Digital Twins for Positive Energy Districts

Digital Twins for Positive Energy Districts (DT4PED) is a research and development project that investigates how digital twins can support the planning and transformation of existing neighborhoods into Positive Energy Districts (PEDs). The project establishes a neighborhood-scale digital representation that enables stakeholders to examine current conditions and future transition pathways, with a focus on energy demand, local renewable energy production, and neighborhood-level energy balance.

Why DT4PED matters? and the value of collaborating with Chalmers Next Labs

Cities face the dual challenge of reducing energy demand and carbon emissions while adapting neighbourhoods to future climate conditions. Renovation and energy decisions made today influence long-term costs, indoor comfort, and health outcomes, while also shaping future climate resilience.

DT4PED, developed in collaboration with Chalmers Next Labs, provides a shared, research-based digital twin environment where municipalities, industry, and researchers can jointly explore climate-aware Positive Energy District strategies. The collaboration enables access to state-of-the-art modelling, long-term optimisation, and transparent scenario analysis, reducing uncertainty and risk in early-stage planning and innovation.

Who is the web viewer for?

The DT4PED web viewer is designed for:

• Municipalities and local authorities
• Urban planners and energy planners
• Researchers and energy practitioners
• Stakeholders involved in PED planning and neighbourhood transformation
• The platform supports inquiry, scenario exploration, and communication across disciplines

What does DT4PED provide?

The web viewer integrates an interactive digital twin with:

• A renewable energy decision-support tool
• A building renovation decision-support tool
• Interactive visualisation of simulation and optimisation results
• Transparent comparison of trade-offs between energy demand, costs, operational and embodied carbon emissions

How does DT4PED web viewer work?

DT4PED operates by combining:

• Urban building energy modelling
• Solar potential analysis
• Scenario-based simulation
• Multi-objective optimisation over a 10-year planning horizon, targeting:
• Reduced operational energy demand
• Lower total costs
• Reduced embodied carbon emissions

The platform integrates a digital logbook that documents assumptions, data sources, model choices, optimisation settings, and scenario decisions. This ensures transparency, comparability, and reproducibility across planning and collaboration processes.

Our Partners

• Förvaltnings AB Framtiden
• Framtiden Byggutveckling AB
• Poseidon, Göteborg Stad
• Stadsfastighetsförvaltningen
• WHITE Arkitekter
• Digital Twin City Center
• CIT

Publications

Abouebeid, S., Enerbäck, J., Malakhatka, E., Strömberg, A.-B., Sindelar, D., Mazidi, M., Sridhar, A., Wallbaum, H., & Thuvander, L. (2026).
Urban building energy modelling and multi-objective optimization for PED transition in an existing neighbourhood in Sweden.
Energy and Buildings, 352, 116783.

Abouebeid, S., Malakhatka, E., Wallbaum, H., & Thuvander, L. (2025). Future-proofing positive energy districts: Climate change impacts on energy demand and supply in Jättesten, Gothenburg. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 3140(6), 062001.

Malakhatka, E., Shafqat, O., Sandoff, A., & Thuvander, L. (2025). Positive energy districts and energy communities: How living labs create value. Buildings & Cities, 6(1).

Malakhatka, E., Abouebeid, S., Eleftheriou, O., Arvanitis, T., Naserentin, V. A., et al. (2024). Digital Twin for Positive Energy Districts: A web-based viewer for scenario simulation of the mixed-use area Jättesten, Gothenburg. Proceedings of Digital Frontiers in Buildings and Infrastructure.

Malakhatka, E., Wallbaum, H., Abouebeid, S., Hofer, G., Pooyanfar, P., Dursun, İ., et al. (2024). Fostering sustainable urban energy transitions: Backcasting for Positive Energy Districts and digital twin strategies in a European context. CIB Conferences, 1(1), 127.

Malakhatka, E., Wästberg, D., Wallbaum, H., Pooyanfar, P., Dursun, İ., Hofer, G., et al. (2024). Towards positive energy districts: Multi-criteria framework and quality assurance. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 1363(1), 012085.