Smart UrbanEnergy for Schools
Overview
Smart UrbanEnergy for Schools is a landmark innovation and a key element of CUD’s Connected and Sustainable Energy and Buildings frameworks. Begun in fall 2008, the pilot project is a collaborative effort involving Cisco IBSG—the global strategic consulting arm of Cisco—the Portuguese Ministry of Education, EDP - Energias de Portugal, and the CUD partner city of Lisbon. The organizations are jointly applying an urban services platform approach toward which visionary cities and the ICT industry are moving. Lisbon is the first city worldwide to launch a Smart UrbanEnergy for Schools service.
Through a single, integrated, end-to-end approach to energy generation and management, the pilot intends to showcase how technology can improve global energy efficiency simultaneously in both the built environment and energy networks.
Schools were chosen as test beds because, besides being housed in complex buildings common to every city, they are the best gateway for raising awareness, changing behaviors, and disseminating good practices on sustainability across all sectors of society, attaining a relevant multiplying effect. The pilot takes a people-centric approach to energy efficiency that (1) promotes active involvement of a school’s population (students, teachers, families) and community in all stages of the program, and (2) makes the pilot’s results available as a source of educational material. Three of Lisbon’s public secondary schools—all currently undergoing retrofitting—were selected to participate in the pilot. These three schools form a representative sample of the different types of secondary schools one is likely to encounter in Portugal.
Three Lisbon Secondary Schools Are Participating in the CUD Pilot
Key Features
Smart and efficient energy management of school buildings: Ubiquitous, IP-based, real-time energy monitoring and management, effectively integrating all relevant sources of energy consumption in schools—ICT and networking equipment, HVAC, lighting, appliances, and so on. The three CUD pilot schools were selected as part of the worldwide Cisco EnergyWise Beta Test Program (expected end date: November 2009).
Local energy production and connection to the grid: Based on renewable energy sources (solar PV and/or micro wind-turbines) as an additional element of the schools’ energy monitoring and management system. Bidirectional, IP-based communication with the electricity network, supporting mechanisms of Demand-Side Management (DSM) to optimize schools’ energy efficiency policies and measures.
Participation and awareness of school population: Use of Web 2.0 tools to involve all schools and promote participation. The pilot includes two levels of school population engagement: (1) awareness and behavior change (real-time data, benchmarks, and carbon footprint calculators, allowing increased consumption visibility, sustainable school communities, and interactive spaces) and (2) participation in the technical layers of pilot implementation (school population involved as testers/evaluators; participation in some technical layers of the pilot, allowing students of technical degrees to gain and apply know-how in the field of energy).