SmartEnCity – Towards Smart Zero CO2 Cities across Europe

Map of Lighthouse and Follower Cities

Welcome to the SmartEnCity website

Cities play a key role in fighting climate change. Energy demand and CO2 emissions are particularly high in urban areas. At the same time, urban density allows more alternatives for energy-efficient housing, eco-friendly transport and service provision.

SmartEnCity’s vision was to create Smart Zero Carbon Cities that are more sustainable and inclusive, improve citizens’ quality of life, create jobs and wealth, and offer equal growth opportunities.

SmartEnCity, a project funded under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, aimed to develop a systemic approach for transforming European cities into sustainable, smart and resource-efficient urban environments in Europe. We aimed to develop strategies that can be replicated throughout Europe in order to:

  • Reduce energy demand and
  • Maximise renewable energy supply

Activities included retrofitting in buildings, integrating infrastructures, developing sustainable mobility and the intelligent use of Information and Communication Technologies.

The SmartEnCity concept has been defined, planned and implemented in the three Lighthouse Cities Vitoria-Gasteiz (Spain), Tartu (Estonia) and Sonderborg (Denmark). The process has been replicated in the two Follower Cities of Lecce (Italy), and Asenovgrad (Bulgaria). We encouraged a SmartEnCity Network of further cities interested in replicating the approach elsewhere in Europe.

Under the coordination of TECNALIA Research & Innovation, 35 partners from six countries worked together to make Smart Zero Carbon Cities a reality in Europe.

SmartEnCity in a nutshell

  • 3 Lighthouse Cities
  • 2 Follower Cities
  • 38 partners
  • 6.5 years (02/2016-07/2022)
  • 28M€ EU funding

Expected results

  • Retrofitting of about 1,847 dwellings and over 124,506 m2
  • Benefits for the 29,300 inhabitants of the targeted districts in terms of energy efficiency, mobility, ICT and citizen engagement
  • Energy savings of about 27,000,000 kWh/y
  • Greenhouse gas emissions reduction of 20 600 tCO2e/y
  • Increased use of renewable energy sources for heating
  • Smart lighting concepts
  • Innovative strategies for sustainable mobility (electric vehicles, bike and car sharing, biogas buses etc.)

Actual results

  • Retrofitting of 1,808 dwellings in 95 buildiungs and 123,500 m2
  • Benefits for 29,300 inhabitants (population of the three districts)
  • Energy savings of about 8,462 MWh/y
  • CO2 reduction of 11,386.2 tCO2eq/y