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Managing an urban center’s energy use is critical to providing a sustainable high quality of life for its citizens. Sustainable energy sources (green, efficient and liveable) are the other half of the energy equation when it comes to developing the Smart, Sustainable City. Plentiful energy from sustainable sources and efficient energy management technology are essential to making your city the envy of other cities when it comes to energy management.
Today, cities all across the globe are becoming more resourceful and mindful of their environments as they seek to improve across 5 main sectors: energy; mobility; water; public services; buildings and homes.
Take for example, the municipality of Middelfart, Denmark. I know that these Danish towns have some interesting names, but try to stay focused on the main point. Which is that the leaders of Middelfart recognized the challenges of growing urban populations worldwide, so they embraced the move to smart and green energy technology.
They aimed to reduce CO2 emissions and increase efficiency for 100 municipal buildings. Within a year, the city succeeded in achieving 20% reduced costs and significantly lowered CO2 emissions through efficient energy management.
By clearly outlining their goals, and choosing an energy management solution that fit their needs, they were able to improve information sharing, energy consumption, and resiliency to disruptions with stronger system control. Now, residents of this competitive and thriving city enjoy a higher quality of life.
Why do cities need to move toward smart and sustainable energy?
The numbers don’t lie. OK, maybe sometimes they do, but in this case, they are straight-up and compelling: Cities make up only 2% of the Earth’s surface, yet are home to 50% of the world population. Plus, cities produce 80% of global CO2 emissions and consume 75% of global energy. With growth in cities expected to expand by over 300 million people over the next decade, heavy demand on energy resources, aging infrastructure, and financial constraints will test the limits of the power grid.
There’s no way around it in the modern age. Smart and sustainable energy management should be on top of the agenda of every city in the world.
