Electric Vehicle

Smartcity, the energy efficient city project led by Endesa

SmartCity, the energy efficient city project led by Endesa, has launched its website (www.smartcitymalaga.es) and has posted a promotional video on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZPSe5DoBf0), to raise awareness among customers, consumers and users. The new website provides details of all the initiatives that will be carried out in Malaga – which plays host to the project – as well as information on events, activities and advances made. Regarding the video, it is the third time Endesa has chosen to take advantage of YouTube’s huge capacity to disseminate information to a large number of citizens.

The SmartCity project is headed by Endesa, which is leading a group of eleven companies to develop a new energy management model for cities to achieve increased energy efficiency, lower CO2 emissions and increased consumption of renewable energy. The overall objective of the project is to achieve 20% energy savings, and to reduce CO2 emissions by 6,000 tonnes per year. The project will be conducted on Malaga’s seafront promenade, and will benefit 300 industrial customers, 900 service providers and 11,000 households.

At the end of last year, the consortium led by Endesa signed project finance agreements with the Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology (CDTI) under the auspices of the Ministry of Science and Innovation: Euro 21 million of a total budget for the four-year project of Euro 31 million.

SmartCity will involve optimal grid integration of renewable-energy sources to better balance supply and demand by installing photovoltaic panels on public buildings, using micro power generation in a number of hotels and installing micro wind power systems in the area.

Batteries will be used to store the energy generated, so that some of the energy can later be used for climate control of buildings, public lighting and electric transport. Furthermore, recharging stations will be installed and a small fleet of electric vehicles will be dispatched to encourage the use of electric cars.

Above all, however, the aim is to make end-users into active participants in this effort. All the customers involved in the project will be provided with new intelligent meters which have been developed for remote management to encourage more sustainable electricity consumption. The installation of advanced telecommunications and remote control systems will permit real-time and automated adjustments to the distribution network for a new form of energy management and better service.

Endesa is heading a team of leading companies from the sector, who are working together to develop this ambitious plan. The companies involved are: Enel, Acciona, IBM, Sadiel, Ormazábal, Neo Metrics, Isotrol, Telvent, Ingeteam and Greenpower. Other contributors include various universities as well as national and regional research centres.

www.endesa.es