We put great importance to data protection and therefore use the data you provide to us with upmost care. You can handle the data you provide to us in your personal dashboard. You will find our complete regulations on data protection and clarification of your rights in our privacy notice. By using the website and its offers and navigating further, you accept the regulations of our privacy notice and terms and conditions.
BABLE Solutions are expert-curated blueprints for efficiently implementable Smart City projects. Each Smart City Solution contains detailed and relevant information, while also linking to relevant Use Cases and Innovative Products.
Solution
Improving energy efficiency of the building stock in a city needs strategic and long-term thinking. Complex ownership structures, market barriers, diversity of building typologies, consumer preferences and multiple stakeholders involved in the construction and retrofitting of a building makes energy efficient buildings a challenge even with the advanced technological developments. However, to realise positive energy districts and reach the ambitious climate goals set forward by cities, zero and positive energy buildings play a critical role. A variety of initiatives worldwide have proven that while a complex challenge, Energy Efficient Retrofitting of buildings is possible and has huge impact towards greener and more resilient cities. Problems to be solved Energy loss in buildings Use of inadequate materials Energy poverty Transition from fossil fuels Make technologies available Energy demand in buildings
Solution
Global energy demand has risen sharply over the past decade. The reasons for this include economic growth, population growth and the industrialisation of developing countries. Such energy demand must be met in the most stable and sustainable way possible, using renewable energies ( Proton OnSite, 2016 ). Variable electricity generation is a common phenomenon when dealing with renewable resources e.g. wind and sun. Thus, there can be a mismatch between the energy generated and the consumption patterns, leading to the fact that the energy is not necessarily produced at the time it is needed. Furthermore, due to the decentralised and widespread energy generation by renewable sources, the energy is not necessarily produced in places with demand. Energy Storage Systems decouple energy production and consumption, and therefore, can help balance the system by storing energy available at the moment, which is not immediately needed, for future use ( Distributed Control Methods and Cyber Security Issues in Microgrids, 2020 ). Problems to be solved Indirect by increased renewable energy integration: Fossil-fuel energy production Carbon emissions Detrimental air quality Fossil-fuel dependency Directly through storage solutions: Voltage and frequency regulation Grid instability Geographical imbalances Peak shaving Efficiency of renewables Utilisation rate of renewable production
Solution
The city infrastructure must be able to respond to various challenges including catastrophic events, natural disasters, terrorist attacks and further cases of emergencies. For that purpose, an integrated emergency handling system is required that can close the gap between emergency centres and the citizens. On the one hand, this system should be able to acquire information from and around citizens based, for instance, on social networks or various sensors distributed in the vicinity in question. On the other hand, the system can provide means for pushing notifications and relevant information to citizens who are potentially in danger.
Solution
Resilience has become a buzzword within urban planning spheres as a strategic approach in addressing the complexities of challenges confronting the natural, economic, social, physical, and Institutional dimensions of cities. Urban resilience refers to the ability of an urban system and all its constituents across temporal and spatial scales to maintain or rapidly return to desired functions in the face of a disturbance, to adapt to change and to quickly transform systems that limit current or future adaptive capacity ( Meerow, 2016 ). Resilience requires a cyclical implementation of preparation, response, recovery, and mitigation phases ( Mackinnon, 2015 ). This cyclical approach should ideally result in a city with resiliency characteristics. The characteristics of a resilient system, as suggested by Arup (2014), are illustrated and described in the figure below. Qualities of Resilient Systems ( Arup, 2014 ) Flexible: the ability of the system to change, evolve and adapt to changing circumstances through the introduction of new knowledge or adoption of alternative technologies. Redundant: spare capacity intentionally created within systems to accommodate disruptions e.g., increased demand or extreme pressures. If one component of the system fails, other pathways can be used to meet essential functional needs. Robust: the ability to withstand the impacts of extreme conditions and to avoid a catastrophic collapse of the city from the failure of a single element through the anticipation of system failures and provisions to maximize predictability and safety. Resourceful: the ability to rapidly find ways to meet needs during a shock or under stress e.g., by investing in the capacity to anticipate future conditions, set priorities, and mobilise and coordinate the required resources (human, financial, and physical). Reflective: the willingness to accept unpredictable outcomes and continuously modify standards to appropriately address contemporary shocks and stresses. Inclusive: the willingness to consult and engage members of the community, particularly those who are vulnerable. Integrated: the commitment to being mutually supportive of a common outcome through ongoing feedback systems and collaboration across different scales of operation throughout the city.
Solution
District heating and cooling systems distribute thermal energy in the form of steam, hot water, or chilled liquids, from central or decentralised sources of production through a network to multiple buildings or sites, for the use of space or process heating or cooling. For a lower environmental impact, a combination of recycled and renewable heat is the focus for district heating systems. Following the Paris Agreement in 2015 and the EU target to cut emissions by at least 40% below 1990 levels by 2030, there has been an increased effort from member states to foster district heating and cooling using alternative fuel sources and carbon-neutral heat-producing technologies. This transition is challenging as district heating supplies only 12% of the EU´s heat supply, with most of the energy produced from CHP plants powered by natural gas and solid fuels such as lignite. Problems to be solved Carbon emissions Low-efficient heat supply Fossil fuel dependency GHG emissions
Solution
Especially in less densely populated areas or for less mobile people a video conference system can ease access to lots of advice, education and government or legal services. All these services can be used without leaving the house when a smart home video communication system is successfully implemented. Possible advantages of a video conference system include enabling authentication of the participating parties, more readily accessible public services for people with disabilities, avoiding long waiting queues in public buildings, and more comprehensive care than can be provided via telephone. Once installed, this system may also be used for educational purposes, to communicate with family or to enable surveillance of one’s property.