In an invited talk by APCTT of UN-ESCAPE, Prof. Dhakal argues that there is an utter lack of ‘systemic viewpoints’ and ‘comprehensive technology roadmaps’ for cities for enabling the evolving technologies for complementing towards clean and renewable energy based urban energy transition.
Urban energy system is dominated by ‘centralized and supply-centric’ approach, it is seen as just an extension of national energy system without due recognition of energy resources and their potentials in cities. Cities, by definition, have high population densities and compact urban fabric and RE is ‘not enough’ to feed a city’s energy demand, given limited city areas and thus cities’ must work with its hinterlands. Several promising supply-side (PV, solar thermal, waste to energy, biofuels, waste heat) and a large number of demand-side technologies exist but yet city’s renewable energy targets and climate mitigation commitments have yet not been able to rally ‘energy system integration’ in cities.
