Effective climate protection needs joint measures at the societal level – and these need coordination. Spatial energy planning makes it possible to exploit the potential of renewable energies and make the best possible use of available resources. In a joint project, partners from Vienna, Salzburg and Styria are working on the implementation: the RSA FG is represented by the working group “Smart Energy Balances“. Researchers from the iSPACE research studio are developing models that will then be used by the federal provinces.
Renewable energies, electrification, hydrogen – the global energy market is in flux and one climate report after another shows that far-reaching changes in our consumption and mobility behaviour are necessary to achieve the European climate goals. And while a climate-conscious individual lifestyle is right and important, collective action in society is needed above all in the fight against climate change.
At the global level, there are initiatives for this, such as the UN Climate Change Conference that has just ended, where international heads of state discuss strategies and measures against climate change. These decisions are usually made at a very high, abstract level – but smaller regions would also benefit from more coordination.
Even focusing on Europe alone shows that different regions are affected differently by climate change. Northern Europe tends to get warmer, southern Europe drier. Climate protection solutions must therefore be adapted to the respective region. However, there is often a lack of information and coordination in order to make the best possible use of available resources and infrastructures and to exploit the potential of renewable forms of energy.
One way for countries and municipalities to establish more sustainability is Spatial Energy Planning (SEP). SEP combines spatial and energy planning to ensure a sustainable, efficient and stable energy supply.
In a joint project led by the Salzburg Institute for Spatial Planning (SIR), various partners from Salzburg, Vienna and Styria are working on developing the necessary information basis for effective spatial energy planning.
The RSA FG is represented by the “Smart Energy Balances” working group of the iSPACE research studio. The researchers are responsible for data handling and processing, spatial modelling and the management of digital services. The models developed by the RSA FG are then used by the federal provinces of Salzburg, Vienna and Styria for practical implementation.
How does Spatial Energy Planning work?
Just as there are energy efficiency benchmarks for buildings, spatial and settlement structures can also be more or less energy efficient. A mixture of functions (residential/utility buildings), moderate density, short distances and general compactness have a positive effect – living, working, local supply and recreation should be possible in a close spatial context. Another dimension is the energy supply: Energy generation, distribution and storage systems, such as the availability of areas for photovoltaic systems, must be planned.
The task of Spatial Energy Planning is therefore to consider energy as an essential factor in planning processes. Energy production and supply must be spatially and structurally adapted to the specific needs and characteristics of the respective region and its inhabitants.
How is SEP implemented in Austria?
The topic of energy has not yet been given much attention in Austrian spatial planning – planners usually lack structured information on the regionally available technical options and energy sources. The project “Spatial Energy Planning” aims to change this and provide information and coordination in order to make the best possible use of available resources and infrastructures.
Under the leadership of the Salzburg Institute for Spatial Planning and Housing (SIR), partners from the federal provinces of Vienna, Styria and Salzburg are developing customised applications to aid planning for the participating provinces.
Digitisation makes it possible to provide all the necessary bases: the central tool with which the researchers of the RSA FG work is the ENERGIEatlas, a GIS-based web application that links spatial and energy-relevant data and information with sound scientific models and methods. This creates a comprehensive planning basis that is suitable for analysing individual buildings as well as larger regions such as federal states. A web application based on this allows automated queries and well-founded analyses for public regulatory and administrative processes – long-term energy and infrastructure planning thus become possible.
The methods developed in the SEP I project for the heating sector are currently being expanded in SEP II to include the electricity and mobility sectors.
What role does SEP play in the fight against climate change?
Climate change targets require a transition to sustainable energy systems based on energy savings, increased energy efficiency and renewable energy sources. However, the strategies for these actions are highly shaped by local and regional spatial contexts such as urban, suburban or rural areas or small towns.
The application of SEP in the instruments of public governance (regulation and governance) can make a significant contribution to the support, coordination and cost-effectiveness of the energy transition. The big goal here is to both reduce costs and emit drastically less CO2. Linking energy planning and spatial planning can thus ensure that potentials and innovations in the field of renewable energy are used optimally, and available resources are used efficiently. In this way, municipalities and regions can also make their contribution to climate protection.