This audio was created using Microsoft Azure Speech Services
Weather usually has the greatest external influence on the efficiency and performance of city infrastructure, from electrical distribution and traffic management to airport operations and public safety – which is exactly why the Smart City must have accurate weather forecasts.
Suppose you are in utilities management – in charge of your city’s energy load planning and generation and purchasing decisions. It’s your responsibility to avoid excess energy loads, reduce unnecessary expenditures, and make the decisions assuring reliable power for your customers. You want the most accurate temperature forecasts you can get, because extreme temperatures are the #1 driver of energy consumption.
Or, you’re the head of your city’s public works department – where your decisions about highway maintenance can dramatically affect the lives of your city’s denizens during the winter months. You want the most accurate precipitation forecasts you can get, so your managers can plan maintenance crew callouts, equipment startups, and salt or sand treatment – all in a way that is both effective and cost-efficient. Drivers of buses, cars, and trucks all depend on your highway and road management decisions. Schools and local businesses, too, are counting on your decisions.
While highly reliable temperature and precipitation forecasts often don’t make the list of must-haves in a sustainability strategy, they are a critical component in safe and efficient operation of a Smart City. Schneider Electric continually invests in its weather forecasting system, and as a result, its temperature and precipitation forecasts have been independently rated the most accurate in the industry – now for the sixth straight year. Many utilities and DOTs have affirmed that this accuracy makes a difference in their operations efficiency and quality of service provided to city residents.
