degradation, limited fossil fuel reserves, and volatile product costs, renewable energy sources are gaining momentum globally. Our research focuses on [...] Read more.
This study addresses the pressing energy constraints in nations like Bangladesh by proposing the implementation of photovoltaic (PV) microgrids. Given concerns about environmental degradation, limited fossil fuel reserves, and volatile product costs, renewable energy sources are gaining momentum globally. Our research focuses on a grid-connected solar PV system model at Char Jazira, Lalpur, Natore, Rajshahi, Bangladesh. Through PVsyst 7.1 simulation software, we assess the performance ratio (PR) and system losses, revealing an annual solar energy potential of 3375 MWh at standard test condition (STC) efficiency. After considering losses, the system generates 2815.2 MWh annually, with 2774 MWh exported to the grid. We analyze an average PR of 78.63% and calculate a levelized cost of energy (LCOE) of 2.82 BDT/kWh [1 USD = 110 BDT]. The financial assessment indicates a cost-effective LCOE for the grid-connected PV system, with an annual gross income of 27,744 kBDT from selling energy to the grid and operating costs of 64,060.60 BDT/year. Remarkably, this initiative can prevent 37,647.82 tCO2 emissions over the project’s 25-year lifespan. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Applications of Positive Energy Districts)
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17 pages, 4951 KiB  
Article
Toward Positive Energy Districts by Urban–Industrial Energy Exchange
by Erfan Shafiee Roudbari, Ramanunni Parakkal Menon, Ivan Kantor and Ursula Eicker
Designs 2023, 7(3), 73; https://doi.org/10.3390/designs7030073 - 29 May 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2044
Abstract
The concept of Positive Energy Districts (PEDs) has emerged as a promising approach to achieving sustainable urban development. PEDs aim to balance the energy demand and supply within a district while reducing the carbon footprint and promoting renewable energy sources. Urban–Industrial Symbiosis (UIS) [...] Read more.
The concept of Positive Energy Districts (PEDs) has emerged as a promising approach to achieving sustainable urban development. PEDs aim to balance the energy demand and supply within a district while reducing the carbon footprint and promoting renewable energy sources. Urban–Industrial Symbiosis (UIS) is another approach that involves the exchange of energy and resources between industrial processes and nearby urban areas to increase efficiency and reduce waste. Combining the concepts of PED and UIS can create self-sufficient, sustainable, and resilient districts. As the analysis and implementation of such systems are barely studied in North America, this research study was structured to fill the gap by evaluating the financial and environmental advantages of this combination. This study proposes a methodology to design a heat transmission system; then, it is applied to the case of a paper-making factory and a multifunctional heritage building in Montreal, Canada. The results show that the building’s new heating system can generate sufficient heat while emitting near-zero direct emissions. Overall, this paper argues that combining the concepts of PED and UIS can lead to a more sustainable and resilient urban area, and provides a roadmap for achieving this goal. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Applications of Positive Energy Districts)
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16 pages, 3455 KiB  
Article
Implementing Optimal Operation of Multi-Energy Districts with Thermal Demand Response
by Martina Capone and Elisa Guelpa
Designs 2023, 7(1), 11; https://doi.org/10.3390/designs7010011 - 10 Jan 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1783
Abstract
The combination of different energy vectors in the context of multi-energy systems is a crucial opportunity to reach CO2 reduction goals. In the case of urban areas, multi-energy districts can be connected with district heating networks to efficiently supply heat to the [...] Read more.
The combination of different energy vectors in the context of multi-energy systems is a crucial opportunity to reach CO2 reduction goals. In the case of urban areas, multi-energy districts can be connected with district heating networks to efficiently supply heat to the buildings. In this framework, the inclusion of the thermal demand response allows for significantly improve the performance of multi-energy districts by smartly modifying the heat loads. Operation optimization of such systems provides excellent results but requires significant computational efforts. In this work, a novel approach is proposed for the fast optimization of multi-energy district operations, enabling real-time demand response strategies. A 3-step optimization method based on mixed integer linear programming is proposed aimed at minimizing the cost operation of multi-energy districts. The approach is applied to a test case characterized by strongly unsteady heat/electricity and cooling demands. Results show that (a) the total operation cost of a multi-energy district can be reduced by order of 3% with respect to optimized operation without demand side management; (b) with respect to a full optimization approach, the computational cost decreases from 45 min to 1 s, while the accuracy reduces from 3.6% to 3.0%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Applications of Positive Energy Districts)
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