Enabling Positive Energy Districts through citizen-centered socio-technical models for upscaling of the heat transition

The EmPowerED consortium addresses a pressing societal challenge: how to accelerate and scale up the development of Positive Energy Districts (PEDs) - urban areas that produce more renewable energy than they consume. Carbon-neutral heating and cooling is a core aspect of PEDs. However, many heating transition projects in the Netherlands face delays and are not aligned with this vision, slowing progress toward climate goals.

This challenge is not only technical but also deeply social. For sustainable solutions to succeed, citizens must be actively involved in the decision-making process. Solutions need to be acceptable, affordable, and suited to the local context. EmPowerED brings together municipalities, citizens, housing associations, grid operators, and technology providers to jointly design and implement these solutions.

To support this complex process, EmPowerED develops and applies a systems-design toolbox. This toolbox helps decision-makers navigate the interactions between social, spatial, legal, financial, and technical factors in local energy systems. It enables stakeholders to co-create heating solutions that are both technically sound and socially supported, helping municipalities overcome uncertainties and complexity.

Early experiences in Dutch pilot projects have shown that citizen-led initiatives often progress more smoothly than top-down approaches, and that location-specific, incremental strategies are more successful. However, widespread adoption of technologies such as heat pumps also creates challenges, such as local grid congestion. Coordinated, systemic planning is therefore essential.

Through real-life experimentation, capacity building, and the formation of a Community of Practice, EmPowerED helps local actors apply the toolbox in practice and scale up effective solutions. The goal is to enable inclusive, integrated, and future-proof energy systems that support the transition to sustainable and resilient Dutch cities and communities.