Transforming Urban Energy Systems

While I was originally hired for Connected Urban Twins, I have had the opportunity to work on another project which is, Sustainable energy Positive and zero cARbon communitieS (SPARCS), under the direction of the same individual, Dr. Simon Albrecht. The projects both are working on the same concept but have different directions. The projects’ objectives are to display innovative solutions for planning and implementing integrated energy systems into districts in partner cities that will transform them into positive energy districts or more sustainable districts in the reduction of emissions and increased sustainability. Positive energy districts are neighborhoods in urban areas that strive for carbon neutrality or a net positive balance (where they produce more energy than consumption). CUT worked under similar software. Both projects both try to prove this with data. Nonetheless, SPARCS focuses on deploying metering devices, collecting data, and optimizing energy systems, while CUT overlaid that data as well as data that wasn’t about energy systems onto a digital twin of a city which allows urban planners to make better decisions.

The European/German work ethic is far more laid back than what I imagine corporate America to be. The work days seem to be shorter, the lunch breaks longer, and the supervisors more accommodating. Sometimes I go into the office, which is a very short tram ride away or rent one of Freiburg Freelo’s (their version of City Bike) which are free to students for the first 30 minutes. I am also allowed to work from home so many days I work from home or go to one of my favorite cafes to complete tasks.

One of my biggest projects so far has been extracting data from project reports, articles and presentations and consolidating them into the website BABLE, where public and private sector organizations can publish, access, and exchange important knowledge in the pursuit of accelerating positive change and innovation. Together with my partner intern, we have been looking at progress reports from the multiple partner cities, mostly focusing on Leipzig but also reading and working on a presentation about Leipzig, Germany; Espoo, Finland; Kifissia, Greece; Kladno, Czech Republic; Lviv, Ukraine; Maia, Portugal; and Reykjavik, Iceland. The projects that I have been producing profiles for include projects in Leipzig about integrating a BMW battery farm into the energy grid, the feasibility of tracking energy transactions in a consumers and prosumers market with blockchain technology, using smart outlets that can send notifications to users about reducing energy consumption during peak demand as well as prepaid and other models, upgrading business to electric, and about attaching sensors over a large wide area network (LoRaWAN) to provide data on things such as waste management parking spots and other amenities.