Sustainable cities: An analysis of the contribution made by renewable energy under the umbrella of urban metabolism

• Published in: International journal of sustainable development and planning Vol. 12; no. 3; pp. 416 - 424
• Main Authors: Barragán, A., Terrados, J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Southampton W I T Press 01.04.2017
• Subjects: Alternative energy; Alternative energy sources; Cities; Conditioning; Energy resources; Energy sources; Metabolism; Renewable energy; Renewable resources; Shortages; Sustainability; Sustainable use; Transportation; Urban areas; Urban metabolism
• ISSN: 1743-7601; 1743-761X
• DOI: 10.2495/SDP-V12-N3-416-424

The advantages and limitations of renewable energy have been discussed in various studies with an aim to increase its participation within the national energy mix. Options are being sought to encourage its use, mainly with the deployment of large-scale installations, which in many cases are farther from the centers of consumption. Such approach does not reduce neither the losses associated with transportation nor the lack of empathy of urban society with the externalities produced in areas placed far from the cities. As an alternative, it proposes to raise energy self-supply by promoting the use of endogenous resources that a city may possess. It was determined that there are several technologies that are available and that can be applied in a city. In spite of the fact that its implementation can be conditioned by the existence of the resource, costs or acceptance of the community, it is urgent that urban planners include the use sustainable energy, in order to meet future shortages of resource and adverse environmental phenomenon. With this proposal we conclude that using the approach of urban metabolism it is possible to promote the use of available renewable energy resources at cities. Based on a general approach, it is shown that it is possible to contribute to change a metabolic linear model to a metabolic circular model.