Integrated neighborhood energy concepts

How do you make a neighborhood sustainable for the future while meeting the various requirements in terms of climate protection, demographic development, and social compatibility? This article explains why an integrated neighborhood energy concept is the right answer when it comes to achieving a sustainable future for neighborhoods and cities and what funding opportunities exist for municipalities and cities to help them on their way.

Germany wants to become climate-neutral by 2045. In order to achieve this goal, a large proportion of the country’s building stock will require renovation in the coming years, as this harbors the greatest energy savings potential. In view of the upcoming energy transition, what is needed are intelligent solutions to ensure an efficient and sustainable energy supply for buildings while simultaneously reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This is where the neighborhood energy concept comes into play, which raises the analysis of the renovation potential of buildings to the neighborhood level. This approach yields greater synergy effects for buildings and infrastructures than isolated individual measures.

The integrated neighborhood energy concept views neighborhoods from a holistic point of view. The special thing about such a concept is that it not only takes the necessary energy modernization measures into consideration, but also incorporates development strategies from the areas of urban planning, infrastructure, climate-neutral mobility services, and green and open space planning. The solutions developed are tailor-made and adapted to the specific requirements of the municipality in question. However, a concept is only as good as the later likelihood of its implementation. Projects often fail due to resistance from those affected by them. To ensure that nothing stands in the way of the positive change of image and modernization of a neighborhood, all stakeholders, residents, owners, and public utilities are consulted at an early stage and involved in the different processes. This raises the level of acceptance for the measures developed and makes the neighborhood fit for the future!

Planning a sustainable neighborhood is a complex task. In energielenker, cities and municipalities have a project partner at their side that has already created more than 60 neighborhood concepts and has many years of project and implementation experience. Our neighborhood concepts include the following:

• Analysis of the initial urban development and energy situation
• Potential analysis: Urban development structure, traffic planning, energy supply structures, renovation potential
• Creation of an action concept, schedule, costs and financial expenditure
• Development of an implementation strategy and analysis of possible obstacles to implementation
• Public relations and involvement of local stakeholders
• Support with the funding application