Smart City Initiatives

I am proud of the fact that at a time when pressures of urbanization is driving developed countries to make their cities smarter Indian government too has launched a visionary smart city program.

The ultimate objective of any smart city is to ensure good health of its citizens. They should meet the needs of the citizens while maintaining a pollution free environment which includes air, land and water.

Rooftop solar, electric busses and waste to energy are ideal starting points for attaining this objective. Smart cities worldwide have undertaken various projects employing cutting edge technology in these areas (among other areas such as water conservation, traffic management, healthcare, education etc.) with the objective of creating cities where the needs of citizen are met effectively and sustainably.

Rooftop solar

Provision of 24 X 7 electricity for its citizens is a must in a smart city. But this also has to be green to the maximum extent possible. Rooftop solar has to be a major player in any solution for this and is a ‘no brainer’ especially in a sunny country such as India. Countries which get much less sunshine compared to India such as Germany, USA and Japan are leaders in adopting grid-connected SPV Rooftop systems. Germany has highest PV installed capacity of over 38 GW of which 71% is in rooftop segment. Italy has 12.7 GW PV installation with over 60% rooftop systems. In Europe, out of total 50.6 GW PV installation, over 50% is produced in rooftop segment.

To start with all major buildings and complexes in a smart city must have roof top solar that should include all stadiums, airports, bus stand, railway stations, metro stations, hospitals, government buildings, schools, colleges, malls, streetlights, traffic lights, factories etc. All residential buildings should be encouraged to have roof top solar through measures such as no permitting process from DISCOM or CEIG for low capacity installations. Germany has no active permitting process for installations smaller than 30 kw and does not require visits by distribution grid operator or other local authorities. Smart cities should also consider the same.

To enable all the above smart cities must create a master plan for solar rooftop deployment. Through GIS techniques assess potential for solar roof top deployment. Engage technology firms to conduct weather pattern studies such as predicting cloud cover which will allow authorities to better plan their power loads. Assess upgradation and modernization requirements of the power distribution network to absorb rooftop solar and create an action plan to implement any upgrades. The approval process including net metering should be streamlined with well-defined timelines for each step.

Smart cities should have a dedicated website for rooftop solar for detailing out the approval process for simplicity and transparency. The timelines should be made public by publication of the entire procedures for interconnection on the DISCOM, SERC and the SNA’s websites. Hard to obtain information - such as distribution transformer level capacity available for connecting rooftop solar PV system under net metering arrangement, existing rooftop capacities for each transformer and other technical details of approved projects – will be very helpful to developers and they can be published on the same website. List of empaneled vendors/suppliers should be communicated to the consumers through this portal. To minimize risk to developers every smart city to have a tribunal for enforcing OPEX PPAs which can direct city DISCOMs to cease power supply to such consumers in case of any default.

When combined with storage rooftop solar can simply bring a revolution in energy security of smart city residents while also bringing down the cost of energy.

Solar plus storage combination has a potential to unleash unprecedented innovations. Amsterdam smart city is doing a pilot on virtual power plant which can increase yield of solar panels and also provide stability to the distribution infrastructure by balancing renewable supply and demand in the neighborhood. It involves storing the excess solar energy generated in battery systems and trading this excess energy in wholesale markets when prices are high. Electric vehicles can also provide storage for such VPPs.

Storage plus solar rooftop will enable enhanced usage of solar power which will reduce requirement of costly power from the grid making energy cheaper for the citizens. Storage can be an effective replacement of diesel generator back up which will reduce Co2 while the TCO is significantly reduced. Storage plus solar has the potential to create a self-sustained city as far as electricity is concerned. Through storage DISCOM will be better able to manage the rapid rise in demand during peak hours contributing to distribution grid stability.

Electric Buses

Provision of cheap, convenient, safe and non-polluting public transport is mandatory in a smart city. Smart city citizens must be provided safe and green transportation which is convenient and cost effective thereby reducing reliance on personal vehicles.

Electric buses are the answer. They are a better alternative to CNG busses as they will reduce emissions totally and also save precious forex for country and contribute to its energy security. Electric Vehicle technology is proven around the world. In 2016 China electric buses grew 100% to reach 115,700 units and if this kind of growth continues China buses can go all electric in 10 years. The cost of operating a bus is less compared with ICE busses due to low maintenance, cheap power and high efficiency. 

Lot of pilot projects underway in India with buses being launched in the price range of Rs 1.6 Crores to Rs 3.5 Crores and range up to 120 kms. Battery charging stations pilots underway in India. Lot of options from battery replacement to fast charging being studied both have their pros and cons.

However, the capital cost of electric bus is almost 2.5 times a conventional bus and this makes it expensive. The main reason for the high costs is the battery which is the largest cost component. But cost of Li ion battery, which is the most widely used system for batteries is plunging. It might soon be around 150-200 USD/kwh in couple of years.

Lack of charging infrastructure is another impediment. Charging infra must be provided in bus depots and other public locations for both normal and fast charging. Plus, standardization of charging infrastructure is also important to bring in the much-needed economies of scale. Charging stations should be powered by solar energy and not polluting coal based energy to ensure zero indirect Co2 emissions on account of electric buses.

Worldwide charging infrastructure is being set up. Cities such as Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin are taking the lead. Seoul has successfully deployed OLEV (Online electric vehicle technology) technology allowing electric public buses to be charged as they move across road surfaces. Electric cables under the road create magnetic fields which can be converted to electrical energy by OLEV devices installed under vehicles.

Then there are other barriers related to supply chain, technology development, manufacturing investments, performance standards etc. All these challenges are typical of any watershed change but are not insurmountable. Electric vehicles including buses to me are on the cusp of a revolution and smart cities will be catalyst for this change.

Waste to Energy

India has a huge waste disposal problem. Untreated waste finds its way into land and water bodies polluting them causing major health issues for people. Mumbai generates close to 10,000 tons of waste per day, while Delhi produces 8,000 tons. An average Indian city produces roughly 1000 tons of waste per day. The hideous mountain of garbage at Gazipur as we enter Delhi gives an idea of the enormity of this waste generation problem in Indian cities. Roughly one MW of power can be generated from 100 T of MSW.

Large scale adoption of waste to energy technologies in smart cities is a must if such cities are to fulfill their mission of providing good quality of life, free from toxic landfills, to its citizens. Generation of power from waste not only reduces waste but also generates power. Copenhagen one of the world’s top smart city sends less than 2% of its waste to landfills. Most of the unrecycled waste is used to generate heat for the city households through its district heating network.

According to MNRE estimates there exists a potential of about 1460 MW from MSW and 226 MW from sewage totaling 1686 MW of power in India. Clear policy framework for waste to energy pertaining to land allotment, collection, segregation and supply of waste, construction, operation, power purchase and evacuation facilities and FiT should be laid out quickly. Capital subsidies, tax breaks, subsidized funding, grants are the various financial measures that can be undertaken to support waste to energy. All cities generating more than 1000 tons a day to necessarily have waste to energy generation and they can be at opposite ends of the city to ensure better logistics and zero leakage of untreated waste.

 No waste to energy conversion can work without effective campaign to generate awareness among citizens of smart cities to segregate, manage and recycle waste.

Helsinki smart city is the best example of using technology for waste segregation and collection. Helsinki smart city has portal with clear instructions to residents for segregating waste of all kinds – bio waste, hazardous waste, metals, plastic, paper, construction material etc.- including how to pack and where to dispose. Giving smart cities citizens clear instructions on waste segregation might seem to be very basic but is a very good starting point. Helsinki has even started pilots on automated waste collection using underground vacuum tubes.  

There are various technologies in the market for converting waste to energy such as bio-methanation, gasification, composting, incineration etc. A speedy evaluation of all technologies to select the optimum technology for Indian smart cities and developing the ecosystem around it must be an integral part of this smart city plan.

Smart cities provide a wonderful platform for innovations targeting at improving lives of citizens and the possibilities are mindboggling. Momentum for better and more livable cities is gradually building up and the tipping point is not far.