GEMdev: Grounded Energy Modelling for equitable urban planning development in the global South

Completed

Other Cross-Cutting Technologies or Research(Energy Models)
Not Energy Related
Other Power and Storage Technologies(Electricity transmission and distribution)
Other Cross-Cutting Technologies or Research(Environmental, social and economic impacts)

Basic and strategic applied research

SOCIAL SCIENCES (Town and Country Planning)
SOCIAL SCIENCES (Sociology)
SOCIAL SCIENCES (Development Studies)
AREA STUDIES (American Studies and Anglophone Area Studies)
AREA STUDIES (Asian Studies)

Systems Analysis related to energy R&D (Energy modelling)
Sociological economical and environmental impact of energy (Policy and regulation)
Sociological economical and environmental impact of energy (Consumer attitudes and behaviour)
Sociological economical and environmental impact of energy (Other sociological economical and environmental impact of energy)

Dr P Ruyssevelt
UCL Energy Institute
University College London

Standard

ESRC

01 April 2020

30 September 2023

42 months

£1,226,414

London

ESRC - RCUK GCRF - Grants

Dr P Ruyssevelt, UCL Energy Institute, University College London

Dr P J Fennell, Bartlett Sch of Env, Energy & Resources, University College London
Dr R Lambert, Development Planning Unit, University College London
Arq. L Miranda Sara, Foro Ciudades Para la Vida, Foro Ciudades Para La Vida
Professor R R Rawal, Grants Administration, Waseda University, Japan
Dr J Tomei, Bartlett Sch of Env, Energy & Resources, University College London
Dr M Wieser, Research, Catholic University of Peru (PUCP)

Project Contact, Buildings and Cities Journal
Project Contact, CENCA Urban Development Institute
Project Contact, CIDAP-Research Center
Project Contact, Metropolitan Planning Institute Peru
Project Contact, National University of Engineering Lima
Project Contact, Bentley Systems Incorporated, USA
Project Contact, Drone Adventures

Grounded Energy Modelling for equitable urban planning in the global South (GEMDev) aims to enable inclusive decision-making towards dignified housing and habitat for all through the co-production of methodologies and tools to inform alternative energy futures and concrete possibility at three different scales - individual, neighbourhood and city - in Lima and Ahmedabad. The project will address the following research question: How can the co-production of knowledge inform alternative energy futures and enable inclusive decision-making towards dignified housing and habitat for all?To answer this overarching research question, the project is structured into four work packages (WP) each with its own specific objectives:WP1 will analyse the governance and planning processes that have underpinned access to housing and space in Lima and Ahmedabad over time.1.1 Understand how governance and planning in relation to energy and housing for the urban poor has changed over time and the role of models and tools in these processes.1.2 Examine housing and energy transitions for poor urban dwellers over time and how these have shaped inhabitants' lived experiences, in light of densification, relocation and upgradation processes.1.3 Identify 3-4 settlements in each city that represent different forms of the off-grid city.WP2 seeks to understand the everyday practices of inhabitants with regards to energy access and consumption, the economic, social, environmental and political impacts, and the consequences for the production of risk at the household and neighbourhood levels2.1 Understand current energy and spatial practices amongst poor urban dwellers in selected settlements.2.2 Understand how the ways in which people access and use energy impact on social, cultural, economic, environmental and political realities and the production of risk.2.3 Empowerment of inhabitants of off-grid settlements2.4 Co-produce grounded energy mapping and settlement profiling2.5 Raised awareness of safe electricity connections and electrical safety in the home2.6 Create spaces for collaboration between actors from different spheresWP3 aims to address the invisibility of informal settlements in existing energy models.3.1 Examine how the use of space and energy practices of slum-dwellers can be represented in energy models.3.2 Produce open-access data sets allowing the representation of the urban poor in building energy models3.3 Understand how energy models can the visualisation, communication and analysis grounded and expert knowledge that can inform equitable urban development3.4 Establish a regional hub for building energy simulation in Lima3.5 Provide evidence-based policy recommendations for upgrading existing settlements including the potential for use of solar PV.WP4 explores how the knowledge generated in WPs1-3 can inform actionable strategies for future redevelopment to ensure dignified housing and habitat for all.4.1. Assess how archetypes of slum redevelopment and upgrading can be optimised for thermal comfort and energy consumption.4.2. Propose optimised redevelopment archetypes based on thermal comfort and energy consumption4.3 Engage with a broad range of stakeholders beyond the initial project participants through exhibitions in Lima and Ahmedabad and a project website.

Grounded Energy Modelling for equitable urban planning in the global South (GEMDev) is a partnership between UCL (London), FCPV and PUCP (Lima) and CDRF-CEPT (Ahmedabad), which aims to create new knowledge to ground energy planning tools in the realities of everyday life and energy practices of off-grid communities.Insecure and informal access to energy impacts on all aspects of life for poor communities living in sub-standard housing in the global South. Access to affordable, reliable and safe forms of energy services has particularly profound effects on health and economic opportunities. However, the ways in which these communities access and use energy in their day-to-day lives are poorly understood. The ways in which those practices change when informal settlements are upgraded or relocated are equally poorly understood.As data-driven approaches to energy planning, such as Urban Building Energy Models (UBEMs), gain increasing importance as planning tools, this lack of understanding risks further marginalising the most vulnerable communities as their needs are either entirely overlooked or planned solutions fail to address their needs. UBEMs have been developed in, and widely applied to, cities in the global North to model urban energy consumption on a building by building basis, allowing the assessment of impacts of different energy conservation measures and policies. Such tools are highly attractive to energy planners in the global South, but the complexity of informal settlements is wholly absent from these models at present.GEMDev will use participatory research methods to co-create datasets with marginalised communities to ensure that they are represented in the UBEMs of the future. Engaging these communities in the creation of the knowledge and datasets in order to represent them in energy planning tools is a highly novel approach which not only ensures meaningful recognition, but, through the research process itself, increases communities' capacity and skills, amplifying their voice in the planning processes that have profound impacts on their lives.Lima and Ahmedabad have been selected as the cases for application of the GEMDev project for both methodological and practical reasons. From a methodological perspective, both are global cities characterised by significant inequalities in access to energy and other services but with very different histories of development and policies for addressing the needs of the urban poor. From a practical perspective, we will build on strong existing research partnerships in both cities. The UCL/FCPV partnership in Lima contributes expertise in participatory methods and strong engagement with municipal authorities, while capacity in building energy modelling will be built through an innovative approach between private and public universities, PUCP and UNI. The UCL/CDRF-CEPT partnership in Ahmedabad contributes expertise in energy modelling and the project will build capacity in participatory methods. The strong focus on South-South knowledge transfer is a key example of the equitable partnerships which underpin this project. GEMDev will deliver a robust, co-produced evidence base on energy practices, use of space and urban form in Lima and Ahmedabad. This will be used to not only support the local development of UBEMs for these cities, but also to co-create alternative archetypes of the off-grid city. These findings can inform city, national and regional policies that support the delivery of multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), including SDG7 on energy, SDG11 on sustainable cities and communities, and beyond. The inclusion of partners and stakeholders in developing this proposal will help to ensure the project delivers real and long-lasting change for marginalised, off-grid communities in the global South

25/06/21