Abstract
The smart urban energy transition is a paradigm change in city management. Implementing new technologies and infrastructure enables to shift from oil-based solutions or fossil-fueled systems to renewable energy, while related multiple benefits and opportunities arise. Demonstration projects envisioning cutting-edge solutions provide the sandbox to experience how knowledge creation, sustainability, and innovation which may influence a city’s economy and society. The European smart city project SINFONIA, recently concluded after a six years-long journey, has brought together research centers, public authorities, social housing managers, energy and technology providers and local stakeholders to deliver smart energy-efficient neighborhoods in the city of Bolzano (Italy) and Innsbruck (Austria). SINFONIA adopted the co-benefits approach to analyze the main expectations of involved partners and institutions, beyond the climate-energy goals. Starting from the comparison with similar projects, then going through dedicated surveys and informed discussion, partners raised their awareness on this topic, becoming familiars with definitions and concepts. Additionally, mixed-methods investigation have been tested to move from the theory to practice, providing assessment and monetary evaluation of expected benefits. We found that partners involved in the SINFONIA project have confirmed the following co-benefits, among the suggested ones, as the most relevant: “Health and well-being of residents increased”, “Users’ awareness on energy-related issues increased”, “Professional skills development” and “Innovation in technology development and adoption”. Moreover, dedicated on field investigations in Bolzano shown evidence of positive outcomes related to citizens’ willingness to pay for a new smart infrastructure and the existence of a price premium for high efficient buildings on the real estate market. These results strengthen the relevance of the smart urban energy transition in contributing to the development of a new urban ecosystem, providing economic, social, and environmental co-benefits. Therefore, co-benefits should be carefully considered and stressed for their power of creating commitment and mobilizing resources in establishing framework plans and strategies to guide urban regeneration and local economic investments. The inclusion of some co-benefits in the list of key performance indicators for the assessment of the next generation of EU smart city projects, aiming to provide positive energy districts, is thus encouraged.
