How can an industrial area become "PlusEnergy" (meaning it produces more energy over the course of a year than it consumes) and contribute to the sustainable, climate-friendly development of an entire region? This is the central question of the AUE-3 project "From PlusEnergy Neighborhoods to the PlusEnergy City." The Burgholz industrial area serves as a pilot site for developing and testing PlusEnergy City (PEC) approaches (plusenergieburgholz.ch). The project brings together local businesses, the municipality, and other regional stakeholders to develop concrete implementation projects for sustainable energy use.

At the heart of the project is the question of how energy can be generated, used and managed more efficiently and collaboratively. To answer it; the project assesses local opportunities, identifies challenges and develops both individual and collective measures. Close cooperation with businesses based in the area and local decision-makers is a key element of the project, ensuring that the solutions are not only environmentally sound but also practical and feasible.

The project takes a hands-on approach: rather than developing purely theoretical concepts, it focuses on creating concrete pilot projects that can serve as examples for other municipalities and regions. Burgholz provides ideal conditions for this, bringing together a diverse range of stakeholders who can collectively develop, test and refine solutions directly on site.