There is probably no country in Europe where a historic city could not be named. These cities are a source of pride and identity for its citizens which is why national governments try to ensure their protection and conservation. Ironically, historic cities often face legal restrictions in the retrofitting of buildings of historical interest thereby presenting obstacles in the efforts for the preservation and sustainable development of these cities. In the context of Europe’s renewable energy transition however, EU-funded projects are now taking the lead in developing innovative smart city technologies while respecting urban cultural heritage and involving city administrators, planners, universities, entrepreneurs and citizens.
From cultural heritage cities to smart cultural heritage cities
The EU-funded project called A Positive Energy CITY Transformation Framework (POCITYF), composed of 46 partners from 13 countries is an example of a leading initiative aiming to transform historical and cultural cities into more efficient, healthy, sustainable living environments. To gather expertise on these topics in cultural heritage areas, a working group called Smart Heritage Cities has been established as part of the project. It gathers a community of professionals and facilitates the exchange of practices and knowledge in the field of smart cities and communities to achieve Positive Energy Blocks, while addressing the constraints experienced in heritage cities. Furthermore, it engages partners and followers to work on common initiatives and projects as well as increases the support provided for local and regional agencies and SMEs on the energy transition challenge.
During the group’s first meeting, problems inherent to twenty-first-century cities were discussed. Solutions on how to address them were then presented through the combination of breakthrough initiatives such as the Positive Energy Blocks, e-mobility, or innovative ICT technologies. The group also recently held its second meeting where EU Funding and other Financing Resources for Smart Innovation in Historical Cities were discussed.
The working group is also part of the work on Clustering and Coordination with Smart City Initiatives and Partnerships. The outcomes of the POCITYF project and its working group emphasize the importance to think locally. Heritage laws are regulated at municipal level and these initiatives show that we do not have to wait for things to change nationally in order to have a positive impact on the regulatory framework.
Positive energy blocks in the context of historical cities
POCITYF aims for the creation of “Positive Energy Blocks/Districts”, which are groups of buildings that actively manage their energy consumption and the energy flow between them and the wider energy system. Positive energy districts have an annual positive energy balance.
The city of Évora located in Alentejo, Portugal, a medium-sized, modern and touristic city, was classified World Heritage in 1986 by UNESCO. The city has previously been awarded with the title of the first Iberian Smart Grid City. Now, Évora is one of the lighthouse cities in the framework of the POCITYF project wherein measures aimed to sustainability, at the most varied levels, will be implemented.
In the city’s historic centre, all buildings are protected and subject to very strict conservation rules. Hence, most of the solutions for optimising buildings are being redesigned according to the requirements of Évora Municipality and the Cultural Heritage Administration policies. To overcome these obstacles, POCITYF will optimise the energy efficiency of buildings and improve their renewable generation. Solutions presented include PV glasses, PV canopies, Tegosolar roofs, traditional PV shingles, bidirectional smart inverters, energy routers and buildings management systems. Other innovations, acting at a district-scale, are smart lamp posts with E-vehicle charging, a P2P energy platform and a community solar farm. This contributes to several energy saving solutions that will be implemented, increasing local penetration of renewable energy through solutions that respect the city’s architectural façade.
More information:
Read more about POICITYF’s lighthouse cities and solutions here.
Learn more about the Smart Heritage Cities Working Group here.
