Research

26 pages, 3782 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comparative Analysis of Smart Grid Solar Integration in Urban and Rural Networks

by Mohammad Reza Maghami, Jagadeesh Pasupuleti and Chee Mei Ling

Smart Cities 2023, 6(5), 2593-2618; https://doi.org/10.3390/smartcities6050117 - 30 Sep 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1470

Solar photovoltaic (PV) power, a highly promising renewable energy source, encounters challenges when integrated into smart grids. These challenges encompass voltage fluctuations, issues with voltage balance, and concerns related to power quality. This study aims to comprehensively analyze the implications of solar PV [...] Read more.

Solar photovoltaic (PV) power, a highly promising renewable energy source, encounters challenges when integrated into smart grids. These challenges encompass voltage fluctuations, issues with voltage balance, and concerns related to power quality. This study aims to comprehensively analyze the implications of solar PV penetration in Malaysian power distribution networks predominantly found in urban and rural areas. To achieve this, we employed the OpenDSS 2022 and MATLAB 2022b software tools to conduct static power flow analyses, enabling us to assess the effects of solar PV integration over a wide area under two worst-case scenarios: peak-load and no-load periods. Our investigation considered voltage violations, power losses, and fault analysis relative to the power demand of each scenario, facilitating a comprehensive evaluation of the impacts. The findings of our study revealed crucial insights. We determined that the maximum allowable power for both urban and rural networks during no-load and peak-load situations is approximately 0.5 MW and 0.125 MW, respectively. Moreover, as the percentage of PV penetration increases, notable reductions in power losses are observed, indicating the potential benefits of higher smart grid PV integration. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Cities, Smart Homes and Sustainable Built Environment)

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30 pages, 17910 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Energy Saving Optimization of Commercial Complex Atrium Roof with Resilient Ventilation Using Machine Learning

by Ao Xu, Ruinan Zhang, Jiahui Yu and Yu Dong

Smart Cities 2023, 6(5), 2367-2396; https://doi.org/10.3390/smartcities6050108 - 11 Sep 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1395

Abstract

Carbon-neutral architectural design focuses on rationally utilizing the building’s surroundings to reduce its environmental impact. Resilient ventilation systems, developed according to the thermal comfort requirements of building energy-saving research, have few applications. We studied the Jin-an Shopping Mall in Harbin and established the [...] Read more.

Carbon-neutral architectural design focuses on rationally utilizing the building’s surroundings to reduce its environmental impact. Resilient ventilation systems, developed according to the thermal comfort requirements of building energy-saving research, have few applications. We studied the Jin-an Shopping Mall in Harbin and established the middle point height (h), middle point horizontal location (d), roof angle (α), and exposure to floor ratio (k) as the morphological parameters of the atrium. Using computational fluid dynamics (CFD), the mean radiant temperature (MRT), and the universal thermal climate index calculations (UTCI), this program was set to switch off air conditioning when the resilient ventilation met the thermal comfort requirement to achieve energy savings. The energy-saving efficiency (U) was calculated based on the energy consumption of the original model, and U could reach 7.34–9.64% according to the simulation and prediction. This study provides methods and a theoretical basis for renovating other commercial complexes to improve comfort and control energy consumption. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Cities, Smart Homes and Sustainable Built Environment)

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16 pages, 1035 KiB

Open AccessArticle

IoT-Based Waste Segregation with Location Tracking and Air Quality Monitoring for Smart Cities

by Abhishek Kadalagere Lingaraju, Mudligiriyappa Niranjanamurthy, Priyanka Bose, Biswaranjan Acharya, Vassilis C. Gerogiannis, Andreas Kanavos and Stella Manika

Smart Cities 2023, 6(3), 1507-1522; https://doi.org/10.3390/smartcities6030071 - 27 May 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 7061

Abstract

Massive human population, coupled with rapid urbanization, results in a substantial amount of garbage that requires daily collection. In urban areas, garbage often accumulates around dustbins without proper disposal at regular intervals, creating an unsanitary environment for humans, plants, and animals. This situation [...] Read more.

Massive human population, coupled with rapid urbanization, results in a substantial amount of garbage that requires daily collection. In urban areas, garbage often accumulates around dustbins without proper disposal at regular intervals, creating an unsanitary environment for humans, plants, and animals. This situation significantly degrades the environment. To address this problem, a Smart Waste Management System is introduced in this paper, employing machine learning techniques for air quality level classification. Furthermore, this system safeguards garbage collectors from severe health issues caused by inhaling harmful gases emitted from the waste. The proposed system not only proves cost-effective but also enhances waste management productivity by categorizing waste into three types: wet, dry, and metallic. Ultimately, by leveraging machine learning techniques, we can classify air quality levels and garbage weight into distinct categories. This system is beneficial for improving the well-being of individuals residing in close proximity to dustbins, as it enables constant monitoring and reporting of air quality to relevant city authorities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Cities, Smart Homes and Sustainable Built Environment)

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22 pages, 4764 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Evaluation in the Urban Projects Planning: A Logical-Deductive Model for the Definition of “Warning Areas” in the Esquilino District in the City of Rome (Italy)

by Pierluigi Morano, Francesco Tajani, Felicia Di Liddo and Ivana La Spina

Smart Cities 2023, 6(1), 469-490; https://doi.org/10.3390/smartcities6010022 - 03 Feb 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2354

Abstract

With reference to the current focus on urban redevelopment issue, the evaluation of the projects plays a central role for the definition of effective urban development policies. In the present research, a logical-deductive model for the identification of “warning areas” is proposed. Given [...] Read more.

With reference to the current focus on urban redevelopment issue, the evaluation of the projects plays a central role for the definition of effective urban development policies. In the present research, a logical-deductive model for the identification of “warning areas” is proposed. Given an urban area to be renovated, the developed methodological approach starts from the detection of the main existing architectural, historical and environmental emergencies in order to investigate the appreciation of the reference market for the higher or lower proximity to each considered urban pole. Thus, an econometric technique is implemented to examine the influence of each locational factor on selling prices, by assuming the property asset price increase as a proxy of the benefits generated by the urban redevelopment intervention for local communities. Furthermore, the proposed methodology is applied to the Esquilino district in the city of Rome (Italy), for which a relevant urge of urban regeneration is found, to orient the selection phases of the areas that need more attention from public entities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Cities, Smart Homes and Sustainable Built Environment)

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24 pages, 384 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Exploring the Market Requirements for Smart and Traditional Ageing Housing Units: A Mixed Methods Approach

by Rita Yi Man Li, Miao Shi, Derek Asante Abankwa, Yishuang Xu, Amy Richter, Kelvin Tsun Wai Ng and Lingxi Song

Smart Cities 2022, 5(4), 1752-1775; https://doi.org/10.3390/smartcities5040088 - 05 Dec 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3700

Abstract

The world’s population is getting older these days. Frailty, a gerontologic health condition associated with ageing, has serious consequences. One crucial remedy for the elderly population is the development of ageing-in-place infrastructures. To better understand the market requirements for ageing housing units, the [...] Read more.

The world’s population is getting older these days. Frailty, a gerontologic health condition associated with ageing, has serious consequences. One crucial remedy for the elderly population is the development of ageing-in-place infrastructures. To better understand the market requirements for ageing housing units, the causes of downsizing and the governmental measures to ameliorate the situation, face-to-face in-depth individual and focus group interviews were conducted in this study. Elderly residents of two significant ageing-in-place institutions in Hong Kong, along with their caregivers, were interviewed. The method of methodological triangulation was used to combine interviews, records, and communication tools to increase the reliability and trustworthiness of the findings. The provision of facilities for the elderly has successfully established a pathway for creating and making housing spaces available to families who need larger homes, while the elderly typically downsize from larger homes and relieve their financial needs. It is also found that a digital divide exists; some respondents suggested that they do not know about computers and do not use smart facilities in their homes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Cities, Smart Homes and Sustainable Built Environment)

24 pages, 3445 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Application of Classic and Novel Metaheuristic Algorithms in a BIM-Based Resource Tradeoff in Dam Projects

by Milad Baghalzadeh Shishehgarkhaneh, Sina Fard Moradinia, Afram Keivani and Mahdi Azizi

Smart Cities 2022, 5(4), 1441-1464; https://doi.org/10.3390/smartcities5040074 - 19 Oct 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2217

Abstract

In recent years, dam construction has become more complex, requiring an effective project management method. Building Information Modeling (BIM) affects how construction projects are planned, designed, executed, and operated. Therefore, reducing execution time, cost, and risk and increasing quality are the primary goals [...] Read more.

In recent years, dam construction has become more complex, requiring an effective project management method. Building Information Modeling (BIM) affects how construction projects are planned, designed, executed, and operated. Therefore, reducing execution time, cost, and risk and increasing quality are the primary goals of organizations. In this paper, first, the time and cost of the project were obtained via the BIM process. Subsequently, optimization between the components of the survival pyramid (time, cost, quality, and risk) in construction projects was completed in a case study of the Ghocham storage dam in five different modes, including contractor’s offers, BIM, actual, and two other modes based on the expert’s opinions. For this aim, five different meta-heuristic optimization algorithms were utilized, including two classical algorithms (Genetic and Simulated Annealing) and three novel algorithms (Black Widow Optimization, Battle Royale Optimization, and Black Hole Mechanics Optimization). In four cases, once each element of the survival pyramid was optimized separately, all four cases were traded off simultaneously. Moreover, the results were obtained from all the mentioned algorithms in five scenarios based on the number of function evaluation (N_fe), Standard Deviation (SD), Computation Time (CT), and Best Cost (BC). MATLAB software completed the coding related to the objective functions and optimization algorithms. The results indicated the appropriate performance of GA and BHMO algorithms in some scenarios. However, only the GAs should be considered effective algorithms in a dam construction projects’ time–cost–quality–risk (TCQR) tradeoff. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Cities, Smart Homes and Sustainable Built Environment)

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15 pages, 349 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Agent-Based Model of Citizen Energy Communities Used to Negotiate Bilateral Contracts in Electricity Markets

by Hugo Algarvio

Smart Cities 2022, 5(3), 1039-1053; https://doi.org/10.3390/smartcities5030052 - 19 Aug 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1979

Abstract

The worldwide targets for carbon-neutral societies increased the penetration of distributed generation and storage. Smart cities now play a key role in achieving these targets by considering the alliances of their demand and supply assets as local citizen energy communities. These communities need [...] Read more.

The worldwide targets for carbon-neutral societies increased the penetration of distributed generation and storage. Smart cities now play a key role in achieving these targets by considering the alliances of their demand and supply assets as local citizen energy communities. These communities need to have enough weight to trade electricity in wholesale markets. Trading of electricity can be done in spot markets or by bilateral contracts involving customers and suppliers. This paper is devoted to bilateral contracting, which is modeled as a negotiation process involving an iterative exchange of offers and counter-offers. This article focuses on local citizen energy communities. Specifically, it presents team and single-agent negotiation models, where each member has its sets of strategies and tactics and also its decision model. Community agents are equipped with intra-team strategies and decision protocols. To evaluate the benefits of CECs, models of both coalition formation and management have been adapted. This paper also describes a case study on forward bilateral contracts, involving a retailer agent and three different types of citizen energy communities. The results demonstrate the benefits of CECs during the negotiation of private bilateral contracts of electricity. Furthermore, they also demonstrate that in the case of using a representative strategy, the selection of the mediator may be critical for achieving a good deal. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Cities, Smart Homes and Sustainable Built Environment)

10 pages, 473 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

Applying a Systems Perspective on the Notion of the Smart City

by Johan Colding, Marita Wallhagen, Patrik Sörqvist, Lars Marcus, Karl Hillman, Karl Samuelsson and Stephan Barthel

Smart Cities 2020, 3(2), 420-429; https://doi.org/10.3390/smartcities3020022 - 20 May 2020

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3992

Abstract

This paper focuses on the need for a widened definition of the notion of technology within the smart city discourse, with a particular focus on the “built environment”. The first part of the paper describes how current tendencies in urban design and architecture [...] Read more.

This paper focuses on the need for a widened definition of the notion of technology within the smart city discourse, with a particular focus on the “built environment”. The first part of the paper describes how current tendencies in urban design and architecture are inclined to prioritize high tech-solutions at the expense of low-tech functionalities and omits that information and communication technology (ICT) contrasts the art of building cities as an adaptable and habitually smart technology in itself. It continues with an elaboration on the need for expanding the limits of system boundaries for a better understanding of the energy and material telecouplings that are linked to ICT solutions and account for some perils inherent in smart technologies, such as rebound effects and the difficulty of measuring the environmental impacts of ICT solutions on a city level. The second part of the paper highlights how low-tech technologies and nature-based solutions can make cities smarter, representing a new technology portfolio in national and international policies for safeguarding biodiversity and the delivery of a range of ecosystem services, promoting the necessary climate-change adaption that cities need to prioritize to confer resilience. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Cities, Smart Homes and Sustainable Built Environment)

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