On 28th of June the Developing Energy Communities with Intelligent and Sustainable Technologies (DE-CIST) project is launched in Rotterdam. The project led by Dr. Rebecca Moody (EUR) is a consortium including Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR), Technical University Delft, Institute of Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS), Resilient Delta Initiative, the Erasmus Centre for Data Analytics, and the City of Rotterdam. DE-CIST, an ICLEI Action fund 2.0 project supported by ICLEI Europe through 1 million Euro grant funding from Google.org, aims to collect data on individual buildings, combining it with meteorological, air quality, emission, and socio-economic data.
An AI solution will classify neighbourhoods and buildings based on their current energy sustainability and potential, considering citizens' input. Additionally, the project seeks to engage citizens, communities, researchers, and governments to co-create an equitable energy transition, support citizen-led energy communities, and foster connections between communities, governments, and energy corporations.
The research will not only be of a fundamental nature but will actively involve citizens and stakeholders, empowering them to utilise the project's generated information, fostering community building, and reducing energy inequality.
Dr. Rebecca Moody echoes this project objective saying, "Our goal is to develop a comprehensive solution, both technically and socially, that empowers citizens, communities, housing corporations, municipalities, and other stakeholders to efficiently and inclusively build and maintain an energy-sustainable future."
The ICLEI Action Fund, supported by ICLEI Europe and Google.org, focuses on promoting data-driven environmental and climate action at the local level. As a member of ICLEI, the City of Rotterdam is actively committed to advancing local sustainability goals.
Wolfgang Teubner, Regional Director, ICLEI Europe elaborates on the role of the Action Fund stating that advancing local environmental and climate action requires understanding local realities and needs. He says, “We believe that obtaining actionable insights from diverse data sources is crucial to accelerate the development of innovative projects, enhance environmental quality, and reduce carbon emissions. We are confident that the selected projects will contribute to their cities' sustainability goals and exemplify the importance of data-driven approaches for informed decision-making."
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Marjolein Kooistra, Communication ESSB | 0683676038 | kooistra@essb.eur.nl