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实用程序Endesa重塑马拉加,西班牙作为智能城市

在欧洲,对智能城市的投资者兴趣正在增长 - 私人投资和政府支持的结合所展示,帮助马拉加成为西班牙最能源智能城市。

CITIES ARE GETTING SMARTER ABOUT THEIR energy use. That’s a wise move: By 2050 the global population will have reached an estimated 9 billion, 70 percent of it urbanized, according to the Washington-based Population Reference Bureau. Cities can greatly reduce their environmental impact by switching to energy-efficient power grids that rely on alternatives to fossil fuels. Málaga, a city of 560,000 on Spain’s Mediterranean coast, is best known as the birthplace of artist Pablo Picasso. But lately, it’s pulled ahead of global centers like London and New York thanks to an initiative led by Madrid-based electric utility Endesa, a subsidiary of Italian energy giant Enel. Málaga now ranks as the smartest city in Spain, according to IDC Energy Insights, a Framingham, Massachusetts–based energy technology consulting firm.

Low-carbon economies present an opportunity for institutions like property/casualty insurance firms in search of sound long-term investments, Munich-based insurer Allianz noted in its 2011 annual report. David Jones, CEO of Allianz Specialised Investments in London, champions returns on renewable-energy projects as higher than those from bonds and independent of swings in the capital markets.

Launched in 2009, the four-year Málaga project aims to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 6,000 tons each year and energy use by 20 percent annually. It includes 14 research centers, 11 technology companies, 12,000 homes and 300 industrial consumers. Endesa has installed some 11,000 smart meters that encourage customers to save money by shifting their power consumption to nonpeak hours.

马拉加是少数几个城市,这些城市是来自风力涡轮机和太阳能电池板的纯粹低容量可再生能源,其输出随着天气状况而变化而变化。在第一个这样的实验中,该项目将在基于内部和东京的三菱的三菱公司之间进行伙伴关系。该项目将测试智能运输系统,其中队列200辆零排放电动车。

“这个生活实验室是测试与智能电网有关的不同技术的最佳选择,得出结论,并准备一个成本效益的研究,分析不同产品和服务的盈利能力,”基于罗马的智能电网Cinzia Corsetti说欧洲和美国的新技术发展经理。

到目前为止,Málaga的endesa及其合作伙伴投入了3100万欧元(4100万美元)。这些项目是一个需要规模经济的项目的巨大前线成本。然后,监管机构帮助使智能城市成为现实。2008年,欧洲议会和欧洲联盟理事会通过了气候和能源立法,其中包括欧盟成员国的承诺,以至于2020年的可再生能源的20%。

Such a clear mandate has pushed the Málaga project and similar ventures along, says Roberta Bigliani, Milan-based head of the Europe, Middle East and Africa division at IDC Energy Insights. “If you don’t have that persuasion at the higher level, none of these things would have occurred,” she adds.

From 2000 to 2010 the European Investment Bank lent €58 billion to urban renewal and transportation projects, some of it through public-private partnerships called the Joint European Support for Sustainable Investment in City Areas (Jessica) funds. The EIB expects these projects to have a significant and long-lasting impact on sustainable urban development, explains Thomas Barrett, a Brussels-based director in the bank’s technical and financial advice department.

With European governments providing a strong regulatory framework and financial support, investor interest in smart cities is growing, says Eric Woods, a research director at the London office of clean-tech market intelligence firm Pike Research.

吉尔Feblowitz,a Framingham-based analyst at IDC Energy Insights who covers utilities and oil and gas, says most U.S. institutional investors prefer smart utilities to smart cities. That could change as states and municipalities play a bigger role in setting clean-energy policies. For instance, the New York State Public Service Commission adopted a smart-grid policy last August. America may soon look to Málaga for more than artistic inspiration. • •


Top Ten Intelligent U.S. Electric Utilities of 2011

Determined by energy technology consulting firm IDC Energy Insights and智能效用magazine, the annual UtiliQ ranking selects the 25 most intelligent U.S. utilities based on five metrics, including smart-grid initiatives.

COMPANY (LOCATION)OVERALL IQPRODUCTIVITY IQ可再生智商SMART-GRID IQ需求响应/能量效率/

PRICING IQ

它支出

IQ

1. San Diego Gas & Electric Co.

(San Diego, CA)

1691151342311491662. PG&E Corp.(San Francisco, CA)158118162187..1521203. Austin Energy(Austin, TX)153100.123225..171...1254. Pinnacle West Capital Corp.

(Phoenix, AZ)

1471121101642051185.南加州爱迪生

(Rosemead, CA)

1451161581661611196. Idacorp(Boise, ID)142113100..1931481277.萨克拉门托市政公用事业区

(Sacramento, CA)

140116172..1571311198. Portland General Electric Co.

(波特兰,或)

139117114220..1131209.盐河项目(Tempe, AZ)137116100..19112011910. JEA(Jacksonville, FL)136116100..221...112115资料来源:IDC能源见解。

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