How cities are using Data Spaces to build positive energy districts?
Interview conducted by Kalina Tsvetanova
As cities work towards climate neutrality and more sustainable urban development, access to connected and reliable data is becoming increasingly important. The Data Spaces for Positive Energy Districts (DS4PED) pilot, part of the European DS4SSCC-DEP project, explores how data spaces can support better management of energy, mobility, and environmental systems. By testing new ways of sharing and using data in Rubí (Spain) and Sofia (Bulgaria), the pilot demonstrates how shared data and digital tools can help cities move towards greener, more energy-efficient, and resilient urban environments while supporting the development of Positive Energy Districts (PEDs).
At its core, DS4PED addresses a common problem faced by many cities: data is often fragmented, locked in silos, or difficult to use across sectors. Energy providers, transport systems, environmental agencies, and city planners all collect valuable data, but without a shared framework, it is hard to combine this information into meaningful insights. DS4PED implements the concept of a data space – a secure, trusted environment where stakeholders can share data while defining access and usage policies and maintaining control over its use. This enables collaboration across sectors and supports better decision-making for cities.
The pilot builds on European standards for interoperability and data governance, ensuring that solutions developed are compliant with existing data space initiatives. Importantly, it demonstrates that different technological approaches can coexist within a common framework. In Sofia, the data space is built using Eclipse Dataspace Components, with a focus on data sharing across different temporal and spatial resolutions and on interoperability and advancement of data space building blocks. In Rubí, a more decentralised, Web3-based approach is used, enabling advanced features such as data tokenisation and blockchain-based traceability. Despite these differences, both pilots follow shared principles of trust, data sovereignty, and openness.
In Rubí, the focus is on renewable energy and electric mobility. The city has installed multiple solar energy systems and electric vehicle charging stations, aiming to ensure that vehicles are powered entirely by renewable energy. However, solar energy is not always available when demand is highest, particularly at night. To solve this, the pilot introduces an innovative approach: surplus solar energy generated during the day is converted into digital tokens that can be used later. This allows the city to “store” renewable energy virtually and ensure that electric vehicles are always charged with green energy. This approach not only supports sustainability goals but also reduces the need for expensive physical storage solutions and helps balance energy supply and demand.
In Sofia, the pilot takes a broader perspective by creating a city-wide data ecosystem that integrates information from energy, mobility, weather, and environmental systems. It contributes to the development of the city's digital twin, enabling planners and stakeholders to simulate and analyse different urban scenarios. This includes solar potential analysis of buildings, air quality prediction, and simulation of the impact of traffic patterns on urban heat. By combining these datasets, Sofia can make more informed decisions about urban planning, climate adaptation, and infrastructure investments.
A key strength of the DS4PED pilot is its focus on collaboration. Public authorities, private companies, research institutions, and citizens all play a role in the data space. Cities provide policy direction and public data, companies contribute new services based on shared data, and researchers help develop advanced models and analytics. This collaborative approach ensures that the solutions developed are practical, scalable, and aligned with real-world needs.
The benefits of the pilot are already visible. Cities gain access to better tools for planning and managing resources, helping them reduce emissions and improve efficiency. Energy providers and mobility operators can optimise their services and explore new business opportunities. Citizens benefit from more transparent decision-making regarding cleaner air, more efficient energy use, and improved urban services. At a broader level, the pilot contributes to European goals such as the Green Deal and the transition to a digital, data-driven economy.
Looking ahead, DS4PED aims to demonstrate that the data space benefits can be scaled and replicated across other cities. By using open standards and flexible architectures, the pilot enables other cities to adopt similar approaches, regardless of their size or technical capacity. The combination of real-world use cases, strong governance, and a focus on practical impact makes DS4PED a valuable reference for future smart city initiatives.
“The DS4PED pilot shows how data, when shared responsibly and used effectively, can become a powerful tool for transforming cities.” By connecting different sectors and enabling collaboration, data spaces help unlock new solutions to complex urban challenges. “As cities continue to grow and face increasing environmental pressures, initiatives like DS4PED demonstrate a clear path toward more sustainable, resilient, and citizen-focused urban development.”
Curious to learn more about the Pilots? Read here
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