Research database

Transition to Positive Energy Districts (PEDs) needs acceleration to achieve the EU goals. Educational institutions with sizeable built assets in cities should become the driver, knowledge hub, and role model for PED transitions. Therefore, the EDUPED project adopts an urban research-oriented approach to transform educational campuses and surrounding areas into PEDs, and to leverage on the involvement of students and stakeholders for wider PED transformation driven by public buildings. EDUPED aims to co-create strategies of Urban Regeneration and Refurbishment for 5 districts in the Netherlands, Spain, Austria, Italy, and Romania. Its tangible results are technical solutions, socio-economic frameworks, governance and regulatory considerations for: a) minimizing energy consumption through deep retrofitting, b) maximizing local RES potentials and flexibility through smart multi-commodity grids, and c) mitigating climate-change effects on higher cooling/heating demand. EDUPED builds on the ongoing campus refurbishment, urban regeneration, and revitalisation of historic urban structures aligned with regional and national programmes as well as the EU Mission 100CNSC and Renovation Wave. The consortium consists of universities, enterprises and NGO that cover all required competencies in urban morphology, energy systems, digitalisation, and social sciences. EDUPED's impact is ensured by the engagement of stakeholders, especially municipalities as key actors and investors.