Energy Positive Neighborhoods and Smart Energy Districts: Methods, Tools, and Experiences from the Field is a comprehensive guide to this highly interdisciplinary topic. Monti et. al's combined experience make them the most qualified team of editors to explore the processes and tools involved in creating Energy Positive Neighborhoods and Smart Energy Districts in an urban setting. Tools include: - A complete simulation library to quickly support the implementation of a model of the scenario - A set of possible approaches to neighborhood energy optimization - An open, extensible information model for neighbourhood asset description The structure of this book offers different reading paths to appeal to the very varied audience it addresses. It describes the process of adaption and the challenges faced by the decision makers, and also how simulation, optimisation, ICT approaches and business models are combined in a holistic and pragmatic way. It also offers possible business models and a means to quantify them to complete the development process. This book is suitable for students on muti-disciplinary energy engineering courses, energy practitioners, ICT vendors aiming to develop new services to target the building industry, and decision makers aiming to structure an urban renovation program. - Delivers a significant amount of exclusive knowledge on the topics of energy positive neighborhoods and smart energy districts - Allows readers to grasp the complexity of this interdisciplinary topic by providing access to well-structured processes and tools - Includes real life examples of the transformation of two demonstration sites that illustrate the concepts discussed to add context and value to their implementation

Chapter “A Multi-functional Design Approach to Deal with New Urban Challenges” is available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.

"Net zero energy buildings, equilibrium buildings or carbon neutral cities – depending on location and the reasons for making the calculation, the numbers are run differently. The variety of terms in use indicates that a scientific method is still lacking – which is a problem not just in regard to international communication, but also with respect to planning processes as a response to energy challenges. The clarification and meaning of the most important terms in use is extremely important for their implementation. Since October 2008, a panel of experts from an international energy agency has concerned itself with these topics as part of a project entitled “Towards Net Zero Energy Solar Buildings”. The objective is to analyse exemplary buildings that are near a zero-energy balance in order to develop methods and tools for the planning, design and operation of such buildings. The results are documented in this publication: In addition to the presentation of selected projects, it is not just architectural showcase projects that are shown – the focus is on relaying knowledge and experience gained by planners and builders. Even if many questions remain unanswered: Project examples that have already been implemented prove on a practical basis that the objective of a zero energy balance is already possible today."

This outlook highlights climate-safe investment options until 2050, policies for transition and specific regional challenges. It also explores options to eventually cut emissions to zero.

This book analyses the technical and social systems that satisfy these needs and asks how methods can be put into practice to achieve this.

This important book addresses how long term and large scale shifts from one socio-technical system to another come about, using insights from evolutionary economics, sociology of technology and innovation studies. These major changes involve not just technological changes, but also changes in markets, regulation, culture, industrial networks and infrastructure. The book develops a multi-level perspective, arguing that transitions take place through the alignment of multiple processes at three levels: niche, regime and landscape. This perspective is illustrated by detailed historical case studies: the transition from sailing ships to steamships, the transition from horse-and-carriage to automobiles and the transition from propeller-piston engine aircraft to turbojets. This book will be of great interest to researchers in innovation studies, evolutionary economics, sociology of technology and environmental studies. It will also be useful for policy makers involved in long-term sustainability and systems transitions issues.