The world does not stop. Changes are going to be a constant in the coming years and everything is progressing faster and faster. For example, more and more populations move from the rural world to the big cities and the needs of cities, and therefore of their citizens, become more and more demanding. Not only does the number of homes , shops, buildings, offices and shopping centers increase, but the demands for comfort and equipment are also increasing. And that inevitably translates into higher energy consumption .
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Urban sustainability
After the industrial revolution, urban centers have become the great engines of modern economies, they are responsible in Spain for 80% of CO2 emissions and 75% of energy consumption. And that percentage does not stop growing every year, that is why more and more professionals who are experts in energy sustainability will be needed.
Not only are there migrations from the countryside to the city, but the world’s population continues to increase at a frantic rate, especially in parts of Africa and Asia. According to the 2014 United Nations report, the world has more than 7,000 million people, of which 54% live in urban areas, a proportion that will rise to 66% in 2050, at which time they will be exceeded. the 9,000 million inhabitants on the entire planet. Will there be energy for everyone?
With these figures we have a huge challenge ahead, perhaps one of the most important in history. The future involves transforming cities into more sustainable and efficient spaces by changing the way they produce and consume energy. If we succeed, the next decade will surely be remembered for the one that changed the energy model of cities.
For countries like Spain whose energy consumption is based on hydrocarbons, a clear commitment to renewable energy would mean creating an efficient energy model that would make us more competitive and, of course, more independent from abroad.
The urban centers are being transformed into “smart cities” thanks to the change of model in terms of the generation, distribution and consumption of energy. And, in this transformation of cities, sustainable mobility, the lighting of public spaces and the rehabilitation of buildings under energy efficiency criteria play a fundamental role. This is where the application of a whole series of advanced solutions and technologies is necessary, such as the use of big data, to help the most sustainable and efficient growth possible in urban environments.
New technologies
Currently the most mature technologies that have a higher level of implementation in large metropolises are smart meters, low consumption LED lighting, the renovation of air conditioning systems, sustainable architecture, vehicle tracking or monitoring systems and different mobility applications to improve public transport or infrastructure.
As important data, it is calculated that, if all the world’s lighting were switched to LED, the potential savings would amount to 128,000 million euros and the reduction of 670 tons of CO2 emissions. Data that encourage us to continue betting on efficient models in our cities, because not only will we win, but also the environment.
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