The intensifying of extreme climate phenomena and the environmental crises have made the urgency clear to change the energy production, consumption as well as the urban and industrial planning paradigms. Energy Districts can provide energy efficiency gains in the range of 30-50%. Moreover, higher and optimized energy efficiency of Energy Districts allows to minimize the consumption of energy associated with a number of ubiquitous energy uses and applications, such as for example cooling and heating as well as industrial symbiosis (e.g. use of excess heat). In this way the impact of growing energy demand and consumption is mitigated.

The Global Energy Districts Program (GEDP) aims at contributing to the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions through the establishment of Energy Districts in emerging economies and developing countries. In order to reach this goal, the program raises awareness of the opportunities of Energy Districts through the dissemination of experiences made in other countries. In addition, GEDP supports beneficiary countries in their efforts to implement such concepts. A "policy-push/market-pull" approach is applied. This means, that on one side beneficiaries are supported to anchor the concept in relevant policies, strategies and plans in order to provide an enabling environment. On the other side, the creation of a market for Energy Districts is supported through the capacity building of actors as well as the support of piloting Energy Districts in a country, which shall demonstrate the business case. This first phase of the global program is preceded by two phases covering Colombia only.

GEDP supports the global dissemination and exchange of experiences, knowledge products, results and lessons learned generated by country interventions with global and regional partners as well as with local, regional and international financial institutions. This leads to enhanced interest and engagement of actors in Energy Districts.

The program implements tailored country interventions, which will create an enabling environment for Energy Districts and engage different actors in taking steps towards the implementation of concrete Energy District projects. Activities will be consolidated in Colombia and additional beneficiary countries selected.

Finally, it carries out promotion and capacity building activities with regional policy-making institutions. The aim is that these mainstream the discussion and promotion of Energy Districts in their policy agendas and thus contribute to the further promotion of the topic.

Erwartete Resultate:  

Knowledge products on the concept of Energy Districts developed

Awareness of different stakeholders raised and capacities built

Workshops, trainings, techno-economic feasibility studies carried out to build understanding, expertise and skills of different institutional and market actors

Studies to assess market development potential carried out

Policy and regulatory frameworks diagnostics and amendments carried out

Energy District pilots supported in beneficiary countries

Resultate von früheren Phasen:  

Since 2014, Colombia has been supported to include Energy Districts in national and local institutions as well as policy frameworks. Furthermore, knowledge and capacities were built. The support enabled the implementation of the first Energy District in the country, which is now used as an example and training centre.

In addition, 4 further Energy Districts were developed. In total, support was provided to the development of 21 Energy District feasibility studies in 10 different cities and 5 different sectors, involving more than 48 private sector entities. Finally, a methodology was structured for analysis and feasibility of Energy District projects.

The private sector invested over $27 million USD in projects supported by the program and another $60 million USD in fully private Energy District projects in Colombia.

It is estimated that the 4 Energy Districts supported will generate over 10 years energy savings of 24,347,000 kWh and 29,900 tons of CO2 emission avoided.