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From Voldemort to Vader, Science Says We Prefer Fictional Villains Who Remind Us of Ourselves

  • Behavioral Science
  • Psychological Science

research paper on villain

As people binge watch TV shows and movies during this period of physical distancing, they may find themselves eerily drawn to fictional villains, from Voldemort and Vader to Maleficent and Moriarty. Rather than being seduced by the so-called dark side, the allure of evil characters has a reassuringly scientific explanation.

According to new research published in the journal Psychological Science , people may find fictional villains surprisingly likeable when they share similarities with the viewer or reader.

This attraction to potentially darker versions of ourselves in stories occurs even though we would be repulsed by real-world individuals who have similarly immoral or unstable behaviors. One reason for this shift, the research indicates, is that fiction acts like a cognitive safety net, allowing us to identify with villainous characters without tainting our self-image.

“Our research suggests that stories and fictional worlds can offer a ‘safe haven’ for comparison to a villainous character that reminds us of ourselves,” said Rebecca Krause , a PhD candidate at Northwestern University and lead author on the paper. “When people feel protected by the veil of fiction, they may show greater interest in learning about dark and sinister characters who resemble them.”

Academics have long suggested people recoil from others who are in many ways similar to themselves yet possess negative features such as obnoxiousness, instability, and treachery. Antisocial features in someone with otherwise similar qualities, the thinking goes, may be a threat to a person’s image of themselves.

“People want to see themselves in a positive light,” noted Krause. “Finding similarities between oneself and a bad person can be uncomfortable.” In contrast, Krause and her coauthor and advisor Derek Rucker find that putting the bad person in a fictional context can remove that discomfort and even reverse this preference. In essence, this separation from reality attenuates undesirable and uncomfortable feelings.

“When you are no longer uncomfortable with the comparison, there seems to be something alluring and enticing about having similarities with a villain,” explained Rucker.

 “For example, people who see themselves as tricky and chaotic may feel especially drawn to the character of The Joker in the Batman movies, while a person who shares Lord Voldemort’s intellect and ambition may feel more drawn to that character in the Harry Potter series,” said Krause.

To test this idea, the researchers analyzed data from the website CharacTour, an online, character-focused entertainment platform that had approximately 232,500 registered users at the time of analysis. One of the site’s features allows users to take a personality quiz and see their similarity to different characters who had been coded as either villainous or not. Villains included characters such as Maleficent, The Joker, and Darth Vader. Nonvillains included Sherlock Holmes, Joey Tribbiani, and Yoda.

The anonymous data from these quizzes allowed the researchers to test whether people were attracted toward or repulsed by similar villains, using nonvillains as a baseline. Not surprisingly, people were drawn to nonvillains as their similarity increased. However, the results further suggested that users were most drawn to villains who share similarities with them.

The researchers believe that similarities to story villains do not threaten the self in the way real-life villains would.

“Given the common finding that people are uncomfortable with and tend to avoid people who are similar to them and bad in some way, the fact that people actually prefer similar villains over dissimilar villains was surprising to us,” noted Rucker. “Honestly, going into the research, we both were aware of the possibility that we might find the opposite.”

The current data do not identify which behaviors or characteristics the participants found attractive. Further research is needed to explore the psychological pull of villains and whether people are drawn toward similar villains in fiction because people look for chances to explore their own personal dark side.

“Perhaps fiction provides a way to engage with the dark aspects of your personality without making you question whether you are a good person in general,” concluded Krause.

APS is the leading international organization dedicated to advancing scientific psychology across disciplinary and geographic borders. Our members provide a richer understanding of the world through their research, teaching, and application of psychological science. We are passionate about supporting psychological scientists in these pursuits, which we do by sharing cutting-edge research across all areas of the field through our journals and conventions; promoting the integration of scientific perspectives within psychological science and with related disciplines; fostering global connections among our members; engaging the public with our research to promote broader understanding and awareness of psychological science; and advocating for increased support for psychological science in the public policy arena.

Psychological Science, the flagship journal of APS, is the leading peer-reviewed journal publishing empirical research spanning the entire spectrum of the science of psychology. For a copy of this article, “Can Bad Be Good? The Attraction of a Darker Self,” and access to other research in Psychological Science , contact [email protected] , R.J., Rucker D.D., (2020) Can bad be good? The attraction of a darker self. Psychological Science , https:///doi/10.1177/0956797620909742

Contact: [email protected] .

research paper on villain

Love this piece! It probably also explains a child’s sheer glee – mingled with horror – at some of a villain’s antics. And yes, I aspire to Maleficent…

research paper on villain

Very interesting work!

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research paper on villain

Chemistry Between People: A Sum of Their Connections

Have you ever felt a special “spark” with someone—an intense bond with a potential partner, friend, or colleague? If so, you probably thought you experienced “chemistry.” Literary references to interpersonal chemistry appeared as early as 1590

research paper on villain

Love Stories: Adventures in the Study of Attraction

In a nod to Valentine’s Day, researchers including APS Fellows Lisa Diamond, Eli Finkel, Nickola Overall, and Harry Reis share discoveries, challenges, and new directions in the study of love, desire, dating, and commitment.

research paper on villain

No Evidence That Women’s Preference for Masculine Faces Is Linked With Hormones

Data from almost 600 participants show that women’s perceptions of male attractiveness do not vary according to their hormone levels, in contrast with some previous research. The study findings are published in Psychological Science, a

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  • DOI: 10.1163/9789401206808_002
  • Corpus ID: 220867452

Villains in Our Mind: A Psychological Approach to Literary and Filmic Villainy

  • Published 2011

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Superheroes and Villains: Engagement, Effects, and Empowerment

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Earliest recorded stories of the humankind tell the tales of the brave and the fallen. Oftentimes, such narratives introduce extraordinary strength, astonishing with, and miraculous abilities. Importantly, superheroes, villains, and their deeds do not merely entertain but also have impact on the audiences’ ...

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A Villain's Guide To Social Media And Web Science

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  • Bernstein M (2024) A Novel Architecture for Classical Hypertext Proceedings of the 35th ACM Conference on Hypertext and Social Media 10.1145/3648188.3675147 (302-308) Online publication date: 10-Sep-2024 https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3648188.3675147
  • Anderson M Millard D (2023) Seven Hypertexts Proceedings of the 34th ACM Conference on Hypertext and Social Media 10.1145/3603163.3609048 (1-15) Online publication date: 4-Sep-2023 https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3603163.3609048
  • Bernstein M Bellogín A Boratto L Cena F (2022) The Web At War: Hypertext, Social Media, and Totalitarianism Proceedings of the 33rd ACM Conference on Hypertext and Social Media 10.1145/3511095.3536365 (256-258) Online publication date: 28-Jun-2022 https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3511095.3536365
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Human-centered computing

Collaborative and social computing

Collaborative and social computing theory, concepts and paradigms

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  • Bernstein M McMorris S Bellogín A Boratto L Cena F (2022) Links Of Darkness: Hypertext And Horror Proceedings of the 33rd ACM Conference on Hypertext and Social Media 10.1145/3511095.3531270 (73-79) Online publication date: 28-Jun-2022 https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3511095.3531270
  • Bernstein M (2020) In Spite Of Ourselves Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Web Studies 10.1145/3423958.3423961 (4-8) Online publication date: 15-Oct-2020 https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3423958.3423961
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  • Bernstein M (2018) Links Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Web Studies 10.1145/3240431.3240433 (5-11) Online publication date: 3-Oct-2018 https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3240431.3240433

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Loyola University > Center for Digital Ethics & Policy > Research & Initiatives > Essays > Archive > 2020 > Villains and Heroes in Times of Crisis

Villains and heroes in times of crisis, may 6, 2020.

During times of crisis, we need heroes and villains. We separate the good guys from the bad ones to make sense of a complex reality and to redirect our emotions about the capriciousness of a deadly virus. It is a human reflex, but one that often focuses on punishment and reward at the expense of justice. This process is often more pronounced in digital realms.

The obvious heroes of this crisis are the health care providers, but also the people who are currently making sure that people like me can stay at home with stocked fridges, reams of toilet paper, and uninterrupted package and mail delivery. Many of these essential workers work for tech companies that allow us to get goods delivered to our doorsteps without taking the risk of exposing ourselves to a potentially deadly virus.

Companies such as Amazon , DoorDash or Grubhub have benefited from this crisis. Their employees and suppliers have not. Restaurants in Chicago even asked their customers to forego food delivery apps and order directly from them. The poor treatment of low-level employees in tech companies and their questionable corporate ethics is well-documented and stems from long before this crisis. They got away with it because we, the consumers, cared more about price and convenience than ethics. If we really want to pay tribute to the people who kept the nation afloat while we were hunkering down in the safety of our homes, we will demand more from these companies -and how they treat their employees- in the future.

While some people displayed admirable courage and self-sacrifice, sad examples of selfish and anti-social behavior have also been on display: People hoarding sanitizers and toilet paper , defying stay-at-home orders or simply ignoring social distancing requirements.

According to psychology professor Dylan Selterman , defeating Covid-19 will require that we come to terms with the Tragedy of the Commons , i.e. an economic problem in which individuals’ self-interests cause them to behave in ways that run contrary to the common good. Mostly, this occurs when there is a shared but limited resource, such as toilet paper. The responsible action would be for consumers to buy a reasonable supply of toilet paper so they can get through the next week or so. If everyone did this, we all would be able to buy toilet paper. But if some people, fearing future shortages, start hording toilet paper (or hand sanitizer, meat,…), there will not be enough for others. In this scenario, the people who do the right thing by buying only the toilet paper they need will be punished for acting responsibly. They will find themselves marooned on their toilets while their hording neighbors have basements full of the coveted paper.

To a certain extent, a similar mechanism is at play with the social distancing and stay-at-home orders. These rules are not merely designed to protect ourselves, their main goal is to slow down the spread of the virus so that our hospitals do not get overwhelmed, and to protect vulnerable populations from infections we may not even realize we have. People who ignore them because they do not want to give up partying with friends might justify it by saying that they are free to take the risks they want and that a limited gathering won’t make much of a difference. But that is only the case because they take advantage of the fact that the rest of us are doing the responsible thing. If we all acted like this, the worst-case scenarios could become reality.

Societies have traditionally dealt with those who flout societal norms in the furtherance of their own individual goals (especially if law enforcement is lacking) by various types of vigilante justice . In the digital environment this has taken the form of doxing or other forms of naming and shaming . We have devoted a number of essays on this site to the ethics of this phenomenon. My personal opinion is that online naming and shaming is rarely ethical. They tend to be driven by revenge rather than justice, are rarely effective nor proportional, and I tend to distrust end-justifies-the-mean rationales. Cultivation of virtuous behavior can better be achieved through means that do not infringe upon human dignity.

But if one were to write a hypothetical ethical dilemma, it would be a challenge to come up with one that would serve as a better justification for online shaming than one in which people engage in behavior that reduces the effectiveness of our collective efforts to keep our health workers and vulnerable populations safe. Law enforcement is poorly equipped to enforce these types of social norms, so an argument could be made that it is up to the fellow citizens of these norm violators to set them straight. We have seen some examples of this occurring already . In  New Jersey, the state names violators of these orders.  On Twitter #covidiot has been used to call out people displaying poor social distancing practices. If social distancing and stay-at-home orders remain in place and public support for (and compliance with) them begins to lessen, or gets split along political lines, online vigilantes might become even more prevalent, and so will the debate about the ethics of their practices.

The outrage against norm violations in general, and against “Covidiots” in particular, can be explained because it goes against the value of fairness, according to cultural psychologists like Jonathan Haidt , one of the foundations of our moral systems. People tend to be sensitive to violations of what they perceive to be fair. Studies among young children, for example, have shown that they prefer a situation in which no one gets a treat over a situation in which they receive a treat but others get more.

When I go on a run through my neighborhood and I see neighbors hanging out in their driveway while their children are playing together, it irks me. Not because they are endangering each other and others (ok, that too), but mainly because I am following the rules and am miserable in the process, while they are enjoying themselves.

This righteous indignation and feeling of injustice are morally defensible, but this feeling of being wronged should not be the driver of my actions as it might lead to a disproportionate reaction. When I look at some of the instances in which covidiots are being outed, I have the impression that they are fueled by this sense of unfairness, rather than by public health concerns.

Just like we should not heap praise upon essential workers without taking actions that actually improve their working conditions, we should not vilify covidiots for the sake of vilifying. Because ultimately vigilante justice operates through fear. By shaming someone online, we hope that others will think twice before engaging in similar behavior. Even if this deterrence would in fact take place, fear of personal humiliation will not lead to an internalizing of the norm. At best, people will be more careful in their skirting of the rules.

Bastiaan Vanacker's  work focuses on media ethics and law and international communication. He has been published in the Journal of Mass Media Ethics. He is the author of  Global Medium, Local Laws: Regulating Cross-border Cyberhate  and the editor of  Ethics for a Digital Age .

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Writing Seminar in Global English: Global Health (Fall 2024 ): Researching the White Paper

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For example, if you are trying to write a white paper on the opioid crisis, you may focus on the value of  providing free, sterilized needles--which do indeed reduce disease, and also provide an opportunity for the health care provider distributing them to offer addiction treatment to the user. However, the free needles are sometimes discarded on the ground, posing a danger to others; or they may be shared; or they may encourage more drug usage. All of those things can be true at once; a reader will want to know about all of these considerations in order to make an informed decision. That is the challenging job of the white paper author.     
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Positive energy districts: fundamentals, assessment methodologies, modeling and research gaps.

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  • Questions: each round starts with a context-specific question. Questions may remain constant or be built upon each other to guide the discussion.
  • Harvest: participants share their discussion insights with the larger group, often visually represented through graphic recording.
  • Objectives of the workshop and preparation. The first step of the World Café approach is to identify the main objectives. For this workshop, there was the need to investigate the current landscape of PED research, as well as to have a benchmark and collect feedback on the current research activities within Annex 83. Questions were structured in order to frame the current state-of-the-art understanding of the topic. A mapping of the potential different stakeholders in the PED design and implementation process was carried out at this stage. As a result, municipalities, community representatives, energy contractors, real estate companies and commercial facilitators, as well as citizens, were identified as main target groups. Later, the follow-up discussions were built around these main actors. Further, the mapping of the stakeholders’ involvement was carried out for better understanding the complexity of relationships, roles and synergies as well as the impact on the design, implementation and operation stages of PEDs.
  • Positive Energy Districts’ definitions and fundamentals ( Section 3.1 ).
  • Quality-of-life indicators in Positive Energy Districts ( Section 3.2 ).
  • Technologies in Positive Energy Districts: development, use and barriers ( Section 3.3 ).
  • Positive Energy Districts modeling: what is further needed to model PEDs? ( Section 3.4 ).
  • Sustainability assessment of Positive Energy Districts ( Section 3.5 ).
  • Stakeholder engagement within the design process ( Section 3.6 ).
  • Tools and guidelines for PED implementation ( Section 3.7 ).

3.1. Positive Energy Districts Definitions and Fundamentals

3.2. quality-of-life indicators in positive energy districts, 3.3. technologies in positive energy districts: development, use and barriers, 3.4. positive energy districts modeling: what is further needed to model peds, 3.5. sustainability assessment of positive energy districts, 3.6. stakeholder engagement within the design process, 3.7. tools and guidelines for ped implementation, 4. conclusions, author contributions, data availability statement, acknowledgments, conflicts of interest.

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Click here to enlarge figure

Question #1Question #2Question #3

What are the essential PED DNAs? Can generic PED
archetypes be created based on them?
What are the categories of quality-of-life indicators
relevant for PED development?
How would you use a database tool to learn about PED development process (e.g.,
using static information for
dynamic decision-making)?



Which future technologies would you expect to be adopted in PEDs and cities?What can be the challenges and the barriers in the future (regarding e.g., control, smart solutions, modeling,
technologies) to PED development and diffusion?
What is your expectation for urban and district energy
modeling? How can models help to shape PEDs and cities?

What is the impact of
stakeholders in the PED
design/decision process, what are their interests and how are stakeholders likely to be involved in the overall process?
What costs do you expect to bear and what revenues do you expect to realize from the PED implementation? Which aspects should be included in the organizational/business models?What would you prioritize in terms of energy aspects or
efficiency and social
implications of living in a PED? Which aspects are more relevant for you?


Annex 83 together with other PED initiatives is developing a database of PEDs and PED-Labs: what would be your main interest in consulting the database?Having the outcomes from PED guidelines analysis, what information would be the most interesting for you to see?Who can benefit from the PED research studies and Annex 83 results? Which stakeholders are interested?
CategoriesKey Characteristics
Facts and FiguresPhysical sizes/population size
Geographical location
Climate
Density
Built form
Land use
Energy demand
Renewable energy potential
TechnologiesRenewable energy supplies
Energy-efficiency measures
Energy distribution (e.g., co-generation, district network)
Energy storage
Mobility solutions
Quality of LifeUser comfort
Social-economic conditions
Health impacts (e.g., air pollution, noise pollution)
Accessibility to green space
Accessibility to services (e.g., bike lane,
public transportation)
Local value/sense of community
OthersRegulations/Policies
Stakeholder involvement
Local targets and ambitions
Local challenges
Impacts of PEDs
TypeQuality Categories
TangibleIndoor and outdoor
environmental quality
Physical quality and comfort of the environment
Security and safety
Level and accessibility of servicingPublic and active transport facilities including walkability, energy services (access to affordable energy including access to energy efficiency), sustainable waste management
Access to daily life amenities including education, culture, sports, coworking and study places, provisions for children, but even common gardens or community kitchens
Aesthetic quality
Functional mix
Future-proofness
Acceptable cost of life (affordability, inclusivity)
Equity and just transition
Functional links to realizing circularity and reducing emissions
Citizen engagementInvolvement in decision-making
Social diversity in participation
Access to greeneryThe possibility to reconnect with nature
Sufficient open space
Information flowFrom creating awareness over enhancing knowledge and literacy up to capacity of control
Transparency on energy flows and information for the end prosumer
Insight in applicable PED solutions and in healthy lifestyles
IntangibleSense of well-being
Quality of social connections
Sense of personal achievement
Level of self-esteem
Sense of community
Degree of cooperation and engagement for the common interest
Time spent with friends (outdoor)
Budget available at the end of the month to spend freely
Not being aware or realizing of living in a PED
Technology GroupsSolutions
Energy efficiencyNew energy-efficient buildings and building retrofitting.
Nature-based solutions (natural sinks) and carbon capture solutions (CCS)
Efficient resource management
Efficient water systems for agriculture (smart agriculture, hydroponics, agrivoltaics, etc.)
Organic photovoltaics and a circular approach (second life materials, like batteries)
Energy flexibilityHardwareStorage (long-term and short-term)
Monitoring systems (sensors, smart meters, PLCs *, energy management systems, etc.)
Vehicle to grid
Heat pumps
Electronic devices like IoT * technologies
Buildings fully automated with real time monitoring behind-the-meter and automated actions
Cybersecurity, data rights and data access
Demand management and remote control of devices
SoftwareEdge computing
Machine learning
Blockchain
Digital twins
5G
City management platform and platforms for city planning (space, refurbishment, climate change, etc.)
E-mobilityPromotion of shared vehicles over individual car use, lift sharing, and alternative ways (like micromobility) to collective transports
Soft mobilityPromotion of a lifestyle that require less use of cars, i.e., “soft mobility” solutions like low emission zones or banning the entrance of some type of car (e.g., Singapore and Iran have policies in place to allow only certain car groups to drive freely in certain periods)
E-vehicle charging stations and vehicle-to-grid solutions
Low-carbon generationPhotovoltaics
Energy communities
Electrification of heating and cooling (H&C) using heat pumps, district heating networks utilizing waste heat, or solar thermal technologies
Virtual production
Fusion technology
Challenges and BarriersKey Topics
Capacity building and
policy issues
Political and legal barriers
Regulatory frameworks and policy constraints
Tailored legislation
Bridging the knowledge gap
Inadequate data sharing practices
Securing sufficient financial resources
Lack of clear regulations defining PED classification
Active involvement of policymakers
Widespread dissemination of knowledge
Collaborative data-sharing efforts
Securing adequate funding
Establishing supportive policies and regulations
Social challenges and
considerations
Cultural barriers
Access to affordable and sustainable energy for all
Building social agreements and fostering collaboration
Energy literacy
Addressing personal behavior acceptance
Transition strategy for inclusivity
Social inclusion and trust-building
Data sharing and privacy concerns
Overcoming public opposition and promoting knowledge dissemination
Financial barriersLong-term storage investment and space competition
Insufficient investment
High upfront costs
Allocation of costs among stakeholders
Incentives for participation
Addressing investment challenges for different stakeholders
Accounting for battery costs
Data managementData standardization
Data security measures and protocols
Sustainability and maintenance of data infrastructure
Privacy regulations and data anonymization techniques
Sustainable business models and ownership structuresStandardization of control technologies and replication strategies
Grid management approaches
Deep penetration of sustainable technologies
Implementation of predictive models
Long-term maintenance activities and resident data collection
Balancing diverse requirements
Addressing grid operation challenges
Managing multiple independent energy districts
Inclusivity strategies for digital technology reliance
Managing production peaks and defining the role of buildings and districts
Effective management strategies for grid congestion and
stability
Categories of InnovationInnovation TypesPossible Revenues/Advantages
in PED Business
Model/Governance
Possible Costs/Drawbacks in PED Business
Model/Governance
ConfigurationProfit ModelProviding thermal comfort
instead of a certain amount of thermal energy to inhabitants
Misconducts or rebound effect
NetworkInclusion of the PED into larger projects and international
networks, possibility of
co-financing and knowledge sharing
Misalignment or delay of the PED project to the original timeline due to constrains related to international activities and networking
StructureParticipation of the real estate companies/investors in the development and management of the energy infrastructure and EV mobility services as well as building managementLack of knowledge, involvement in activities out of the usual business of investors
Free or almost free thermal
energy supply from “waste
energy” sources
Failure of the network due to unliteral decisions of a member in ceasing the provision of
energy
ProcessInvolvement of future inhabitants in the design phase of the energy community since the early stage, to share the sense of belonging and ownershipReluctancy of inhabitants to participate in additional expenses or being involved in “entrepreneurial” activities or bored by the participation in boards and governance structures
OfferingProduct PerformanceInvestors and companies
involved in the PED
development take profit from their role of frontrunner
placing them before the
competitors or entering in new market niches
Hi-tech BA and BEM systems may result costly in O&M, because of digital components, cloud and computing services, rapid aging of technology
Product SystemIncluding EV available for PED users may generate new incomes and reduce the need
of individual cars. The
integration of EV in the
energy system may offer
“flexibility services”
Lack of knowledge, involvement in activities out of the usual business of investors/real estate companies.
Low interest of users in participating to the flexibility market, because of discomfort (unexpected empty battery of the EV)
ExperienceServicesProvision of high tech and high-performance buildings, with outstanding energy performances (lower heating/cooling costs) and sophisticated Building Automation and Energy Management systemsSophisticated Building Automation and Energy Management systems may result “invasive” to users, asking for continuous interaction with complicate systems, or leaving them not enough freedom to choose (e.g., opening the windows is not possible to achieve some energy performance)
ChannelThe PED is promoted as a rewarding sustainable investment, this allows the city to attract more clean investments (public funds, investment funds, donors), speeding up the energy transitionThe communication of the characteristics of the PED is not done in the proper way
BrandGold class rated buildings may have an increased value on the market, resulting in higher selling and rental costs, occupancy rate. The high architectural quality is appreciated by the marketThe Branding/certification of the PED is not recognized by the market as an added value.
The development of the PED takes longer as expected.
Technology failures during the implementation or operation phase create a bad reputation and discourage future similar activities
Customer EngagementThe PED is available as a
digital twin, users are engaged via a dedicated app, allowing interaction, communication, reporting, monitoring of bills, etc.
The PED is perceived by users (e.g., social housing tenants) as a hassle and not responding to their needs, because they have not been involved in the identification of peculiar traits since the beginning
CategoryBeneficiaries
Citizens and communitiesCitizens, inhabitants, residents, general public, local communities and neighborhoods, municipalities and provinces, energy communities, and socially disadvantaged groups.
City decision-makers and plannersCity decision-makers, city planners, local authorities, policy-makers, public administrations, politicians, local and national governments.
ResearchScientists, publishers, and research organizations.
Private companies and technology developersPrivate companies of RES technologies, ICT companies, start-ups and new companies, entrepreneurs, technology developers and other companies involved in local development (tech development and evaluation).
Energy providersEnergy providers, grid operators.
Education stakeholdersStudents and teachers.
Non-governmental organizations (NGOs)NGOs and other civil society groups
CategoryComments
StrategiesMost comments dealt with the strategies on how to achieve PEDs, that should focus on success factors of PED initiatives, technologies and stakeholders rather than a standardized approach
ReferencesUseful information, special attention to Liwen Li, planning principles for integrating community empowerment into zero-carbon transformation
DefinitionsHelp to reduce uncertainty
BoundariesEnergy balance calculations, mobility, definition (of buildings)
FinanceFinancial mechanisms, support schemes
Citizen engagementFrom engagement to empowerment
ManagementProcess management, organizing involvement, information provision
PolicyIncentives, regional policies
Flexibility/Grid interactionTimesteps, credit system
FormDissemination through video and other forms (not only written information)
CategoryComments
Lessons learnedSpecial reference to real life implementation
ResultsData analysis and potential research on the field
Metadata as the useful information that can the real goal of consultation
Benchmarking to compare PEDs
Need to normalize results depending on a number of factors (size, location…) to really compare different initiatives
Privacy and data protection
Sets of technologies and solutions-
Economic parametersAs a way to benchmark the different PED technologies
Citizen engagement Energy poverty
Prosumers
From engagement to empowerment
Definition and boundariesNeed to standardize and have a reference framework to establish the energy balance
Contact personsIt is very valuable to have a contact address to ask more about the initiative
Regulatory frameworkDrivers and Enablers
The statements, opinions and data contained in all publications are solely those of the individual author(s) and contributor(s) and not of MDPI and/or the editor(s). MDPI and/or the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to people or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content.

Share and Cite

Kozlowska, A.; Guarino, F.; Volpe, R.; Bisello, A.; Gabaldòn, A.; Rezaei, A.; Albert-Seifried, V.; Alpagut, B.; Vandevyvere, H.; Reda, F.; et al. Positive Energy Districts: Fundamentals, Assessment Methodologies, Modeling and Research Gaps. Energies 2024 , 17 , 4425. https://doi.org/10.3390/en17174425

Kozlowska A, Guarino F, Volpe R, Bisello A, Gabaldòn A, Rezaei A, Albert-Seifried V, Alpagut B, Vandevyvere H, Reda F, et al. Positive Energy Districts: Fundamentals, Assessment Methodologies, Modeling and Research Gaps. Energies . 2024; 17(17):4425. https://doi.org/10.3390/en17174425

Kozlowska, Anna, Francesco Guarino, Rosaria Volpe, Adriano Bisello, Andrea Gabaldòn, Abolfazl Rezaei, Vicky Albert-Seifried, Beril Alpagut, Han Vandevyvere, Francesco Reda, and et al. 2024. "Positive Energy Districts: Fundamentals, Assessment Methodologies, Modeling and Research Gaps" Energies 17, no. 17: 4425. https://doi.org/10.3390/en17174425

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