Navigating turbulent waters: RePowering cities in times of crisis
The Project NEEDS Repowered in part is project under the European co-funded partnershipt Driving Urban Transition (DUT) and interlinks local sites on the European level in order to make Positive Energy Districts (PEDs) more resilient under the current energy crisis. By integrating technological retrofitting solutions, behavioral incentives, and sustainable business and financing models, the project addresses energy efficiency challenges at the intersection of social and technological innovation, regulatory frameworks, and legal conditions. A key focus of NEEDS Repowered is the creation of a community of practice among pilot sites across Europe to identify barriers and enabling factors for energy efficiency. These insights will support local knowledge arenas, fostering capacity-building and community engagement.
The project also contributes to the DUT knowledge hub and delivers policy recommendations to tackle energy poverty and energy justice, while exploring strategies for upscaling and replication in diverse contexts. With energy poverty on the rise in Europe, the project prioritizes stakeholder and citizen engagement, particularly for vulnerable groups, using social innovation to drive participation and co-creation of solutions for neighborhood-oriented retrofitting. NEEDS Repowered views PEDs as a pathway toward climate-neutral cities, focusing on inclusivity, resilience, and sustainability. The project also emphasizes the concept of energy citizenship, encouraging active involvement in the energy transition. AIT leads the project management and coordination, leveraging its expertise in research and innovation systems. AIT collaborates closely with key Austrian partners, including Innsbrucker Kommunalbetriebe (IKB), Energieagentur Tirol, and Klimabündnis Tirol, to support the demonstration activities at the Innsbruck pilot site.
Start: 02/2025
End: 01/2028
Funded by: EU (Driving Urban Transition Partnership) & FFG
Contact: Gudrun Haindlmaier
Keywords: Energy Communities, Energy Poverty, Community of Practice, Sustainable business models, Overcome regulatory barriers
