PowerMatching City, the world’s first smart grid deployment project, has been nominated for a Sustainia Award at the Rio+20 sustainable development conference in Brazil.
In the Hoogkerk district of the Netherlands, 25 homes were connected to the smart grid and equipped with micro combined heat and power systems, hybrid heat pumps, smart meters, PV panels, charging stations and other smart household appliances.
Sustainia, a supplier of guides which illustrate global sustainable projects, listed the district on its Sustainia100 catalogue, which it launched at the Rio+20 conference.
All Sustinia100 projects and solutions are now nominated for the award, which honours outstanding performance within sustainability.
EU Commissioner for climate action, Connie Hedegaard, said: "By 2030, the world will need at least 50% more food, 45% more energy and 30% more water. These figures show that continuing with business as usual is clearly not an option. It would be very costly in economic, environmental and human terms.
"This is why we need a more sustainable growth model that captures the value of a country’s natural wealth, of a clean environment, of social cohesion. Sustainia shows that many of the solutions are already there."
Frits Bliek, PowerMatching City programme coordinator, added: "PowerMatching City plays a pioneering role in the development of smart grids and in the transition towards a sustainable energy system. We are therefore very proud that our project has been selected for this prestigious list of sustainable solutions. It is a strong recognition for all the work the partners have together realised."
The project is conducted by distribution system operator Enexis, energy company Essent, gas infrastructure company Gasunie, system integrator ICT Automatisering and knowledge institute TNO, led by energy consulting and testing and certification firm DNV KEMA Energy & Sustainability.
The smart grid will now be expanded to include 70 households in Hoogkerk.
