Leveraging Positive Energy Districts Surplus for the Achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals

This study explores the role of Positive Energy Districts (PEDs) in promoting sustainable urban development. PEDs, defined as urban areas that achieve net-zero energy import and CO2 emissions while producing a surplus of renewable energy, have gained attention as a promising solution to the challenges of urban sustainability. This research presents a comprehensive methodology for assessing the impact of PEDs on key United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as energy accessibility (SDG 7), sustainable cities (SDG 11), and climate action (SDG 13). By examining a case study of a potential PED in Southern Italy, this study demonstrates that PEDs can not only produce sufficient energy to meet their electrical demands, but also support up to 30 low-income households through surplus redistribution, offering an estimated annual economic savings of EUR 1145 per household. Thus, this surplus energy redistribution highlights the practical potential of PEDs to alleviate energy poverty, enhance social equity, and foster community solidarity, thereby extending their impact beyond energy sustainability. Additionally, the correlation between self-consumption and virtual distribution is equal to 0.83, suggesting that PEDs with high self-consumption are also actively involved in virtual distribution, posing the condition for efficient energy use.