Towards an integrated positive energy district landscape: technical and financial analysis for a case study in Hoogkerk, Northern Netherlands

Abstract Background This research study applied the 'Integrated Energy Landscape Approach and the Ecosystem Services Framework' to formulate a pre-proposal for a Positive Energy District in the Hoogkerk Zuid neighborhood in Groningen, the Netherlands. Results The proposed energy saving and energy generation interventions are sufficient to cover the energy usage of the district, while an energy surplus is generated. The pre-proposal has been developed within a participatory process, organized by the authors in close collaboration with key local stakeholders. The identification of local ecosystem services served as a crucial starting point for this study, while it also served for the basis for analysing the subsequent trade-offs and synergies derived from the proposed energy transition interventions. Then, a sustainable business case model was developed based on this Positive Energy District pre-proposal. The main outcome of the model lies in the value creation through cost savings from not using traditional energy sources and selling electricity to the grid. In addition, the economic value of the preserved ecosystem services and of the synergies generated by the pre-proposal are also included in the model. Conclusions Beyond the local case, the results lay the groundwork for more systematic studies on merging the methodologies of Positive Energy District development, the Ecosystem Framework and the Integrated Energy Landscape approach. Finally, by adding the benefits of ecosystem services and synergies as a significant contributor in the financial analysis and decision-making process, this study opens the door to a new approach to the evaluation of sustainable projects.