Assessing pathways to carbon neutrality in a neighbourhood study in Germany

Abstract

Neighbourhoods are becoming more and more important for the success of the energy transition and achieving the climate protection goals. This paper describes results from a case study of a typical residential neighbourhood in Germany, in which investigation of pathways to climate neutrality has been carried out. Both technical potential and challenge under the current legal framework are presented. The aims are to answer questions such as to what extent and in what sequence the energy-related emissions of an existing neighbourhood can be reduced in the long term through further integration of photovoltaics, low-carbon technology, thermal storage and, if necessary, building refurbishment. Two pathways are exanimated: in the gas pathway by using CHP units with biogas and in the electricity pathway by electrifying the heat demand through the use of heat pumps. Three scenarios are defined for both pathways, which differ in particular by the level of building refurbishment, PV generation, supply temperatures in the heating network and uptake of electric vehicles.