29 Jul 2021
Vaccine or not, we have to come to terms with the reality that COVID-19 requires us to rethink how we live. And that includes the idea of smart cities that use advanced technologies to serve citizens. This has become critical in a time of pandemic.
But as we prepare to move beyond this crisis, cities need to design systems that are prepared to handle the next pandemic. Better still, they will reduce the chances of another one.
Issues of trust are central
In a world of egalitarian governments and ethical corporations, the solution to a coronavirus-like pandemic would be simple: a complete individual-level track and trace system. It would use geolocation data and CCTV image recognition, complemented by remote biometric sensors. While some such governments and corporations do exist, putting so much information in the hands of a few, without airtight privacy controls, could lay the foundations of an Orwellian world.
Our research on smart city challenges suggests a robust solution should be a mix of protocols and norms covering technology, processes and people. To avoid the perils of individual-level monitoring systems, we need to focus on how to leverage technology to modify voluntary citizen behaviour.
This is not a trivial challenge. Desired behaviours that maximise societal benefit may not align with individual preferences in the short run. In part, this could be due to misplaced beliefs or misunderstanding of the long-term consequences.
As an example, despite the rapid spread of COVID-19 in the US, many states have had public protests against lockdowns. A serious proportion of polled Americans believe this pandemic is a hoax, or that its threat is being exaggerated for political reasons.
With industry majors being positive about the government’s plans on meeting the target of 175 GW of installed clean energy capacity by 2022, Budget 2020 was rather a much-awaited affair for the renewable energy industry. To help us further understand the hits and misses (though not anticipated but, if any) of this year’s budget, KPMG analysts present a detailed overview of the key announcements made for the renewable energy sector and they imply about the future of the sector. (The details have been presented in a report prepared by KPMG India’s Energy and Natural Resources department.)
Here are the implications these announcements might have on the future of the sector:
This is the primary time, a MoUD programme is mistreatment the ‘Challenge’ or competition technique to pick cities for funding and employing a strategy of area-based development. This captures the spirit of ‘competitive and cooperative federalism’.
States and ULBs can play a key ancillary role within the development of smart cities. Good leadership and vision at this level and skill to act resolutely are vital factors determinative the success of the Mission.
Understanding the ideas of retrofitting, renovation and Greenfield development by the policy manufacturers, implementers and different stakeholders at completely different levels would require capability help.
Major investments in time and resources can get to be created throughout the design section before participation within the Challenge. This can be completely different from the traditional DPR-driven approach.
The smart cities Mission needs good folks that actively participate in governance and reforms. National involvement is way quite a ceremonial participation in governance. good folks involve themselves within the definition of the good town, choices on deploying good Solutions, implementing reforms, doing additional with less and oversight throughout implementing and coming up with post-project structures so as to form the good town developments property. The participation of good folks is enabled by the SPV through increasing use of ICT, particularly mobile-based tools.
Having recognised that cities are the engines of growth and are drawing 1,000,000 individuals each minute from rural areas, the govt. has introduced the ‘Smart town Challenge’, delivering the in cumbrance of planned urbanisation to the states. Within the approach to the sensible Cities Mission, the target is to push cities that give core infrastructure and supply quality of life to voters, a clean and property atmosphere and application of ‘smart’ solutions. Those states that do to the rules and nominate cities may get funding of Rs a hundred large integer p.a. per town for ensuing 5 years. The funding could be a golden probability for states to rejuvenate their urban areas however the sensible Cities Mission still has its own challenges to face. Here are the highest 10:
1. Retrofitting existing heritage town infrastructure to form it smart: There are varieties of latent problems to think about once reviewing a sensible town strategy. The foremost vital is to work out the prevailing city’s weak areas that require utmost thought, e.g. 100-per-cent distribution of facility and sanitation. The combination of isolated heritage systems to realize wide efficiencies are often a big challenge.
2. Funding sensible cities: The High Power knowledgeable Committee (HPEC) on Investment Estimates in Urban Infrastructure has assessed a per-capita investment price (PCIC) of Rs 43,386 for a 20-year amount. Exploitation a mean figure of one million individuals in every of the a hundred sensible cities, the full estimate of investment necessities for the sensible town involves Rs seven hundred thousand large integer over twenty years (with associate degree annual step-up of ten per cent from 2009-20 to 2014-15). This interprets into associate degree annual demand of Rs 35,000 crore. One has to see however these comes are going to be supported because the majority of project want would move through complete personal investment or through PPPs (public-private partnership).
3. Handiness of programme or town development plan: Most of our cities don’t have master plans or a town development plan, that is that the key to sensible planning and implementation and encapsulates all a town has to improve and supply higher opportunities to its voters. Sadly 70-80 per cent of Indian cities don’t have one.
4. Money property of ULBs: Most ULBs aren't financially self-sustainable and tariff levels mounted by the ULBs for providing services typically don't mirror the value of activity constant. Although further investments are recovered in an exceedingly phased manner, inadequate price recovery can result in continued money losses.
5. Technical constraints of ULBs: Most ULBs have restricted technical capability to confirm timely and efficient implementation and sequent operations and maintenance due to restricted accomplishment over variety of years at the side of inability of the ULBs to draw in better of talent at market competitive compensation rates.
6. Three-tier governance: victorious implementation of sensible town solutions desires effective horizontal and vertical coordination between numerous establishments providing numerous municipal amenities in addition as effective coordination between central government (MoUD), government and native government agencies on numerous problems associated with funding and sharing of best practices and repair delivery processes.
7. Providing clearances in an exceedingly timely manner: For timely completion of the project, all clearances ought to use on-line processes and be cleared in an exceedingly time-bound manner. A restrictive body ought to be got wind of for all utility services in order that grade enjoying field is formed obtainable to the personal sector and tariffs are set in an exceedingly manner that balances money property with quality.
8. Coping with a multivendor environment: Another major challenge within the Indian sensible town area is that (usually) package infrastructure in cities contains elements provided by totally different vendors. Hence, the power to handle complicated combos of sensible town solutions developed by multiple technology vendors becomes terribly vital.
9. Capability building programme: Building capability for a hundred sensible cities isn't a simple task and most bold comes is delayed due to lack of quality men, each at the centre and state levels. In terms of funds, solely around five per cent of the central allocation is also allotted for capability building programs that concentrate on coaching, discourse analysis, information exchange and a chic info. Investments in capability building programs have a number impact as they assist in time-bound completion of comes and in coming up with programs, developing college, building databases in addition as coming up with tool kits and call support systems. As of these have a lag time, capability building has to be reinforced right at the start.
10. Dependability of utility services: For any sensible town within the world, the main target is on dependability of utility services, whether or not it's electricity, water, phone or broadband services. Sensible cities ought to have universal access to electricity 24×7; this is often inconceivable with the prevailing offer and distribution system. Cities got to shift towards renewable sources and concentrate on inexperienced buildings and inexperienced transport to cut back the requirement for electricity.
Is Solar Power the Future for Smart Cities?
It may have started with sensible cars and sensible homes, however as technology advances, the "smart" trend is taking on entire cities. Across the country and therefore the world, cities of all sizes area unit reworking their infrastructure, systems, and operations to maximize new technologies and integrate connected solutions into the terribly cloth of however they operate and look after their voters. Through advances in information assortment and analytics, they will anticipate and reply to daily challenges like traffic flow and potential emergencies like severe storms.
But these new sensible cities are not simply forward-thinking once it involves the most effective ways that to serve the general public — several of them also are pioneering efforts to include property and energy potency into developing sensible town solutions. Integration of solar energy and alternative renewable energy sources is quickly changing into a trademark of sensible urban planning. Here's a glance at a number of the innovative ways that sensible town initiatives and school leaders area unit harnessing solar energy in their quest to make the cities of the longer term.
Federal Government focuses on sensible and Property Development
Last year, the Administration proclaimed a $160 million investment into sensible town development. The initiative required a stress on solutions to manage the economic process, crime rates, and — apparently — global climate change.
While the property hasn't traditionally been a high priority in urban planning, the present state of the setting is quickly ever-changing that trend. Innovators and school mogul’s area unit specializing in energy potency and their environmental impact over ever before. Sensible resolution suppliers area unit following suit, providing hi-tech infrastructure choices which will facilitate town governments save on energy prices at the same time as they cut back their carbon output. This is often Associate in the Nursing particularly sensible pairing as a result of it permits municipalities to consolidate efforts to enhance the quality of life and property below one umbrella initiative, instead of in multiple separate solutions.
Department of Transportation Makes DC star a Partner for sensible town Challenge other government department’s area unit pushing smaller initiatives for property sensible town development, too. The sensible town Challenge, for example — a contest instigated by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) — offered up to $40 million to town that came up with the most effective "smart city" set up. The challenge inspired cities to become totally integrated and connected victimization sensible technology and property energy to form however individuals and product get from one place to a different.
DC star partnered with the U.S. DOT, giving mobile star generators and electric vehicle chargers price $1.5 million to winning town Columbus, Ohio. Additionally, the corporate pledged to figure with the opposite six competition cities to adopt mobile star technology and incorporate the use of electric cars into town infrastructure. DC star also will facilitate the cities convert diesel off-grid power generators to star.
IBM Predicts Weather Patterns to maximize solar energy
The movement toward adopting renewable energy to power sensible cities is not while not its hurdles. Solar energy is nice as long because the sun is shining, however cloudy days will minimize the energy output star arrays will manufacture. One grid-tied home losing star potency is not an enormous downside, however, once a city-wide infrastructure is tied to solar energy production, having the ability to set up around periods of low potency is crucial.
In a trial to mitigate the impact of overcast weather, school big IBM is staring at ways that to accurately predict bad weather. As a part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Sun Shot Initiative, IBM has conducted analysis that they claim produces weather predictions that area unit half-hour a lot of correct than the National Weather Service.
Increased accuracy can facilitate town governments and utility firms recognize beforehand what quantity sun a star plant can receive at any given time, permitting them to raised set up their power masses. With the correct response, this foresight has the potential to save lots of cash and cut back reliance on coal and gas power plants that usually got to obtain the slack once clouds appear.
These examples area unit simply the tip of the iceberg once it involves sensible town initiatives. Due to solar energy efforts and alternative renewable energy sources, the town of the longer term goes to be a lot of economical, a lot of connections, and a lot of property. Creating cities smarter and greener can amendment the manner municipalities operate and facilitate voters maximize their potential as accountable, property members of a world community?
Azure power to put in top star comes on government buildings
Independent solar energy producer Azure Power these days proclaimed it's bagged a contract to put in two power unit capability top star comes for Udaipur sensible town restricted (USCL).
As per the contract, the company’s subsidiary Azure Roof Power can style, supply, install, commission and operate the grid-connected top star Photo-Voltaic (PV) comes for twenty-five years at multiple government buildings in Udaipur. The project is calculable to save lots of twenty-five per cent of USCL’s existing electricity price.
“Rooftop star forms a necessary a part of the sensible cities development and is remedies to the growing infrastructural issues of the Asian nation to create a better and a lot of property future. In 2013, we have a tendency to designed the primary MW-scale top project in Gandhinagar below the sensible town initiative and recently we've got worked on many sensible towns comes in Bhubaneshwar and Cuttack,” same Inderpreet Wadhwa, Founder, Chairman and Chief officer of Azure Power.
Role of alternative energy in developing sensible Cities in the country
Smart Cities in the country
In Gregorian calendar month 2016, the Asian nation government proclaimed a listing of twenty cities to be developed into sensible cities in India. Today’s era contains everything that's sensible – be it smartphones, sensible individuals or the construct of sensible town. Primarily a wise town is a complicated urban city/ city that have the well-connected infrastructure and communications through information centers and automatic networks. The Asian nation is expecting to develop ninety-eight such cities altogether. These cities can become a model town for a property and ultra-modern way.
Importance of alternative energy in smart cities of India
Hence these cities will become the developing centers to push the applying of alternative energy on an outsized and property scale of India. Star applications like star street lights, star water heaters, upside star etc. will go an extended method in conveyance a clean and inexperienced living vogue to those smart cities. Not solely can these smart cities improve the conditions in Republic of India in terms of employment generation And an urban living vogue, it'll conjointly go an extended method in promoting the usage of renewable kinds of energy and therefore facilitate the country fight the growing considerations of worldwide warming and pollution.
It has already been mandated that 100% of the smart cities’ energy demand can return from alternative energy and a minimum of eightieth buildings ought to be energy economical and inexperienced buildings. With an inspiration to develop or so one hundred such cities, the speed of renewable energy usage can go up within the country.
Alternative energy solutions for sensible cities
The vision of a contemporary Asian nation encapsulates the conception of 'smart cities' to deal with the phenomenally speedy urbanization of our nation. The govt. has proclaimed plans to form 100 sensible cities to satisfy the challenge of the longer term, because it has been calculable that by 2050 India's urban community’s are expected to rise to a thumping fifty per cent of the population. Significantly, regarding sixty six per cent of the world's population would then be living in urban areas. Cities worldwide would consume simple fraction of worldwide energy and contribute up to eighty per cent of worldwide greenhouse emission. At present, regarding three hundred million of our countrymen live sans electricity. Therefore, we've protracted thanks to go as way as our endeavors to administer basic wants and quality of life to voters is involved. This, indeed, could be a warning sign.
The vision of a contemporary are encapsulates the conception of 'smart cities' to deal with the phenomenally speedy urbanization of our nation. The govt. has proclaimed plans to form 100 sensible cities to satisfy the challenge of the longer term, because it has been calculable that by 2050 India's urban community’s are expected to rise to a thumping fifty per cent of the population. Significantly, regarding sixty six per cent of the world's population would then be living in urban areas. Cities worldwide would consume simple fraction of worldwide energy and contribute up to eighty per cent of worldwide greenhouse emission. At present, regarding three hundred million of our countrymen live sans electricity. Therefore, we've protracted thanks to go as way as our endeavors to administer basic wants and quality of life to voter’s are involved. This, indeed, could be a warning sign.
However, India would positively return up with answers for such challenges of the twenty first century supported its civilization's knowledge and attribute. Indians are conservative naturally, however precocious with such qualities as resilience, ability and frugalness - these are our strengths. For instance, even those that will afford to pay the next electricity bill can have solely such lights switched on as are essential. Most homes have one house that's unbroken cool within the summer or warm up in winter. Entire homes are rarely climate-controlled. If one were to require a glance at rural Asian nation, a revolution of kinds has taken place within the past few years. Light-emitting diode lamps have replaced traditional electrical bulbs all over, thereby saving an enormous quantity of electricity.
It is calculable that by 2030, India's energy demand can increase by virtually two hundred per cent. in line with an analysis allotted by the ministry of recent and renewable energy, at an doable and conservative gross domestic product increase of half-dozen.5 per cent, our energy would like would bit 7,55,719 MW. This was capably exhorted by the prime minister at the COP twenty one summits in Paris - "We ought to guarantee, within the spirit of climate justice, that the lifetime of some doesn't force out the opportunities for the various still on the initial steps of the event ladder". whereas coal is probably going to be our dominant energy supply for the close to and mid-term future, we have a tendency to are doubtless to ascertain larger use of other, carbon-free sources of energy like gas, hydro, nuclear and a bunch of alternative renewable sources.
We have no alternative however to travel sure less and fewer fossil fuels and step by step enhance dependence on nature-based clean and renewable energy sources and reach planned targets in an exceedingly time-bound manner. What’s additional vital is that we've to reinforce investments in research project and develop technologies to maximise the assembly, storage and loss-free distribution of unpolluted energy. Besides that, new technology would want to be exploited to evolve energy-saving and energy-efficient techniques and build the entire initiative property as an integrated 'smart energy system'. India, as an accountable international player, has set for itself formidable targets of, firstly, cutting carbon emissions intensity of its gross domestic product by thirty five per cent from 2005 levels by 2030 with forty per cent of its energy returning from 'non-fossil fuels'. Secondly, it aims at making a hundred seventy five GW of renewable energy by 2022, of that a hundred GW would be made from alternative energy. The International star Alliance was launched throughout the COP twenty one summit in Paris by Narendra Modi and therefore the French president, François Hollande. The latter not solely praised India's initiative however conjointly assured handsome support by France. This step would possibly well become another pillar of the strategic partnership between the 2 countries. The importance of alternative energy as another power supply has so been globally enshrined.
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