Combining Sufficiency, Efficiency and Flexibility to Achieve Positive Energy Districts Targets

Silvia Erba and Lorenzo Pagliano
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Silvia Erba: eERG, End-Use Efficiency Research Group, Politecnico di Milano, 20133 Milano, Italy
Lorenzo Pagliano: eERG, End-Use Efficiency Research Group, Politecnico di Milano, 20133 Milano, Italy

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 15, 1-32

Abstract: Energy efficiency, generation from renewable sources and more recently energy flexibility are key elements of present sustainability policies. However, we are beginning to see a recognition of the need to couple technological solutions with lifestyle and behavioral changes, sometimes labeled under the term “sufficiency”. Appropriate policies and design principles are necessary to enable sufficiency options, which in turn reveal that there is a bidirectional influence between the building and the district/city level. In this context, the authors discuss how city and building re-design should be implemented combining energy efficiency, flexibility, production from renewables and sufficiency options for achieving a positive energy balance at the district level even within the constraints of dense cities. Based on a review of recent advances, the paper provides a matrix of interactions between building and district design for use by building designers and city planners. It also compares possible scenarios implementing different strategies at the building and urban level in a case study, in order to evaluate the effect of the proposed integrated approach on the energy balance at yearly and seasonal time scales and on land take.

Keywords: energy sufficiency; deep energy retrofit; energy flexibility; energy efficiency; building thermal mass; positive energy district; yearly energy balance; seasonal energy balance (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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