Author: ISOCARP Institute

Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) enables transport from A to B utilizing either public transport, personal transport by shared cars/EVs and/or bikes/EBikes, or a mixture of several/all transport modes. If electric options are used, it is known as e-Mobility-as-a-Service (eMaaS).

Micro Generation involves small-scale production of energy for local consumers via technology such as solar panels, “miniwind” turbines, or other mini Combined Heat and Power (CHP) generators.

A Local Energy Market is a transparent market accessible for all appropriately metered assets – independent of size – within a Positive Energy Block (PEB) or District (PED), which could involve local production or local consumption. It is the basis for an Energy Community.

In the +CityxChange project, a Learning Framework is an infrastructure for intergenerational learning initiatives and learning events with youth participation in Distributed Positive Energy Blocks (DPEBs) at its core.

In the +CityxChange project, an Innovation Playground is an area of a city where different virtual and physical places and activities related to innovation are brought together into a coherent whole to facilitate collaboration, empower citizens, and find new ways of addressing challenges that matter to people.

Flexibility trading means swapping energy, capacity and system services products in a local market. It can be understood as shifting energy use/production patterns in time to keep the grid operational even with lots of renewables.

Financial models being developed by the +CityxChange project are a “shift” from traditional public financial resources, available at national and local level, to other EU funds and contractual models, such as Public Private Partnership (PPP), ESCOs and others, able to attract private capital.

Energy Service Companies (ESCO) are businesses providing energy solutions including designs and implementation of energy savings projects, energy conservation, energy infrastructure, outsourcing power generation and energy supply, and financing methods (Source: SEAI Glossary, 2017, pp 72). In short, they take over energy renovations of buildings and remove the financial risk for owners.

Energy trading, in the context of the  ‘Common EU energy market’, means local energy producers and prosumers can trade energy.

Energy efficiency means eliminating energy waste by reducing the amount of energy required to provide products and services. As an example, insulating a building would allow it to use less heating energy to achieve and maintain a comfortable temperature during winter, thus making it more energy efficient.