A new CEN Workshop is being planned which will complement the activities of the transnational 'Citizens4PED' project. This project takes a holistic approach towards the creation and implementation of Positive Energy Districts and attempts to align different aspects of energy and climate strategies in an urban context.
Urban Europe has described PEDs as 'energy-efficient and energy-flexible urban areas or groups of connected buildings which produce net zero greenhouse gas emissions and actively manage an annual local or regional surplus production of renewable energy'. The goal is creating a good, and clean-energy life for all - something which is truly needed in our increasingly dense urban areas.
Importantly, PEDs are not just seen in terms of technology and economics. Rather, the Citizens4PED project has focussed on renewable energy communities as a key enabling mechanism. This means that public participation and future users have been a core component in the thinking behind how we can create better energy and living together scenarios. The multidisciplinary approach of the consortium has contributed to PEDs in four neighbourhoods in Belgium, Austria and Italy. These 'living labs' provide real data for how we might better imagine and meet our energy production and demand.
This CEN Workshop aims to address recurring challenges in the planning and implementation of PEDs, particularly in cities facing institutional fragmentation, limited technical capacity, or socio-spatial inequalities. These challenges were identified through participatory and analytical work packages within the project, including cross-case comparison, modelling tools, and a multi-stakeholder questionnaire.
The CWA will offer a technical guidance document in the form of a guideline with recommendations, providing adaptable instruments to support local decision-makers, planners, and practitioners. It will support flexible implementation, without being prescriptive, imposing performance thresholds or proposing requirements
The CWA does not intend to define minimum energy standards, establish regulatory constraints, or prescribe a fixed PED model. Instead, it provides a basis for informed, context-aware decisions and may serve as a reference for future standardization activities.
The kick-off meeting for the Workshop is planned to take place remotely via Zoom on 27th October 2025 from 9.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. (CEST).
To attend, please use the following details: https://uni8622.zoom.us/j/94024942847?pwd=MUCDbE7JuetWSJl9NS14feeML2OrwX.1
ID meeting: 940 2494 2847
Passcode: 880131
All interested parties are invited to submit comments on the draft Project Plan using the commenting form below, to the Workshop Secretary Mario Gallo (mario.gallo@uni.com) by 20th October 2025.
Download the documents:
