Self-consumption and self-sufficiency of the Swiss residential stock: Building archetypes for simulation of positive energy districts

The concept of Positive Energy Districts (PEDs) has emerged to facilitate the energy transition and contribute to climate neutrality through energy efficiency and a net-zero energy balance. These districts are meant to integrate a variety of technologies with the goal of producing more energy than they consume, while also actively involving residents in decision-making processes and enhancing affordability. However, a significant barrier to the widespread deployment of PEDs is uncertainty surrounding the potential benefits of this concept, particularly given the diverse range of building stock and technologies involved. Addressing this uncertainty is crucial for unlocking the full potential of PEDs and ensuring their successful implementation in urban environments. We developed a framework that represents the entire residential building stock, along with electricity production and consumption on an hourly basis, by combining 11,200 archetypes to represent key indicators such as positive energy ratio (PER), self-sufficiency rate (SSR), self-consumption rate (SCR), and PV hours of surplus under different electrification scenarios. This framework considers the full exploitation of the PV potential on residential buildings and current energy consumption levels for heating and mobility. Given our findings that most single-family houses (SFHs) can achieve a positive electricity balance when electrification is avoided, while multi-family houses (MFHs) remain net consumers even without electrification. Overall, increased electrification leads to lower SSR and higher SCR. However, in high-rise MFHs, electrification does not improve SCR. Given their relevance as critical building archetypes, we recommend PED strategies that emphasise tailored electrification pathways, surplus energy charging, and targeted policy interventions.