In the new ITA Dossier "Positive Energy Districts", Ornetzeder summarizes the most important results of the project: "Buildings account for almost 40 percent of energy consumption in Austria. The construction sector therefore plays a decisive role: in order to achieve the climate protection targets, it is not enough to simply renovate existing buildings. It goes without saying that new buildings must also be built consistently according to ecological criteria." The proportion of oil and gas heating systems is still very high, Ornetzeder points out.
Plus-energy districts are considered an important component of sustainable urban development. In the TRANS-PED project, Michael Ornetzeder and his team investigated such districts in Sweden, Belgium and Austria, including the sunny village of Schwoich in Tyrol. The aim is to create a surplus of renewable energy production and net-zero energy imports, thus ensuring climate neutrality.
In his report, Ornetzeder explains the challenges involved and the measures that those responsible can take to promote development.