Climate-Neutral Neighborhoods

A Study in the Salzburg Region on the Challenges of a Climate-Neutral Circular Economy in Neighborhoods

This study examines the path towards climate-neutral energy supply and the associated challenges and potentials in the context of neighborhoods in peripheral settlement areas.

It highlights the paradigm shift from centralized to decentralized energy supply, focusing on aspects such as the development of energy infrastructure, the pursuit of energy self-sufficiency, the improvement of energy efficiency, and the implementation of energy storage systems. Societal challenges in the implementation of decentralized renewable energy systems are discussed, including the harmonization of different interests and the potentials of energy communities as alternative social forms.

Using the example of peripheral settlement areas in Salzburg, the contribution of neighborhoods to achieving climate goals is examined, presenting both methodological approaches and empirical results from a technical simulation and a survey. Finally, conclusions are drawn and recommendations for the further development and implementation of decentralized renewable energy supply systems are derived.

You can find the full report here.