ATELIER is an EU-funded Smart City project aiming to create and replicate Positive Energy Districts (PEDs) within two Lighthouse Cities and six Fellow Cities. The Positive Energy District in Amsterdam will be developed in six locations in Buiksloterham. The PED consists of a number of very ambitious building groups (in total being 28,500 m2 GFA). Two of those are new build in the project. These are Republica and Poppies (total of 22,000 m2). The third is Schoonschip, finished in 2019. This building group is added because of the connection to the energy recovery station, the implementation of the smart grid and the participation in the Buiksloterham Energy Community, all elements of the project. The fourth is De Ceuvel, an existing energy community with a smart grid, participating in the energy trading activities of the project. The energy recovery station and the local PV plant are situated on the other two locations. The largest building groups are of a mixed nature, a combination of tertiary buildings (approximately 12,600 m2) with residential (approximately 15,900 m2). ATELIER will demonstrate PEDs in Lighthouse cities through the use of renewable energy, storage, and digitalisation, including integration of electro- mobility for future storage and balancing capacity.
Both new-build and refurbished buildings have applied highly energy efficient materials in their façades (optimal insulation), glazing (triple windows) and green roofs, that ultimately will meet energy performance levels and go beyond the existing building codes. In Amsterdam far-reaching smart urban solutions are facilitated through a special derogation from Dutch energy laws, exempting the PED from a number of potential legal obstacles that could otherwise hamper or
even forbid the development of an innovative efficient energy system. This derogation enables those to whom it is granted to experiment with highly innovative solutions, such as the ‘Local Energy Market Platform’, that enables energy
communities to efficiently exchange electricity and balance the local energy system. A smart microgrid will be deployed in building blocks Republica and Poppies based on the experience with smart microgrids at the Ceuvel and Schoonschip (Grid-friends.com). The micro grids will be used to simultaneously control production, storage and use. Through demand response, the load on the public grid can be managed (congestion management) and peak loads can be avoided (peak shaving). The micro grid also enables local storage of RES produces to prevent curtailment. The Energy Market Platform will allow residents and other users to trade peer-to-peer, community-to-community or with the wholesale energy markets. Finally, the PED will integrate an e-mobility hub for 15-20 electric cars, as well as facilities for charging electric bikes and specific urban vehicles. The e-mobility hub will not only reduce CO2 emissions, improve local air quality, contribute to balancing the grid and reduce car ownership in the area.
Project website: https://smartcity-atelier.eu/