Siemens has announced the following four U.S. cities are now using its City Performance Tool (CyPT), an adaptation platform, to identify and implement sustainable infrastructure that creates jobs through the installation, operation and maintenance of low carbon energy, mobility and sustainable building systems.
Charlotte, N.C.
According to a prepared statement by the company, the tool determined 16 building and transportation technologies that could help the city of Charlotte reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent as they create upwards of 100,000 jobs by 2050.
Siemens worked with the Charlotte’s Sustainability Office to review potential impacts of investing in technologies that could contribute to a smart, sustainable future in the city.
The CyPT tool gives us an opportunity to understand the impact that certain technologies would have as we plan for a sustainable future,” said Rob Phocas, the city’s sustainability director.
Key CyPT findings include:
- Buildings contribute to 75 percent of Charlotte’s greenhouse gas emissions, so smart building technologies will have the greatest impact on Charlotte’s sustainability goals.
- Approximately 95 percent of the city’s residents rely on cars to commute. Electronic car sharing could create almost 22,000 jobs by 2050, while intelligent traffic lights would optimize traffic flow.
- E-ticketing for multi-modal transit planning tool could shift people out of cars and onto public transportation.
Access Charlotte’s CyPT report.
Orlando, Fla.
Siemens is deploying CyPT to help the city of Orlando create a technology roadmap as part of its Green Works Orlando initiative. The tool will evaluate city data and provide an analysis of opportunities for economic development and sustainable infrastructure planning.
“We have set aggressive goals to reduce our environmental impact through our Green Works Orlando initiative,” said Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer.
Configuring Orlando’s CyPT will require more than 350 data inputs from the city’s transport, energy and buildings sectors. Inputs include:
- Population and growth
- Electricity generation supply mix
- Transport modalities
- Travel patterns
- Building energy use
- Built environment footprint
A final report could be available by the end of 2017.
Pittsburgh, Pa.
The city of Pittsburgh has partnered with Siemens and 100 Resilient Cities (100RC) to implement the CyPT in order to analyze the economic and environmental impacts of the city’s proposed energy districts, an initiative to implement on-site power systems as part of the city’s ONEPGH Resilience Strategy.
“Cities serve as the key to solving issues like climate change, but we also need to recognize that cutting emissions does not mean impeding economic opportunity or healthier communities, but rather they go hand-in-hand and are mutually beneficial. We’re trying to plan for everyone in mind as we bring new energy solutions to Pittsburgh,” said Mayor William Peduto.
Further, Grant Ervin, Pittsburgh’s chief resilience officer, told Microgrid Knowledge that the tool will amplify the city’s pioneering distributed energy work.
Washington, D.C
The District of Columbia has a goal of reducing carbon emissions 80 percent by 2050. It has partnered with Siemens on a study that will use data from official District plans, including Sustainable DC, Climate Ready DC, and Clean Energy DC, to estimate emissions, air quality and jobs impacts for technologies as wide-ranging as electric vehicles, building automation systems and combined heat and power.
The sustainable infrastructure research is being done in conjunction with a Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance partnership.
Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Minneapolis, Minn., New Bedford, Mass., Portland, Ore., and Riverside, Calif., are also using the tool.