Flemish cities think smart on energy
Eight cities commit to stepping up energy policies and doing their bit in the fight against climate change
Collaboration is the key
More than half of the world’s population will soon live in cities, according to UN statistics, and this number is substantially higher in Europe. The ideal “city of the future” differs considerably from the urban environment we are used to today.
The city of the future is often referred to as a “smart city” – smart in the way it produces and distributes energy, treats waste and organises the flow of goods and people. Eight Flemish cities have pledged to transform themselves into smart cities: Antwerp, Genk, Ghent (pictured), Hasselt, Kortrijk, Mechelen, Leuven and Ostend. Together they have formed the Smart Energy Cities Network, a sort of “classroom” in which each comes up with a project to make itself smarter when it comes to energy.
The eight are guided by the Flemish Institute of Technology (VITO) and EnergyVille, a research platform for sustainable energy and intelligent energy systems based in Genk. The cities will be encouraged to share their ideas.
“An important focal point for smart cities is the way in which they deal with energy,” says Guy Vekemans of VITO, whose title is “strategic developer of smart cities” at the Mol-based research centre. “Keeping this in mind, smart cities will always try to avoid a negative impact from their energy policy on the urban environment and the quality of life of its residents.”
Living labs
Collaboration is the key word in becoming a smart city. Vekemans says: “Since many individual cities and municipalities today are suffering from restricted budgets, collaboration between governments, companies, investors and community-based organisations is crucial. But even then, cities have to prioritise certain projects and bundle their financial resources. The initial transformation to a smart city starts with urban pilot projects. These allow us to study how smart cities look outside the lab – including economies of scale and the involvement of real people. We call these urban projects true living labs.”
The goal is not only to combat climate change but also to lower the energy bill of our citizens
One of these pilot projects is the development of a new climate plan by (and for) the city of Ghent. The city is looking for innovative solutions for a comprehensive energy policy at city, neighbourhood and even building level. In the district of Sint-Amandsberg, a range of measures will be applied to promote sustainable renovation of residences, encourage energy-efficient transport and help combat “energy poverty”.
“The goal of our climate policy is not only to help combat climate change but also to lower the energy bill of our citizens significantly,” says Tine Heyse of Groen, the alderman for environment, energy and climate in Ghent’s city administration. Heyse mentions the contemporary problem of energy poverty: “People with low incomes risk ending up in a poverty trap today, because they can’t keep up with the rising cost of energy. That’s why we will provide free energy scans for homes, specific subsidies, cheap loans and extra investments in council housing.”
The Ghent climate plan is being developed in close collaboration with its citizens, gathered under the flag of Ghent Climate Alliance.
Sustainable living
Another member of the Smart Energy Cities Network is Kortrijk, where the administration is working on a detailed supply-and-demand map of its energy use. “Our ambition is to combine this map with statistics such as population density, construction dates of individual buildings and potential for the integration of renewable energy,” says Gerda Flo, Kortrijk’s sustainability manager.
“For every individual neighbourhood, we want to know the best road to sustainable living. The aim is, of course, rational use of energy, but for one part of the city solar energy might be the best way to reach that goal, while for another this could be a district heating network or a complete renovation.”
Sustainability in its most tangible form will be realised in an urban development project called Kortrijk Weide. This currently fallow area will house a centre for adult education, a swimming pool, an event hall and a surrounding park. Flo explains: “The combination of several functions regarding buildings makes it possible for us to work out an integrated approach. Each of the buildings will get an ambitious water, material and energy programme, but just as important will be the benefits established by setting up smart combinations.
“For example, water neutrality - where every single drop of used water is reused - is difficult to achieve for every single building. But for the entire area, it’s a feasible ambition.”
The Smart Energy Cities Network is part of a wider European initiative, called Step-Up. It provides cities in the EU with financial support to realise certain innovations in terms of energy policy. Part of this initiative is the “mayor’s covenant”, a city’s commitment to an extensive reduction of CO2 emissions via energy efficiency and renewable energy.
Currently, more than 4,000 European cities have signed up. One of the goals of the covenant is to lower CO2 emissions by 20% by 2020. Ghent and Leuven have already gone further, by pledging to become climate-neutral by 2050.
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