Zero-energy neighborhoods, such as the BedZED development in the United Kingdom, and those that are spreading rapidly in California and China, may use distributed generation schemes. This may in some cases include district heating, community chilled water, shared wind turbines, etc.
This study investigates the integration of building-integrated photovoltaics and energy-sharing mechanisms to achieve net-zero energy communities in low-income urban neighborhoods.
Like net-zero buildings, net-zero energy neighborhoods offset their total annual energy consumption with onsite energy production.Net-zero energy neighborhoods require a lot of intentional, inclusive, and innovative planning and education but the long-term payoff can be huge.
Such details provide a deeper understanding and appreciation for Net Zero Energy Neighborhoods.
This study proposes a modular and scalable framework for evaluating energy performance at the neighborhood scale, supporting the design of net-zero and energy-positive urban districts.
Net-zero energy districts can provide meaningful amounts of grid services. For example, Pea Station NEXT, outside of Denver, Colorado, is a new 400-acre smart development powered by a solar microgrid in conjunction with a one megawatt/ two MWh lithium-ion battery system.
The keywords "zero energy neighborhoods" and "net-zero energy neighborhoods" were selected based on their frequent usage in the literature and their alignment with the study's focus.
District; NZEN, Net Zero Energy Neighbourhood; nZEN, Nearly Zero Energy Neighbourhood; PEB, Positive Energy Block; PED, Positive Energy District; pED, Plus Energy District; POSE, Project organisation and stakeholder engagement; PV, Photovoltaics; Rev, Review; SA, Social...
