Defining and Operationalising the Concept of an Energy Positive Neighbourhood

University campuses, residential neighbourhoods and other urban areas have different needs for energy solutions. The formulation and comparison of these solutions demands well-defined concepts and robust decision support tools. This paper proposes the following definition: “Energy positive neighbourhoods are those in which the annual energy demand is lower than annual energy supply from local renewable energy sources. Short-term imbalances … are corrected with national energy supplies. The aim is to provide a functional, healthy, user friendly environment with as low energy demand and little environmental impact as possible.” Key performance indicators are proposed along with an ‘energy positivity label’. A decision support tool for the long term planning of neighbourhood energy solutions is described which is currently being used to evaluate a university campus in France and a residential neighbourhood in Finland. The research presented extends the limits of current approaches to energy analyses from individual buildings to neighbourhood level.