Data Spaces for Positive Energy Districts
DS4PED
Basic Pilot Info:
Involved Cities:
Sofia (Bulgaria)
Rubí (Spain)
Duration: 01/03/2025 - 30/08/2026 (18 months)
Domains:
Predictive Traffic Management/Sustainable mobility planning
Data Services related to weather, climate and extreme weather events
Management of energy flows in a city/community specific context
Motivation:
The aim of the DS4PED pilot is to empower public administrations to facilitate the following changes in their respective communities.
Solving energy imbalances to reduce energy inequality and poverty: cities can ensure that energy surpluses are distributed to those consumers who need it the most, when they need it the most. In the DS4PED pilot, tokens will be used during peak demand times or when solar production is low, ensuring that vehicle charging always uses renewable energy.
Administrative cost savings: by digitalising and automating their energy management system with more and better data (enabled by a data space and digital twins), cities can save on the administrative (including legal, contractual) challenges of managing energy communities and supporting their journey to becoming financially-sustainable Positive Energy Districts.
Cities will be able to certify their PEDs: by ensuring Proof of Renewable Energy Source guaranteeing energy users that their energy comes from renewable sources. The traceability solution that will be piloted would involve detailed tracking of the energy flow from solar generation to consumption, ensuring that electric vehicles are charged with 100% renewable energy. This solution can be scaled to other applications within the PED.
Measure Urbanisation Impact on the environment: by integrating data from mobility, energy, and environmental sensors, the modelling and prediction of the impact on the urban environment will be performed, enabling targeted interventions for mitigation. By integrating climate projections, the project will assess long-term impacts, supporting climate-resilient urban planning.
Use Case Description:
The Rubí pilot aims to leverage data sharing to create a truly sustainable energy ecosystem where electric vehicle chargers are powered with solar energy, ensuring they always operate on 100% renewable power. However, solar generation does not always align with charging demand, especially at night. To address this mismatch, any surplus solar energy is converted into ZEAC tokens, securely stored and ready for use whenever solar output decreases. Meanwhile, a real-time traceability system verifies that the electricity is genuinely green, while automated certification reduces administrative costs. This innovative approach not only transforms EV charging but also benefits broader city services. By sharing and balancing local green energy, public facilities can reduce their energy costs, while private buildings, especially those of households facing energy poverty, gain better access to affordable power. Integrating the ZertiPower platform within a shared data space guarantees that renewable energy is efficiently certified and strategically redistributed, fostering new energy communities and paving the way for cost-effective, sustainable, and positive-energy districts.
The Sofia pilot aims to transform it into a data-driven, sustainable city, addressing local challenges related to the impact of urbanisation on climate change. Using geospatial and energy consumption data, the pilot will assess the solar potential of buildings citywide, facilitating renewable energy adoption. Sharing of mobility, energy, and sensor data will enable the assessment of environmental impact by exploring phenomena such as air quality and the urban heat island. Quantifying the effects of energy use, traffic patterns, and urban density will empower urban planners to design greener spaces and make targeted interventions. Collaboration with public authorities, private companies, and citizen groups will ensure that data-sharing services effectively address high-risk congestion and pollution areas. Unified access to data will support predictive analytics for extreme weather events, enhancing readiness and response strategies. By integrating climate projections, the pilot will assess long-term impacts, supporting climate-resilient urban planning. By leveraging data to address local challenges, the pilot unites building owners, urban planners, transportation operators, environmental agencies, and residents.
Added Value:
Ecological
Enable resource optimization, reduced waste, sustainability, and environmental insights.
Economic
Boost innovation, efficiency, collaboration, economic growth, and value.
Social
Connect communities, improve services, create opportunities, and empower individuals.
For cities, an integrated energy platform (coupled with a digital twin) will enable public authorities to be able to analyse and make better-informed data-driven decisions on their communities’ energy flows for self-sufficiency and optimal use of energy surpluses within the community.