Author: Methi Laithavewat

D9.21: +CityxChange Storytelling Workshops, inviting other LHCs and FCs 4

The deliverable D9.21: +CityxChange Storytelling Workshops, inviting other LHCs and FCs 4 was submitted by ISOCARP INSTITUE with contributions from NTNU, LCCC, TK, MAI, SB, MP, SMO, VORU, and COL in December 2022. The executive summary of the deliverable is available below and the full deliverable is at the end for download:

This deliverable describes the approach for the Storytelling Workshops in +CityxChange and reports on the Storytelling Workshop 05 held in Písek (November 2022) at the annual consortium meeting.

The Storytelling Workshops are an integral part of the knowledge development and exchange in- and outside the +CityxChange project and are embedded in Work Package 9 – Intra-Project Collaboration and Clustering. The deliverable is contributing to Task 9.3: Extra-Project Cooperation with existing LHCs and FCs through clustering events run by +CityxChange consortium, focusing on the exchange with other Lighthouse and Follower Cities. Led by ISOCARP Institute, the Storytelling Workshops are jointly organised with the Work Package Lead, NTNU, as well as the +CityxChange cities. To ensure an active exchange with other stakeholders and SCC-01 projects, representatives of the projects are invited to the Workshops.

This deliverable is the fourth of five annual reports on Storytelling Workshops and the series aims to report on a total of ten Workshops which will be carried out bi-annually over the course of the project. The Workshops are organised as part of the yearly consortium meetings and intermediary Learning Workshops.

Storytelling Workshop 05 focused on citizen engagement in the +CityxChange project, drawing on recent experiences in follower cities, to enable discussion on the value, approach and optimal procedures for citizen engagement in complex technical projects. The session used a transmedia format in which four videos were made with representatives of four follower cities, exploring their stories of citizen participation and isolating challenges within these. Group and plenary discussions then focused on the challenges presented in the videos, and attendees were tasked with co-creating solutions. Outcomes reflected on the value of citizen engagement in technical projects, outlining the importance of intentful and prolonged participatory processes, to mutual benefit.

D11.13 Data Management Plan 5

The deliverable D11.13 Data Management Plan 5 was submitted by NTNU with contributions from all partners in December 2022. The executive summary of the deliverable is available below and the full deliverable is at the end for download:

This deliverable constitutes the fifth version of the Data Management Plan for the +CityxChange project. It specifies Data Governance and handling of data in the project, types of data expected to be generated in the project, and if and how it will be made open and accessible for verification and re-use. It will also specify curation and preservation, with details such as ethical, privacy, and security issues.

All beneficiaries are informed of the applicable regulations around human participation, informed consent, data processing, data security, and the pertinent regulations such as GDPR or H2020 Ethics or FAIR guidelines. When personal data collection or processing is started, the DMP information will be updated accordingly to include updated data summaries, consent forms, compliance, and institutional approval where necessary. Processing of personal data will respect the Data Protection Principles. This document provides an overview of data handling in the project and provides the initial guidelines for the project. The project will support openness according to the EU FAIR approach and the principle “as open as possible, as closed as necessary” together with the project ambition of “Open by Default”.

This document is an update of D11.5: Data Management Plan – Initial Version, D11.7 Data Management Plan 2, D11.16 Data Management Plan 3, D11.10 Data Management Plan 4 and supersedes those documents. Changes to previous versions are detailed in the introduction section.

D7.14: Data Collection and Management Guideline Reports 4

The deliverable D7.14: Data Collection and Management Guideline Reports 4 was submitted by KPMG FA with contributions from LCCC, UL, MP, SMO, MAI, NTNU and TK in November 2022. The executive summary of the deliverable is available below and the full deliverable is at the end for download:

“The objective of Task 7.4, Developing Practical Recommendations and Guideline Reports based on +CityxChange (+CxC) Results, is to create practical recommendations and guideline reports which detail, analyse and interpret the aggregated data collected during the M&E process, and deliver technical recommendations related to the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), energy, community, mobility, environmental and regulatory interventions implemented in the project. The guidelines and recommendations in this report were produced through a data triangulation process, incorporating qualitative feedback from partners, KPI data generated by the design and execution of +CxC 2 Demonstration Projects (DPs), and by leveraging the knowledge generated through the project (e.g. deliverables, events, storytelling and learning workshops, meeting minutes).

Previous iterations of this deliverable, namely Deliverable 7.5 – Data Collection and Management Guideline Report 1 (D7.5), Deliverable 7.8 – Data Collection and Management Guidelines Report 2 (D7.8) and Deliverable 7.11 – Data Collection and Management Guidelines 4 (D7.11) have focused on developing and detailing the mechanism for conducting qualitative evaluation. This mechanism includes processes to identify and select interventions, classify them into themes and link them to associated evaluation guidelines, record and facilitate feedback collection (e.g. post-activity interviews, feedback form), monitor progress and identify lessons learnt through comprehensive M&E processes including: feedback analysis received from partners, review of associated project documentation, alignment to international best practices (e.g. SCC1 M&E task group). All of the above allow Work Package 7 (WP7) to ensure that a robust and conclusive M&E process is set in place and that actionable guidelines and recommendations are being produced as result.

Deliverable 7.14 – Data Collection and Management Guidelines Report 4 (D7.14) offers an update on the functioning of the Evaluation Framework and provides clear recommendations and guidelines that have been produced in the reporting period between October 2021 and September 2022. Four topics were explored, each offering specific recommendations which are built upon in Section 3. Table 1 provides a brief overview and update of recommendations as established in D7.11.

Table 1: Overview of Recommendations

The deliverable also includes future considerations and upcoming interventions for the next reporting period (October 2022- October 2023).” 

D7.11: Data Collection and Management Guideline Reports 3

The deliverable D7.11: Data Collection and Management Guideline Reports 3 was submitted by KPMG FA with contributions from LCCC, UL, ISOCARP, MP, NTNU and KPMG FA in November 2022. The executive summary of the deliverable is available below and the full deliverable is at the end for download:

“The objective of Task 7.4, Developing Practical Recommendations and Guideline Reports based on +CityxChange Results, is to create practical recommendations and guideline reports which detail, analyse and interpret the aggregated data collected during the M&E process, and deliver recommendations related to the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), energy, community, mobility, environmental and regulatory interventions implemented in the project. The guidelines and recommendations in this report were produced through a data triangulation process, incorporating qualitative feedback from partners, KPI data generated by the design and execution of +CityxChange 2 Demonstration Projects (DPs), and by leveraging the knowledge generated through the project (e.g. deliverables, events, storytelling and learning workshops, meeting minutes).

Previous iterations of this deliverable, namely Deliverable 7.5 – Data Collection and Management Guideline Report 1 (D7.5), and Deliverable 7.8 – Data Collection and 3 Management Guidelines Report 2 (D7.8) have focused on developing and detailing the 4 mechanism for conducting qualitative evaluation. This mechanism includes processes to identify and select interventions, classify them into themes and link them to associated evaluation guidelines, record and facilitate feedback collection (e.g. post-activity interviews, feedback forms), monitor progress and identify lessons learnt through comprehensive M&E processes including: feedback analysis received from partners, review of associated project documentation, alignment to international best practices (e.g. SCC1 M&E task group). All of the above allow Work Package 7 (WP7) to ensure that a robust and conclusive M&E process is set in place and that actionable guidelines and recommendations are being produced as result.

Deliverable 7.11 – Data Collection and Management Guidelines Report 3 (D7.11) offers an update on the functioning of the Evaluation Framework and provides clear recommendations and guidelines that have been produced in the reporting period between June 2021 (submission of D7.8) and October 2021. Five topics were explored, each offering specific recommendations which are built upon in Section 2.2. Table 1 provides a brief overview of recommendations. The central theme of feedback collected from partners within this specific reporting period is Community Engagement (Project Theme 7). This, however, led to the emergence of other key topics for analysis such as the ones listed in Table 1 below. These will be discussed in further detail in Section 3.1.2.

Table 1: Overview of Recommendations

The deliverable also includes future considerations and upcoming interventions for the next reporting period (October 2021 – September 2022). The topics listed above will inform future discussions and form the basis of lessons learned and recommendations in the next reporting period.”

D4.7: Limerick 2050 Vision, Integrated Action Plan and Digital Guide

The deliverable D4.7: Limerick 2050 Vision, Integrated Action Plan and Digital Guide was submitted by LCCC, FAC and COL with contributions from UL, LCCC, SE, FAC, and IES in November 2022. The executive summary of the deliverable is available below and the full deliverable is at the end for download:

“This deliverable demonstrates how Limerick City and County Council utilised the Bold City Vision (BCV) Framework in supporting the strategic Limerick Development Plan 2022-2028. It will map and align the processes and initiatives used in preparing the draft plan that was published in July 2021 against the framework. A key outcome of this process is the development of a Roadmap for the decarbonisation of Limerick City by 2050 which will be developed into a coherent action plan utilising the BCV framework as part of Limerick’s Climate Action Plan which will be prepared in 2023.

The Limerick Development Plan 2022 is the first Development Plan to be prepared for the newly created Limerick City and County Council that was created in 2014. This new Authority merged the city and rural area of Limerick. The new authority will also see the election of Ireland’s first directly elected mayor by 2025. The plan is being prepared in accordance with national legislation and in the context of rapidly changing policy in particular in respect to the climate crisis and the post pandemic society that is emerging.

In this regard, Limerick has aligned the BCV framework within the context of the Irish policy hierarchy and legal frameworks that govern the preparation of Development Plans. Section 3 demonstrates how the various processes outlined in the BCV framework were implemented. In particular, it will evaluate existing participation and engagement processes including new and innovative practice being deployed in Limerick. Section 4 outlines the proposed Roadmap to decarbonising Limerick city centre. Section 5 highlights what is required to fully embrace and implement the underlying principles of the BCV framework into a fully integrated planning process that includes implementation, and replication. In particular, the emerging Limerick Decarbonisation Zone Action Plan and the Local Authority’s Climate Action Plan that will be prepared over the course of 2022 and 2023. These strategies will address the requirement to reduce carbon by 51% by 2050 and to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

The report will outline a number of key action plans that are to be prepared that will enable and support the creation of a Positive Energy City by 2050, and a framework on how Limerick can develop this capability to address the climate transition, together with local stakeholders.

D5.11: Trondheim dPEB Demonstration

The deliverable D5.11: Trondheim dPEB Demonstration was submitted by ABB, TK, TE, RK, SV, and 4C with contributions from NTNU, Entra, ARUP, Volue, and Skanska in October 2022. The executive summary of the deliverable is available below and the full deliverable is at the end for download:

“This D5.11 report describes, details, and summarises the planning for, setting up, and deployment of two positive energy blocks (dPEBs) in the European Lighthouse City of Trondheim: Brattøra and Sluppen. The report also provides a set of guidelines for establishing dPEBs and important learning points and experiences from the deployment of the LHC Trondheim dPEBs.

Important main steps as a guideline for establishing dPEBs based on the Trondheim set-up and experiences are as follows:

  1. Select buildings, define dPEB system border, and map existing local RES
  2. Map, analyse, and decide on viable (based on cost/benefit assessments) energy efficiency measures in the dPEB buildings, including building specific and total annual energy savings. Tune this list with building owner(s) and facilitate decisions on what interventions to perform, and decision processes concerning financing/funding of measures
  3. Map the needs for additional RES in order to obtain a positive dPEB balance
  4. Decide on additional RES, secure funding, and define an agreed stakeholder map with clear responsibilities and tasks for each partner/actor
  5. Map and analyse prevailing technical and digital infrastructures and decide on additional necessary infrastructure for integrating the buildings into the dPEB. Integrate all RES and necessary local management systems onto one central
    management system (DERMS)
  6. Perform step-by-step deployment of part solutions and evaluate the impacts along the way 
  7. Establish a system/set-up for digital displaying and benchmarking of the outcomes and impacts, related to your KPIs. Communication channels for this towards the general public is important, and should be set up.

In order to obtain scalable dPEBs, a variety of measures and interventions are necessary. The Trondheim dPEB approach and solutions constitute the following ingredients: Energy efficiency measures, local energy production from PV and heat pumps, large battery storages to buffer surplus PV production and provide temporary energy storage, waste heat utilisation, sector coupling EL-thermal sector, integration of all building and local area
assets onto one central management system, and establishment of local energy and
flexibility markets for energy coordination, and trade of energy, capacity, and system services. The local markets are based on innovative, project-developed energy trading and flexibility market solutions. Innovative energy solutions, services, and products claim the development of new investment and business models. In the +CityxChange project, these developments occur as a parallel demonstration project that will terminate and conclude through the D5.16 report +Trondheim sustainable investment and business concepts and models, that will be published during December 2022.

The development, set-up, and implementation of dPEBs that can be scaled to district level (PED) and beyond. This claims a specific and precisely defined set of actors with definite roles and responsibilities. The set of stakeholders needs to be defined and set up based on the types and list of measures and interventions for the specific dPEB and dPEB solutions. The crucial actors and their roles and main responsibilities for the dPEB set-up in Trondheim are as follows: Building owner(s) for the dPEB buildings, Asset/System integrator (all components in the dPEB need to be centrally controlled), Energy Trading Platform – ETP – developer and owner (for performing the trades in the Local Flexibility Market – LFM), LFM owner and operator, ESCO (for e.g. PV scheme at Sluppen), district heating network operator (district heating, distributed thermal energy solutions, sector coupling), EV sharing operator (EV batteries included through V2G EV charging).

Two dPEBs are deployed and demonstrated in LHC Trondheim: Sluppen and Brattøra:

Both dPEBs include local energy and flexibility markets with energy trading solutions as described above and large battery storages for surplus energy storage and buffering.

A selection of important experiences and learning points:

  •  The selection of viable buildings for the dPEB is crucial; detailed mapping and analyses needed (suitability, existing RES, efficiency potential, etc.)
  • Building energy efficiency measures to be selected based on cost/benefit – also up against cost/benefit for new RES and RES investments
  • Selection of and decision on the final package of efficiency and RES measures and interventions to be seen together; what is the most functionable and at the same time best package in terms of cost/benefit
  • Economic analysis of investments and savings earliest possible; secure and anchor investments at actors in early stage
  • A broad group of types of actors is needed in order to have functional dPEBs. Actor composition must be carefully selected
  • Extremely clear functions and roles for each participating actor must be defined and anchored at each partner; agreements and contracts to be set up when/where appropriate necessary but not mandatory
  • All buildings, assets, and dPEB interventions need to be integrated onto one central DERMS”

D4.8: Limerick Citizen Observatory

The deliverable D4.8: Limerick Citizen Observatory was submitted by LCCC and UL with contributions from LCCC, COL, MPower, and SE in October 2022. The executive summary of the deliverable is available below and the full deliverable is at the end for download:

“+CityxChange aims to engage with citizens to enable and empower them to create a more sustainable future. A key objective of the +CityxChange project is to co-develop solutions with citizens, change citizen behaviour, and boost participation in the clean energy transition by establishing new methods of citizen engagement and participation that can be replicated by follower cities. By trialling these methods in Limerick and embedding them into local frameworks the project aims to establish a new dynamic of collaboration that will enable local communities and administrative structures to adapt to the challenges resulting from climate change.

This deliverable describes the implementation of Task 4.3 Community-Led Open Innovation in Limerick which focuses on creating an open innovation ecosystem that fosters and influences positive energy behaviour across a wide stakeholder group of individuals, government, and business. It will document the development and establishment of a Citizens’ Observatory for the city as well as the engagement programme of community participation events and the establishment of a Positive Energy Champions Network as a means to empower citizens through community-led open innovation.

This report will detail the implementation of the CommunityxChange engagement frameworks which draw on Deliverables including D3.2 Delivery of the Citizen Participation Playbook, D3.3 Framework for Innovation Playgrounds, and D3.5 Framework for a Positive Energy Champion Network.

Flashback to see CxC progress from the city of Smolyan

Firstly, at the beginning of June, members of the +CxC team held their 3rd self-facilitated Climate Fresk in the co-creation space Sky Hub Smolyan with the participation of ninth-graders from PGI “Karl Marx”. The primary mission of the initiative was to familiarize children and adults with the causes of climate change. The understandable language in which the cause-and-effect relationships were described in the workshop kept students’ interest and made it easier for them to learn the connection between human activities and climate change. Students learned new concepts, discussed measures to combat climate change and gave their suggestions on which of them should be implemented in their city to make it more sustainable.

Secondly, over the two day course, 6-7 June, an energy efficiency expert from the Municipality of Smolyan held open lessons for ninth graders in the “Ivan Vazov” high school, Smolyan. The class focused on the tools provided by the Horizon Energy Box, a set of different modules were used to demonstrate different types of RES and how to use them together. The initiative aimed to gain interests in young people about using green energy through practical experiments that showed how different RES like solar panels, fuel cells, salt-water cells, etc., work. During the lessons, students learned the principles behind the demonstrated RES and had chances to perform experiments in a controlled environment.

Thirdly, from 20-26 June, Smolyan city organized a campaign to improve garbage collection. The survey was conducted through an online tool provided by Space Engagers, partners in the +CxC project, that enables the city and residents to experiment and work together to improve the urban space. As a result, citizens can express their opinion on where additional containers for household waste and containers for separate collection need to be placed. The municipality also received feedback where other containers such as park bins, public composters and construction waste receptacles are most needed. 65 responses were received and the survey showed increasing of interests in improving the waste management, the use of public compost bins, collecting plastic bottles and recycling bins. Some suggestions included: promotions of civic control, placement of waste receptacles based on the number of residents in the area, video surveillance on critical regions, fines for violators, information campaign about disposing electrical and electronic equipment and construction waste, introducing a collecting specific time.

Fourthly, The +CxC team from the Municipality of Smolyan facilitated the 4th Climate Fresk workshop, this time together with the youth organization “Young Innovators for Youth Development” YIYD. The event aimed to introduce wide audiences to climate change’s causes and consequences, and discussed possible solutions and the role each of us plays in preserving the environment. The participants showed great initiatives in giving specific measures and solutions implemented in the city by partnership between local government, civil society and business. Some ideas included adapting the urban environment for bicycle transportation, using electric scooters, replacing heating appliances, using rainwater, reforesting and cleaning green spaces, etc.

Fifthly, Smolyan city was facing many challenges in setting the Bold City Vision 2050. One of which was development a sustainable city environment. So that, on 13 and 20 July, the municipality asked children aged 6-12 – who joined the initiative “Summer Vacation in the Museum” by the Regional historical museum “Stoyo Shishkov” – to imagine how their city will be in the future. By using LEGO sets, the children played with building future Smolyan as their thoughts. They had options to work in a team or independently and created everything which they thought necessary, such as buildings, vehicles, equipment, robots, etc. After making mock-ups, each participant explained what they had created and where they placed it in the future city model.

LatelyOn 23 and 28 of June and 21 of July, experts from the +CxC team of the municipality organized demonstrations of the kit aimed at children aged 7-12 as part of Summer Programs organized by the Regional Library “Nikolay Vranchev” and the Regional History Museum “Stoyo Shishko. The Municipality acquired Horizon Energy Box to acknowledge students and the Next Generation Smart Citizen about RES. The Renewable Energy Box provided demonstration of how fuel cell technology interacting with renewable energy sources and creating an entirely sustainable power grid. There was a range of fuel cells to compare: PEM hydrogen fuel cell, the salt water fuel cell and a direct ethanol fuel cell. The box gave experiments and demonstrations about energy principles and had plenty of space for creativity. 

There are a lot of learning and interactive activities currently happening in Smoyan. You can take a look at  ОБЩИНА СМОЛЯН :: ПРОЕКТИ :: CITYXCHANGE (smolyan.bg) for original news available in Bulgarian.

Successful Matchmaking Story from The city of Sestao

 

 

We are very excited to announce that the city of Sestao has signed a contract with the European Energy Efficiency Fund (EEEF), officially joining the the EEEF´s Technical Assistance (TA) program. The contact between the two was a result of the Smart Cities Marketplace Matchmaking activities.

“It was exciting when we, the Smart Cities Marketplace matchmaking team, had our first conversations with Sestao. We noticed that the city has huge ambitions when it comes to implementing clean energy solutions, and we were confident that we could connect Sestao with the right investor”, Jorge Rodrigues de Almeida from the Smart Cities Marketplace team stated.

Sestao Berri is a public entity comprised of 50% Basque Government and 50% City of Sestao and is focused on urban regeneration, especially related to housing projects, promoting social, environmental and economic advancement in the region. As part of its involvement within the H2020 +CityxChange project, in which it is working towards developing Positive Energy Blocks in the city, it submitted a concept note during a Smart Cities Marketplace call for projects to participate in one of its events. The project was reviewed and sent to different investors from the Investor Network raising interest among several of them, and thus various meetings were scheduled, one being with EEEF. Since then, multiple projects within the city were considered, and different urban interventions ended up getting approved for entering the Technical Assistance programme, such as the creation of energy communities, buildings’ energy retrofit, modernization of street lighting, installation of electric vehicle charging stations and a digital sustainability platform, resulting in a higher total investment than the one presented in the initial concept note.

“We had a wealth of ideas in Sestao on how to reduce our emissions. The support and advice we received from the Smart Cities Marketplace matchmakers were essential in getting the European Energy Efficiency Fund on board”, Andy Bäcker explained.

In this sense, the European Energy Efficiency Fund (EEEF) is helping to finance the assessment of the technical, economic, and legal viability of these city improvements and help prepare the public tenders under an ESCO model that will be released in the Spring of 2023. It is, conservatively estimated, that this project will contribute to reducing 2.4% of Sestao´s CO2 emission (not accounting for the emissions from the industrial sector) and be the equivalent of having 647 citizens of Sestao living completely carbon neutral.

We are very happy to announce that the city of Trondheim has finished its Bold City Vision!

We are very happy to announce that the city of Trondheim has finished its Bold City Vision!  

Led by Astrid Haugslett and Kelly Riedesel, Vision for Sustainable Urban Transition – Bold City Vision – is Trondheim’s guide to becoming an energy positive city by 2050. The team also included Silja Rønningsen, Bjørn Ove Berthelsen, Tom Jensen, Leendert Wienhofen, Dirk Ahlers, Marit T. Myrstad, Jens, Vida, Cole Grabinsky, Klaus Livik, Kristian Mjøen Morten Wolden Courtney Killion, Annemie Wyckmans Kristian Dahlberg Hauge Øyvind S. Tanum Samah Elsaadi, Agata Krause, Henriette Louise Krogness and many more.

In order to create an energy positive city, there are many aspects that need to be considered. The vision is energy specific, but strongly connected to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This elevates the work by involving other sectors relevant for the multi-level, multi-disciplinary and multi-angle sustainable transformation.

Linking the SDGs to the Norwegian context, the BCV is a framework for Sustainable Societal Development. As a result of Trondheim’s role as a Lighthouse city and commitment to Sustainable Value Creation (SVC), Trondheim Municipality received 3rd place as Rising Innovative City in the 2021 European Capital of Innovation Awards. SCV is comprised of four pillars; potential, readiness, opportunity, and impact, and the BCV is directly connected to the second pillar, readiness. This is demonstrated within this deliverable, together with practical examples serving as guidance, as shown in the illustration below. 

There are two guidelines presented in the deliverable; “Guidelines on sustainable value creation” and “Guidelines to create an energy positive city by 2050”. They are both a result of the four pillars of SVC, built around the logic that they represent, but the guideline for LHC Trondheims BCV has some additional prerequisites and future recommendations based on lessons learned. “Guidelines to create an energy positive city by 2050” is accompanied by a visualisation of the Trondheim BCV integrating activities, actions, and measures over the time span, and displaying relations between crucial steps and actions. The guidelines will be useful for other cities and regions when exploring or expanding their scope and possibilities on achieving the SDGs and becoming an energy positive city. 

For more details about Bold City Vision story and guideline to create an energy positive city by 2050, check out Deliverable 5.7 in the +CxC Knowledge Base .