Defining a smart energy city
What is a smart energy city?
Smart cities are cities that use ICT and other novel technologies to improve the residents’ lives and make the city more liveable and efficient. When you talk about a smart energy city, the city focuses on technologies that enable sustainable energy consumption and energy production.
A smart energy city offers its residents a liveable, affordable, climate-friendly and engaging environment. These cities support the needs and interests of their users based on sustainable economy. One of the main approaches of a smart energy city is the focus on renewable energy sources and how to use them efficiently. Moreover, such cities use integrated and resilient resource systems to reach their goals of becoming as sustainable as possible.
What are the key elements of a smart energy city?
The concept of a smart energy city includes many different key elements. According to the European funded TRANSFORM project the following elements are the most important elements when talking about smart energy cities:
- Resource System Integration
This element focuses on the determination of optimal energy and resource efficiency. The integration should include physical, organizational and social aspects.
- Access to Energy Services
In a smart energy city it is crucial that every resident gains access to reliable, affordable and sustainable energy. This includes electricity, heating, cooling and gas.
- Resilience
Smart energy cities aim at long-term well-being of cities and their residents by effective planning and reacting appropriately to changes such as climate change.
- Energy Efficiency
Using energy efficiently.
- Renewable Energy
Smart energy cities want to reduce carbon emissions and the use of polluting energy sources and production. The aim is to use renewable energy sources.
- Active Users
Smart energy cities provide residents, businesses and academia with formal and informal networks to encourage them to actively participate in developing strategies and running the city as efficiently as possible.
- Sustainable Economy
This element provides an innovative clean tech sector and a large number of “green jobs”. The focus is on encouraging growth in the green industry and service sector.
These key elements explain the main approaches a smart energy city pursues. City officials running a smart energy city plan their city activities with the best sustainable energy solution in mind. The aim is to provide residents with the best green energy opportunities, help them save energy and money and make their city a city of the future. Smart energy solutions do not only save money but also deal with efficient energy production and consumption. At the end of the day a smart energy city wants to reduce carbon emissions and the use of polluting energy sources and increase the efficient use of renewable energy sources.