On the 5th of December, NEUTRALPATH and ASCEND held their joint webinar on “Business Models and Financing for PCEDs”.
The webinar provided insights on challenges and opportunities in developing business models, innovative financing instruments for Positive and Clean Energy Districts (PCEDs) and their upscaling and replicability across Europe.
During the webinar fellow projects and initiatives shared their findings and lessons learned, PROSPECT+, MAKING-CITY, and SCALABLE CITIES, while NEUTRALPATH and ASCEND have shared their approaches and ambitions during this first year of work with the cities.
This session has been an inspiring icebreaker to kick-start the discussion with the rest of the Smart Cities and Communities projects and initiatives and to explore new synergies between NEUTRALPATH and ASCEND.
NEUTRALPATH Project Coordinator, Miguel Ángel García Fuentes, stated “There is no unique business model, but there are many opportunities to be explored”.
Summarising the key takeaways from the webinar:
- There is no one-fit-all business model for PCEDs, but there are many models and financing instruments available. Finding the most appropriate combination and mix is the key to success.
- Partnership with the private sector is essential to uptake innovative financing instruments.
- The regulatory framework plays an important role in enabling the public authorities to use innovative financing instruments.
- Availability of Technologies, innovative financing instruments and efficient operation schemes are key components for upscaling these solutions.
This joint webinar has set the stage for ongoing discussions and collaboration, highlighting the importance of business models and financing for Positive Clean Energy Districts.
Learn more about the webinar here
