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A Positive Energy District (PED) is an inclusive, energy efficient district with optimized energy flows and a local production of renewable energy, with an annual surplus of energy that can be exported to other areas. Most of the municipalities in Sweden have ambitious climate neutrality goals and implementing PEDs in cities could be one way to contribute to the achievement of those climate goals. However, PED is an innovative concept which is still ambiguous for many stakeholders, and many uncertainties remain. To understand the perspectives of Swedish stakeholders towards PEDs, a three hour long online workshop was organized in December 2020. Representatives from city officials, universities, energy utilities and real estate companies participated in the discussion groups. The groups discussed three topics related to PED, namely; 1) Definition of PED, 2) Challenges and drivers for PEDs and 3) Replication of PEDs.

Most of the discussion groups agreed to the importance of viewing PEDs as a part of the larger energy system and to find holistic solutions and promoting collaboration between actors. Most groups considered leadership and stakeholder engagement as important drivers for PEDs. Further, participants discussed that the slow decision processes in municipalities could be a challenge for PEDs. Even though there was consensus on most challenges and drivers, one aspect where participants had conflicting opinions was the PED definition. Some groups thought that the PED definition needs to be clearer and more narrow, while others saw it as a potential barrier if it becomes too technology focused. During discussions on replication, most groups stressed the importance of knowledge sharing and the results highlight that different stakeholders can play different roles in facilitating replication for PEDs. The study highlights the importance of a regional perspective when developing the PED definition, since the Swedish stakeholders had different viewpoints on PED that could be used to adapt the definition.