Energy Focus Autumn 2020

Page 24

Power: Smart cities

A shifting energy landscape

There are many opportunities for the energy sector to engage in city sustainability and innovation programmes

Building smart, sustainable and resilient cities

Approximately Driving the adoption of smart grid technologies: Support for renewable generation by city authorities increases the pressure on utilities to deliver an infrastructure that can integrate these new resources in a manageable way and accelerates other changes in a city’s energy services. Investment in new grid infrastructure will be essential to help manage the shift to renewable energy and to increase the resilience of power networks during extreme weather events. Boosting energy efficiency initiatives: Collaboration between city departments and local energy utilities to improve energy efficiency is one of the simplest, most effective measures for reducing a city’s energy footprint. Coordinating programmes for energy efficiency improvements is an obvious step and enables cities and utilities to target the most appropriate residents, businesses and communities for retrofit and rebate programmes. It is also a way to create local jobs and build skills in economically disadvantaged communities. Increasing resilience: City goals and energy sector programmes also intersect in the need to build more resilient communities. Resilience is increasingly important as the impact of extreme weather events and other consequences of climate change became evident. Resilience is not just a question of identifying and acting on specific impacts. It also requires an assessment of a city’s complex and interconnected infrastructure and institutional systems that span the physical, economic, institutional and sociopolitical environment. Energy systems are at the heart of this complex web of

infrastructure interdependencies. A failure in the electricity network can have a dramatic impact on water, sewerage, health, communication and transportation systems.

2.5 billion more people will be living in cities

2030

by

placing extra demands on resources and services

There are many opportunities for the energy sector to engage in city sustainability and innovation programmes. Energy players and their partners looking to develop or expand their city activities should focus on the following steps: Engaging with local smart city stakeholder groups and leadership teams, and actively participating in the development of low-carbon city strategies. Energy companies can help chart viable programmes to turn ambitious city energy and emissions targets into reality. Delivering benefits for all communities. Energy providers have a unique connection to all city residents, which provides a strong basis for furthering community goals around social equity and helping improve and redefine customer relationships. Creating platforms for the delivery of new energy services that can also be a launchpad for innovative urban service offerings. Holistic thinking enables existing assets and services to become a base for expansion into other areas. Building partnerships between energy providers and technology companies. The combination of sector and service knowledge with technology leadership and innovation is a strong proposition. Establishing themselves as key orchestrators of new urban energy platforms and the ecosystems they support. Playing a central role in these new networks is key to the development of new services and business lines in the city of the future. The energy sector has a responsibility and an opportunity to work even more closely with local governments to ensure that more resilient, more sustainable, and more equitable cities emerge from the current crisis. By Eric Woods, Research Director for Smart Cities, Guidehouse Insights

24 energyfocus | www.the-eic.com

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