Integrated Energy Planning at City Level

It is widely acknowledged that cities play a key role on the energy transition, as responsible for a large share of final energy use and having generally strong competences enabling them to promote energy efficiency and renewable energies. Integrated city energy planning is necessary if a timely and just energy transition is to be achieved and is therefore increasingly used by the local authorities. The goal is to define medium and long-term strategies and plan actions towards reducing energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, while ensuring this will have an overall positive effect in citizen’s socioeconomic status and quality of life. This chapter will present a methodological framework and tools for integrated city energy planning. It will also propose ways to consider Low Temperature District Heating systems in city energy planning, as a valuable alternative to reduce heating and cooling energy use within the cities. Finally, several examples for integrated city energy planning focusing in the heating and cooling sector will be presented, as well as a case study for planning of a new Low Temperature District Heating network in the city of Bilbao.