Advancing Sustainable Plus Energy Neighbourhoods in Europe: Drivers, barriers & policy recommendations

Sustainable Plus Energy Neighbourhoods (SPENs) have strong potential to decarbonising the building stock, while providing additional benefits for residents both at the building and neighbourhood level, enhancing wellbeing and a sense of community. SPENs can provide a range of shared spaces, services and facilities, such as shared heat pumps, PV panels, EV charging, EVs, bicycles, and common spaces with greenery, water and biodiversity. A neighbourhood approach provides additional benefits to demand-side flexibility (DSF) compared to single apartments or buildings.

Victoria Taranu, BPIE, will give an overview of existing gaps and barriers in the development and market uptake of SPENs, and share policy recommendations for Austria, the Netherlands, Spain and Norway, based on recent policy factsheets produced within the H2020 syn.ikia project.

The webinar will also dive into the progress of the 4 countries in implementing provisions of main EU Directives (Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, the Renewable Energy Directive, and Electricity Market Design). Looking into the transposition of the EU Directives and latest developments, key policies will be highlighted: provisions regarding energy efficiency, collective production, sharing and selling of renewable energy such as energy communities as well as policies promoting digital technologies and demand-side flexibility.