Reliable supplies of electrical power, energy for heating, and fuels are a prerequisite for functioning, competitive cities. Still, municipal energy suppliers and infrastructure planners around the world face huge challenges in maintaining the security of these supplies. A rising need for energy, shrinking resources and growing environmental problems require new, efficient, resource- and climate-friendly energy solutions in major metropolitan areas. This in particular includes the use of distributed and renewable energy sources as well as the rapid expansion of distribution networks suited to them. To some degree, a good number of the world's metropolises require new, integrated concepts allowing them to deal with energy more economically.
Metropolitan Solutions present the topic of urban energy from generation, through distribution and storage, all the way to economical use. This encompasses environmentally friendly energy production, efficient electric power, gas and district heating networks, new energy storage systems as well as solutions for localized supply. Other topics are energy services and consulting, along with the integration of IT and communication technology into smart, networked energy solutions, ranging from smart metering all the way to a complete smart grid. In addition, there are overall concepts for the economical use of energy, for example, through new forms of urban mobility, municipal facilities and public buildings.
