Modeling Structural Equations to Balance the Positive Energy Area in Cities

Recently, the concept of a Positive Energy District (PED) has been deeply discussed, and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) has been widely used in sustainability studies to model the relationships between latent and manifest variables of this concept. This article is presented through an educational and fundamental approach to balancing positive energies by introducing a basic framework. The latter includes energy efficiency functions, energy production functions, and household energy consumption. In this article, while describing how to use SEM, the authors propose a model including dependent, independent, mediating, and moderating variables. The results of data analysis show that the introduced model is able to estimate the effect of positive energy balance on climate-friendly neighborhoods and environmental sustainability indicators. The relationship between energy balance works positively and will be a key solution for energy systems that are transitioning towards carbon-free urban designs.