We cannot solve the climate change problem without the transformation of cities and buildings.
Up to 70 per cent of the global emissions of greenhouse gases come from cities, while the share of buildings within that number is around 40 or even 50 per cent.
The issue is becoming even more complicated due to the fact that the urbanization rate till 2050 will reach 68 per cent, and that is a significant raise concerning actual 55 per cent of a total number of people living today in cities worldwide.
The digitalization will be the key transformation driver.
According to the Paris Agreement, by 2050, all buildings have to be net zero-carbon emission and to achieve that goal, a few major standards will have to be applied.
The buildings ultra-efficiency is attained by reduction of the energy sources consumption by approximately three times, their complete electrification, while the systems in the building must be ready to rely on renewable energy sources and to work with flexible energy sources located in the building and connected with up-to-date and digitalized networks, to increase the total efficiency of the system.
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Additionally, the combination of the efficient, completely electrified and digitalized distribution networks, greater usage of distributed energy production, investment in energy storage and electromobility, will be accommodating in management and control of energy demands. The grids’ complete digitalization will improve the cities’ total energy demands through automatization and notification in real time.
The digitalized networks will also foster the integration of renewable energy sources into the system and facilitate the transition to electromobility and distribution of the batteries for energy storage and EV charging.
The facility that is the symbol of this ultra-efficient electric and digital future of the cities is T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, the joint project of the companies AEG and MGM Resorts International, in cooperation with Schneider Electric.
Having the LEED Gold certificate, T-Mobile Arena uses the Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure platform in the whole building to establish the complete digital connection and continual control. Having been open for twelve months, T-Mobile Arena has saved 18 per cent of electricity, and this building stands for the sustainability model we should be following.
You can read the article in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine SMART CITIES, december 2020 – february 2021.
