Background
As one of the first initiatives of this newly established Cities TCP, the IEA Cities Task 2 “Data for Urban Energy Planning” will officially start on 1st January 2025. This task will support cities and municipalities in a field in which they are very familiar and have competencies, namely finance and decision-making capabilities: urban energy planning.
Task 2 will focus on urban energy planning covering many aspects such as data requirements, tools, methods, etc. Attention will be paid to how cities and municipalities can apply urban energy planning as an essential tool to enable the necessary change to ensure a high standard of living. The added value to cities and municipalities is that they will gain useful information and advice on how to shape the urban energy transition by collecting and analysing best practice examples worldwide.
International exchange between initiatives, research projects and frontrunners in this context will be highly important to leverage the effect of R&D resources, possible technology and skills transfer, training and capacity building.
Data is key in urban energy planning. Task 2 will explore and design methods and tools for data collection and develop applications and services for cities, municipalities and their representatives, also in the wider field of urban energy planning.
Urban energy planning includes all energy vectors (e.g., heating, cooling, electricity, mobility) with all their technical and non-technical (e.g., economic, legislative) aspects. In addition it also encompasses energy-related aspects such as energy poverty, education of citizens on energy and communication on energy-related issues. Task 2 aims to provide an overview of this field, while providing deep dives on selected topics with a focus on the R&D community respectively on the city and municipality perspective.
There is already great interest in participation in the Task from many countries including Austria, the Netherlands, Germany, France, Denmark, Spain, Sweden, Italy and Switzerland. The Task is led by AEE INTEC from Austria. Such an exchange of knowledge and expertise will drive the energy transition forward in cities and municipalities at all levels, and further support national initiatives such as the pioneering cities.
Objectives
- Provide a comprehensive overview of energy-related data necessities and potential for urban energy planning;
- Foster an exchange of experiences, knowledge, best practices, and use-cases for data-driven urban energy planning;
- Facilitate discourse on legislation, regulatory, and socio-economic aspects of urban energy planning;
- Identify scientific, regulatory, and data gaps, as well as demands for implementation and research;
- Pinpoint potential future topics for the Cities TCP;
- Establish a knowledge hub on data, methods and use cases for urban energy planning, benefiting cities, municipalities, and other stakeholders.
Activities
Next interim online meeting: 28th January 2025 13:00 CET
Meeting link: Click here
Agenda:
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- Official start working phase
- National contributions
- Factsheets
- Upcoming activities
Next in-person meeting: 25th-27th. March 2025
Location and exact date to be announced early 2025
Past Activities
3rd definition workshop IEA Cities Task 2 ”Data for Urban Energy Planning” will be held on the 16th & 17th of October 202413th and 14th March 2024 second workshop to further work on the activities in the task and to finalise the structure and responsibilities.Kick-off workshop held on 13th December 2023.
Deliverables
In Task 2, we are planning to work on different types of deliverables ranging from broader overviews on topics like climate action plans and data security down to hands-on guidance for specific issues like communal heat planning or data management plans.
“Landscape” Deliverables
These deliverables provide an overview of a broader topic and are aimed at supporting cities and stakeholders new to urban energy planning. These deliverables outline foundational concepts, such as types of data, families of methods, and general use cases where data can support energy planning. By creating a shared understanding of current practices, these deliverables enable cities to exchange good practices, accelerate the use of data-driven methods, and standardise perspectives across countries and regulatory frameworks. Multiple partners from different countries contribute to offer a global view that transcends local regulations.
“Focus On” Thematic Deliverables
These deliverables dive into specific issues or challenges related to urban energy planning and are more targeted at an expert level. For example, the deliverable could explore “building level data” or “barriers to data sharing.” They provide in-depth exploration through reports, presentations, and workshops. In addition, they may spark new collaborative projects by identifying key issues or opportunities within a particular sub domain.
“Cross-Fertilisation” or “Cross-Country” Deliverables
These highlight comparative studies across countries or regions, showing how different regulatory or geographical contexts affect energy planning outcomes. Such deliverables analyse topics like the potential for renewable energy or the impact of local regulations on data usage. By showcasing the diversity of solutions and the different barriers faced, these deliverables help identify best practices adaptable across varying contexts.
Status
Preparation
Time period
2023-2026
Operating Agent & Contact person
AEE – Institute for Sustainable Technologies
Tel.: +43 664 1012851
Participating countries
- Austria
- The Netherlands
