Overview

In an era of big data and smart cities, this book is an innovative and creative contribution to our understanding of urban energy use. Societies have basic data needs to develop an understanding of energy flows for planning energy sustainability. However, this data is often either not utilized or not available. Using California as an example, the book provides a roadmap for using data to reduce urban greenhouse gas emissions by targeting programs and initiatives that will successfully and parsimoniously improve building performance while taking into account issues of energy affordability. This first of its kind methodology maps high-detail building energy use to understand patterns of consumption across buildings, neighborhoods, and socioeconomic divisions in megacities. The book then details the steps required to replicate this methodology elsewhere, and shows the importance of openly-accessible building energy data for transitioning cities to meet the climate planning goals of thetwenty-first century. It also explains why actual data, not modeled or sampled, is critical for accurate analysis and insights. Finally, it acknowledges the complex institutional context for this work and some of the obstacles – utility reluctance, public agency oversight, funding and path dependencies. This book will be of great value to scholars across the environmental sectors, but especially to those studying sustainable urban energy as well as practitioners and policy makers in these areas.  

Full Product Details

9783030556037

Table of Contents

Reviews

“This book covers a remarkable breadth of topics across a compact seven chapters. ... The content covered will be of interest to a wide readership, particularly policymakers and researchers in the energy, built environment and policy domains. It is accessible enough to be read by non-specialists and would be of interest to anyone working or interested in the built environment or planning and the role of individuals and individual buildings in the wider transition to net zero.” (Dominic Humphrey, Buildings & Cities, buildingsandcities.org, December 3, 2023)

Author Information

Stephanie Pincetl is Director of the California Center for Sustainable Communities at the Institute of the Environment, UCLA.  She works on complex urban systems and their socio-environmental impacts with an aim to provide actionable science for a just energy transition.   

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available