Smart City initiatives, a $1.5 trillion opportunity according to Forbes, are drawing the attention of administrations, utilities, city dwellers, communications providers and all stakeholders who are beneficiaries of these projects.
Of late, TAG Infrastructure Society announced it is presenting The Smart City Initiative featuring speakers from “Gig City” Chattanooga, Tennessee; Georgia Power, Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance, IEC Systems and IP UtiliNET.
The event will be held at Peak 10 in Atlanta, October 8 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Smart city projects offer several benefits. The smart elements in the smart city initiatives bring energy efficiency, sustainability, green space, high speed Internet, walkability, eco-friendly architecture, use of renewables, good public transit, and neighborhood diversity, and more. All of these contribute for overall development of economy.
Reports say that buildings consume an estimated 42 percent of energy on a worldwide basis, with 30 percent of a building’s operating costs tied up in energy use, per IBM. Reducing consumption via renewables and other “smart” solutions is key in eliminating this potential source of greenhouse gas emissions.
Chattanooga’s EPB created one of the first smart grids in 2010 by installing a 100 percent fiber backbone to its 170,000 residents and businesses, becoming one of the first utilities in the country to deliver one gigabit per second Internet speed to all of its customers.
At the event, EPB’s VP of Corporate Communications Danna Bailey will discuss the benefits of EPB’s evolution as a smart grid provider while illustrating how its infrastructure can facilitate community growth and prosperity.
Earlier this year, Southern Company completed a $363 million smart grid implementation initiated by a $165 million start up grant in 2009 from the U.S. Department of Energy. With its 2.36 million member customer base, Georgia Power represents Southern Company’s largest subsidiary.
Neil Pickard, Georgia Power Company’s Energy Efficiency Strategy and Implementation Manager, will discuss the company’s efforts in energy efficiency program planning and activities and program regulatory reporting.
The Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance is a 501(c)3 non-profit supporting energy efficiency initiatives across the 11 state region of the Southeast.
SEEA’s Development Manager, Wesley Holmes, will discuss the role of energy efficiency policies, programs and resources in creating smart growth in southeastern cities.
IEC Systems is an authorized network integrator responsible for designing and maintaining building automation including control of HVAC, lighting and access.
Greg Joyner, Controls Engineer in Building Automation, will discuss the evolution of smart buildings.
IP UtiliNET, an Atlanta-based emerging technology company offering next generation solutions and global support, implements DC microgrids, passive optical networks, LED lighting and centrally managed communication solutions.
Chris Gray, Director of Commercial Properties and Delivery Services for IPUtiliNET, will discuss recent implementations of IP UtiliNET’s solutions in Georgia.