The smart city of Évora

Abstract The decarbonization of cities’ energy systems requires multiple data sources, increasingly available at different temporal and spatial resolutions, as well as integrated energy planning tools to identify smart and sustainable solutions. This chapter presents the case of Evora Municipality, in Portugal, which launched several initiatives toward a smart city, namely, the rollout of more than 34,000 smart meters from 2010. An integrated analytical framework, supported by multiple data sources, models and tools over the city, is presented to illustrate how decarbonized pathways up to 2030 can be generated throughout an energy planning process. A codesign practice with the stakeholders’ participation along this process was taken as a crucial step to consider aspects other than technological options and its cost-effectiveness. Evora city’s energy system includes residential buildings, transport and mobility, other energy demand sectors (i.e., waste water and sewage systems, industries, public lighting, public buildings, services, and agriculture), and the energy supply system, including local renewable energy sources. Multiple cost-effective measures were assessed through a multicriteria tool, and its costs were estimated to feed a mid-term sustainable energy plan. Evora is presented as an example of a smart city regarding its energy system, with implemented and planned smart solutions to be adopted for a sustainable and local empowered city.