#Smart grids
Projects

The underground is filled with infrastructure and other assets, including electricity cables, fibre optic cables, gas pipelines, heat networks, sewers, and more. Additionally, underground spaces host natural elements crucial for maintaining a healthy urban environment, such as soil essential for urban trees. Consequently, various stakeholders regularly need access to the underground, each with their own interests, creating significant pressure on the underground. Frequent excavation leads to disruptions, extensive damage, and trees that don’t age past 60 (which is very young for trees).

Improvements can be made by enhancing collaboration among stakeholders, sharing more data, and collectively planning underground activities. Understanding the interests of all involved parties is crucial to developing an action plan aimed at enhancing the quality and management of the underground.

ATELIER is an EU funded project about AmsTErdam and BiLbao cItizen drivEn smaRt cities, aiming to create and replicate Positive Energy Districts (PEDs) within eight European cities. ATELIER showcases innovative solutions that integrate buildings with smart mobility and technologies to create rather than consume energy in its two Lighthouse Cities Amsterdam (Netherlands) and Bilbao (Spain). The Fellow Cities of ATELIER, Bratislava (Slovak Republic), Budapest (Hungary), Copenhagen (Denmark), Krakow (Poland), Matosinhos (Portugal), and Riga (Latvia), will replicate and adapt the successfully implemented solutions and thus serve as testbeds for future smart cities. Overall, ATELIER will thus generate an energy surplus of 1340 MWh of primary energy and save 1,7 kt of CO2 and 23 t of NOx-emissions.
To achieve successful implementations of energy saving measures, ATELIER puts citizens at the centre of all its activities: residents (<9000), local initiatives and energy communities will be included in decision-making processes and activities and will be strongly engaged in the development of the technical solutions throughout the project. Citizens will be involved in the Innovation Ateliers to create a maximum impact for the PEDs.
30 partners from 11 countries are working in 10 work packages.

Learn more about ATELIER at its public website (http://www.smartcity-atelier.eu/) or via the ATELIER Twitter and LinkedIn channels. Sign up here (link follows) for the ATELIER newsletter. Follow the project virtually and don’t miss an opportunity to come talk to its partners at events to learn more about how ATELIER will improve the life of its citizens and the liveability in its cities!

The climate crisis and current energy prices are stimulating a rapid shift from gas to electricity. This shift is happening quicker than expected and therefore has caused grid congestion.

Optimization of local energy usage, production, and exchange is important for tackling grid congestion. It can also stimulate the usage of sustainable energy resources and lower the costs of energy. However, optimization requires intensive collaboration between local stakeholders. It also requires them to take the common good into account instead of their self-interest.

Properly organizing these types of collaboration on the local level is therefore very challenging. There is a need to create a (as far as possible) standard approach with best practices and collaboration between the government, grid operators and the local communities. This challenge aims to create a collaboration between people working with Lokal Energy Systems (LES), to help them share their knowledge and learnings, and to empower people who want to create a LES of their own.

Across North West Europe, cities are increasingly investing in renewable energy production and charging infrastructure for electric vehicles. However, the control systems for energy generation, energy utilisation, energy storage and electric vehicle charging work are currently separate from each other. This results in high costs and CO2 emissions due to energy inefficiencies.

Electric vehicles are mostly powered by fossil fuel generated electricity. At the same time, renewable energy is inefficiently utilised because production and demand are not synchronised across the city.

The project CleanMobilEnergy will integrate various renewable energy sources, storage devices, electric vehicles and optimisation of energy consumption through one unique smart energy management system. The development of this intelligent Energy Management System (iEMS) will increase the economic value of renewable energy and significantly reduce CO2 emissions.

The iEMS will assure the smart integration through interoperability based on open standards for data flows and analysis tools.CleanMobilEnergy will make it possible for renewable energy sources to be used locally, so electric vehicles can be charged with 100 % renewable energy offered at an optimum price. Electrical energy from the grid will only be required when prices are low or renewable energy sources are not available, the iEMS monitors and optimises the system 24hours a day, 7 days a week.

One generic transnational iEMS will be adapted to the 4 specific City Pilots, in Arnhem, London, Schwäbisch Gmünd and Nottingham. These pilots range from small towns to large cities. The 4 City pilots cover different types of renewable energy, storage and electric vehicles as well as different contexts and diverse city environments.

The City Pilots will utilise different state-of-the-art storage media in various environments, which are representative of North West Europe and are easily replicated in other cities across Europe. Specifically in London and Nottingham, for example, electric vehicles themselves will be used to power the buildings and depot by using innovative bi-directional chargers controlled by the integrated energy management system iEMS.

In Arnhem, on the other hand, renewable energy will be supplied to ships in the harbour adjacent to its industrial area. These pilots were chosen to represent a wide range of city sizes and environments, which are essential to developing a widely applicable system for future implementation across Europe.

De jeugd heeft de toekomst en wil een bijdrage leveren aan een duurzamere maatschappij. Ze snappen dat een integrale aanpak en vergaande samenwerking tussen overheden en organisaties uit de energiesector, mobiliteit, gebouwde omgeving en  industrie nodig is om de doelen uit het Klimaatakkoord te realiseren.

Binnen het Nationale Energietraineeship werkt op dit moment een groep jonge ambitieuze talenten iedere vrijdag samen aan projecten. Ze leren op deze manier over grenzen kijken, grenzen van organisaties, grenzen van rollen en functies, hun eigen grenzen. Samen vormen ze een netwerk over de gehele keten.

Hier vind u een overzicht van de projecten waar ze mee bezig zijn. Wilt u een talentvolle trainee inzetten op uw eigen projecten? Kijk dan verder!

Amsterdam Zuidoost will build a large amount of new homes in the near future. This will will demand more capacity from the electricity network. With an increasing demand the energy network either needs investments to expand the capacity of the network, or we can explore smart solutions in the field of energy management.

LIFE City Platform
Together with the expected expansions of the network, smart management of energy at area level can help prepare Amsterdam Zuidoost for the future, without unnecessary investments in the current energy grid. The LIFE platform offers users the opportunity to make choices about energy exchange or storage based on economic motivation, sustainability or to support the energy grid. Futhermore, the project ensures that the energy that is generated in Amsterdam Zuidoost - and not immediately used - can be stored locally, such as in the Johan Cruijff ArenA battery.

'Ditgital twin'
An important part of the LIFE platform is the development of a “digital twin”. This digital twin is a digital representation of the ArenApoort area, in which the relevant buildings and energy infrastructure are simulated. All kinds of experiments and adjustments can then be carried out in this digital twin, such as adjustments to electricity prices and rates and the integration of more sustainable energy generation. This allows smart area-based energy to be exchanged after the optimal mix has been calculated using measurement data and artificial intelligence.

Want to know more about this electricity grid-friendly and community inclusive innovation to contribute to the energy transition? Visit our website>> 

Amsterdam Zuidoost aims to be energy neutral by 2040. To reach this goal, significant steps need to be taken. Not only do we need new technologies, there is also a need for smart ways to organize the transition, and for adaptations to our lifestyle. This requires cooperation among many different parties. Both from the government and residents, as well as from companies and researchers. Energy Lab Zuidoost brings these parties together.

Energy Lab Zuidoost
The Energy Lab Zuidoost is an initiative of the AMS Institute, the City of Amsterdam and the Urban Energy Institute of TU Delft. By experimenting together in different ‘Living Labs’, they develop and test new innovations in a real-life environment. This helps  understand what works and how to scale and implement these innovations in Amsterdam Zuidoost and other metropolitan environments.

The Energy Lab Zuidoost ensures the exchange of knowledge between different projects, organizations and disciplines. It connects scientific expertise to the urban challenges in Zuidoost and brings together academics from various disciplines. The ambition is to share the knowledge, so the innovations can be applied throughout Amsterdam and beyond.

Energy Lab Zuidoost focuses on three main topics around which they develop pilots and experiments:
- The sustainable renovation of homes
- Low temperature heat networks
- Local smart energy systems

For more info see the full animation about Enegry Lab Zuidoost (Dutch with English subtitles) on the AMS website >>

Te wicked? Niet voor ons.

Wij werken allemaal aan urgente, complexe, maatschappelijke uitdagingen. Issues die schier onoplosbaar lijken, van dilemma’s en paradoxen omgeven, nog niet duidelijk hoe het moet. Wel is duidelijk dát het moet, dat we elkaar nodig
hebben en dat we er NU aan moeten beginnen. Om met de woorden van Jan Rotmans te spreken; we leven niet in een tijdperk van verandering maar in een verandering van tijdperk. En hier hoort een nieuwe gereedschapskist bij.

En of je nou aan energietransitie werkt, andere mobiliteitssystemen, creëren van waterstofhubs, peer to peer autodeelsystemen, het maakt niet uit, we zien dat al deze opgaven op enig moment tegen gelijksoortige barrières aanlopen. Op samenwerking, financiering, privacy, onvoldoende aansluiting op de maatschappij, om maar een paar voorbeelden te noemen.

Unieke samenwerking
Als Amsterdam Smart City netwerk willen en kunnen we deze opgaven niet laten liggen. Door het bundelen van onze kennis en expertise kunnen we als netwerk iets unieks bieden en de wil en durf tonen om deze barrières te doorbreken. De betrokken partners die dit uitdenken en begeleiden zijn RHDHV, Kennisland, Drift, NEMO, Arcadis, Alliander, HvA en Metabolic. Zij bundelen hun expertise en ervaring om de echte vragen boven tafel te krijgen, tot nieuwe manieren van samenwerken te komen en barrières te doorbreken. We richten ons met name op de start van de samenwerking. Gezamenlijk ontwikkelen we een ‘wicked problem aanpak’. Op een nieuwe manier, lerend door te doen, exploratief.

Waar moet je aan denken?
Wat is eigenlijk het echte probleem? Wiens probleem is dit? Hoe kijken anderen er tegenaan? Welke andere partijen lijken nodig? Hoe vind je ze? Hoe ga je om met eigenaarschap en botsende frames? Hoe zorg je dat je al in
een vroeg stadium de maatschappij (bewoners, ondernemers, werknemers, etc) betrekt en hun ervaringen in het project trekt? Het wicked problem team zet nieuwe methoden in voor het beantwoorden van deze vragen. En het creëren van de benodigde commitment om het vraagstuk aan te pakken. Niets staat van te voren vast, want we passen ons aan aan wat we tegenkomen. Met elkaar ontwikkelen we een nieuwe aanpak om de barrières te doorbreken.

De energietransitie is een van de belangrijkste maatschappelijke thema’s van dit moment en van de komende jaren. Maar wat ís de energietransitie? En wat zijn de specifieke doelen? Wat is het verschil tussen ‘energieneutraal’, ‘klimaatneutraal’ en ‘CO₂-neutraal’? Welke rol kan waterstof (niet) gaan spelen in de gebouwde omgeving van de toekomst? En hoe zitten ons huidige energieverbruik en energiesysteem in elkaar? Deze en andere vragen worden beantwoord in het boek ‘De energietransitie uitgelegd’. Ook komt aan de orde waar de uitdagingen liggen voor de energietransitie en hoe het energiesysteem er in 2050 ongeveer uit zal zien.

‘De energietransitie uitgelegd’ biedt alle basiskennis die nodig is om het nieuws omtrent de energietransitie kritisch te kunnen volgen en een gefundeerde mening te vormen in discussies over dit thema. Er is geen specifieke voorkennis nodig om het boek te kunnen lezen, maar het gaat op bepaalde onderwerpen wel diep in. Hierdoor is het boek interessant voor zowel energie-professionals als geïnteresseerde leken.

Nieuwsgierig geworden? Bestel het boek via uw boekhandel, bol.com of door het sturen van een email aan info@degroenewaterlelie.nl. Bij een afname van 10 of meer boeken ontvang je 5% korting (alleen bij bestellingen via email).

Het boek is gedrukt op boomvrij papier. Er zijn alleen bio-inkten gebruikt en er is gewerkt zonder schadelijke oplosmiddelen.

You would like to connect with Urban Environmental Sustainability practitioners and researchers in China and exchange your approaches to green transport, clean energy, compact urban development, water and solid waste management, green buildings and municipal finance? Then sign up to the EC-Link platform! The platform links Eco Cities across Europe and China, offering inspiring examples from both sides of Eurasia and enabling direct contacts to the innovators. With the help of an integrated translation tool, posts can be translated into Chinese and English with just one click. Use of the platform is free of charge: http://eclink.org/bbs/#/?lang=en

A description of how the platform works can be downloaded here: http://eclink.org/ec_platform/upload/document/EC-Link_Users'%20Guide-EN.pdf

EC Link

As today's world presents us with a growing amount of global sustainability challenges, there is no going around the importance of building more sustainable solutions for the future. We are helping 8 sustainable solutions entrepreneurs with their internationalisation strategy and to help them achieve a global impact.
The Globaliser is a ten week programme for the international growth of Sustainable Solutions scale-ups.
You will build a solid internationalisation strategy with the use of DutchBasecamp’s tools, network and unique approach. The objective is to create a foundation, so you can channel your precious resources into unfamiliar territories with conviction.

What to expect?
Four sprints containing each a plenary session, specific homework and individual coaching by a seasoned entrepreneur.

After finishing you will have:
A validated international target market
A GTM strategy for that market
A solid international roadmap which will give you practical guidance on the next steps to take

The project aims to demonstrate and accelerate the empowerment of citizens to become active energy citizens - and to create local energy communities via existing civil society structures - through development of new solutions (e.g. organisational) and adoption of new, emerging and existing solutions for energy ownership.

Optimal use of our electricity grid

Flexpower Amsterdam

Pavnext´s solution consists of a road pavement equipment that allows kinetic energy to be extracted from vehicles and consequently reduce their motion speed without any action of the driver and without impacting the vehicle, thus promoting road safety at locations where it is required to circulate at low speed. The energy captured is then converted into electrical energy, which is produced without associated emissions and can be used in public street lighting, crosswalks, sensors, traffic lights, charging electric bicycles or even injected into the power grid. Additionally, Pavnext also provides real-time data regarding traffic and velocity, as well as generated and consumed energy, which are sent to the cloud and later used to generate reports and to optimize energy consumption in real time, promoting energy efficiency.

We are looking for new international partners that are interested in implementing pilot plants with us, to help us validate our product and reach TRL9. Please don´t hesitate to contact us if you´re interested.

HEAT is the number one solution to the prolonged decision-making processes typically involved in energy issues. HEAT allows parties to co-design and develop a heating grid.

Quick: HEAT provides instant feedback about your own actions and those of your partners, providing an immediate and clear understanding of your and their goals and interests, funding, and the sustainability of the design.

Effective: Any range of scenarios and designs can be tested without a problem using HEAT. Decision-making is speeded up and projects are implemented quicker.

Realistic: Realistic simulations based on real data and smart mathematical models. 3D simulations of the city or neighbourhood that you and your partners wish to make greener.

Herman can switch energy produced by solar panels to a specific household connected to it. Herman's Smart Grid enables it to distribute energy to a connected storage device as well. And Herman's Smart Grid can switch on or off or even manage household appliances to balance energy produced and energy used. And it can do so several times a day.

Addressing key moral considerations of smart energy systems that are relevant for both now and in the future.

Vehicle2Grid technology stands for the possibility to use the battery of an electric vehicle to charge at times when there is congestion in the grid and to feed the electricity back to the grid at a later stage.

City-zen was an international consortium, a program stimulating learning-by-doing in Grenoble and Amsterdam between March 2014 and November 2019. The results can be found in a booklet or in detailed reports. http://www.cityzen-smartcity.eu/home/reporting/deliverables/

Smart Stories

Check the article about Vehicle to Grid featured in our online magazine 'Smart Stories':

Renewable energy supply – such as solar and wind power – is growing and the energy supply coming from gas fired power plants is decreasing.

City-zen was an international consortium, a program stimulating learning-by-doing in Grenoble and Amsterdam between March 2014 and November 2019. The results can be found in a booklet or in detailed reports. http://www.cityzen-smartcity.eu/home/reporting/deliverables/

How can flexible strategies help grow sustainable energy and keep the electricity grid reliable at the lowest possible cost, while also revealing potential benefits for households?