Le 25 septembre, l’association des Ingénieurs et Scientifiques du Luxembourg organisait la conférence « Villes intelligentes – Smart buildings » au siège de Geprolux. Plusieurs personnes qui assistaient aux exposés ont demandé un complément d’information et quelques documents. Les conférenciers ont donc pris la plume et nous livrent un condensé de leurs réflexions.
Contribution de Pedro Costa
(Project Engineer de Paul Wurth Geprolux)
Les Smart Building Services se réfèrent à l’utilisation des technologies et des données disponibles, issues des systèmes existants, pour optimiser les performances, la durabilité, l’expérience des occupants et l’exploitation d’un bâtiment. Ces données, stockées et accessibles via le système d’information du bâtiment (BIS), permettent aux développeurs d’obtenir des informations provenant de divers systèmes et de créer des interactions auparavant impossibles.
L’intérêt croissant pour les Smart Building Services repose sur leur capacité à offrir une efficacité énergétique et des économies de coûts, réduisant ainsi les dépenses opérationnelles grâce à l’optimisation des systèmes de CVC, d’éclairage et de gestion de l’énergie. Conçus dans une optique de durabilité, ces bâtiments minimisent leur impact environnemental en intégrant des sources d’énergie renouvelables et des compteurs intelligents. En plus d’être respectueux de l’environnement, ils améliorent le confort des occupants en offrant des services personnalisés, tels qu’une gestion précise de la climatisation et une meilleure qualité de l’air, ce qui contribue à leur bien-être et à leur santé.
Flexibilité d’usage
L’efficacité opérationnelle et la maintenance sont également améliorées grâce à l’automatisation et à la maintenance prédictive, réduisant les temps d’arrêt et prolongeant la durée de vie des équipements. De plus, les bâtiments intelligents offrent une flexibilité d’usage, permettant une optimisation de l’espace et une adaptation aux besoins changeants des occupants, un avantage particulièrement apprécié dans les environnements de travail dynamiques. Cela favorise également l’attraction et la fidélisation des locataires, car ces bâtiments offrent une expérience de vie ou de travail supérieure.
L’exploitation des données en temps réel permet une prise de décision éclairée, améliorant ainsi les stratégies de gestion et les performances des bâtiments. En outre, dans la vision plus large des villes intelligentes, ces bâtiments s’intègrent parfaitement à l’infrastructure urbaine, contribuant à la résilience et à l’adaptabilité des villes. Enfin, ils accordent une attention particulière à la santé et au bien-être en maintenant une qualité d’air intérieur optimale, un éclairage adéquat et une température contrôlée, assurant ainsi un environnement plus sûr et plus sain pour tous les occupants.
Plateforme unique
Pour maximiser les avantages des Smart Building Services, il est essentiel de privilégier une plateforme unique intégrant divers systèmes de gestion du bâtiment, garantissant ainsi un contrôle et une surveillance fluides. Cette approche simplifiée facilite non seulement la gestion, mais permet aussi d’améliorer les bâtiments traditionnels en les transformant en bâtiments intelligents sans avoir besoin d’une refonte complète. Ces bâtiments améliorent les conditions de travail en garantissant des environnements optimaux, ce qui accroît la productivité et le confort des occupants.
De plus, ces technologies permettent une meilleure gestion des espaces et des actifs, optimisant leur utilisation et réduisant les gaspillages, entraînant ainsi des économies significatives. Grâce à l’exploitation des données en temps réel, les gestionnaires d’installations peuvent prendre des décisions éclairées, améliorant l’efficacité et la performance. L’intégration de ces technologies intelligentes renforce également l’attractivité des biens immobiliers, rendant les bâtiments plus attrayants pour les locataires et les investisseurs grâce à un confort accru, des coûts d’exploitation réduits et des équipements modernes.
La présentation de Pedro Costa
Contribution de Rudy Kech
(CO-CEO de Brunata-Metrona)
Luxembourg: From a medieval village to a vibrant Smart nation of the future
Picture this:
Living in Luxembourg where everything you need is local and European. You can walk to work, the grocery store, and even your kids‘ school. Your food is made in local farms, and local artisans make your clothes and furnitures. Spending your money locally helps your community thrive. It might sound vintage, but it could actually be the future of Luxembourg.
From a village
The place I’m living is located on the ruins of a Gallo-Roman village and I can view the houses from the era in augmented reality using the ARGO application. It’s educational and a entertaining usage of new technologies but not enough to make my living place a SMART village.
Luxembourg Smart progression
Since years, early projects and initiatives happened such as the Hollerich Village focused on developing zero-energy districts, promoting sustainable lifestyles and energy systems. It helped pave the way for the comprehensive Smart City initiatives we see today, such as extensive free Wi-Fi networks, optic fiber networks, Smart buildings and Smart grids. Many fragmented initiatives took place over the years. For instance,
- Smart infrastructure:
- State-of-the art infrastructure with 40% of all European Tier IV data centres hosted in Luxembourg.
- One of the best telco coverage and fast connectivity in Europe.
- Smart mobility:
- Luxembourg is the first country in the world offering free public transportation.
- Public charging infrastructure is well developed.
- Smart people: The Esch-Belval project that transformed a former steel mill into a Smart District. The focus on knowledge-intensive sectors and the establishment of the “Cité des Sciences” (Science City) within Esch-Belval fosters innovation and attracts talents.
- Smart Environment: Rout Lëns sustainable practices, such as Smart building designs and energy-efficient carbon neutral infrastructures.
- Smart Governance:
- The petition website of the Luxembourgish Parliament
- Luxembourg city polls to get urban planning feedback on social networks
- Guichet.lu
- Smart living: Many initiatives including creating better housing conditions with SNHBM offers. Luxembourg is one of the safest countries in the world. Educational and cultural facilities offer state-of-the-art education. Cultural offer is improving every day even if there is a great room for improvement to attract talents.
Described this way, Luxembourg Smart score seems ideal. Nevertheless, today’s influx of people into urban areas means Luxembourg needs to transform in order to scale and thrive in the future.
Luxembourg Smart entrepreneurs
Local actors and Eco/Smart entrepreneurs are key in today’s Smart Luxembourg landscape as they are intermediaries between resources providers and consumers.
Engaging citizens starts by giving them the right tools to take the right decision.
For instance, Marth Group offers CO2 reports allowing comparison of monthly consumption from year to year and comparisons with the average of the building since every residential building has its specificities. To do this, we use hundreds of thousands of smart sensors monitoring water, heat and gas monthly consumption. For these resources, Technology needs to be stable and mature to ensure precise value in cold and wet conditions for 10 years. High speed trendy technologies are not the best approach.
Alerts in case of abnormal situation like smoke or overconsumptions allows relevant warnings.
For other types of resources like wastes, we also provide live data monitoring with e-trash solutions that allows an easy deployment of the “pollueur – payeur” law enforcement in residential buildings but also to empower trash collection optimisation for intercommunal unions.
Smart charging and Smart grid are 2 big programs for Luxembourg.
SmartMetering Systems enables EV charging in shared parking needing innovative solution adapted to Luxembourg specificities.
All these innovations make data available for consumer and help people optimise their consumption in a sustainable way. They become actors of the positive change.
Smart cities can come from eco/smart entrepreneurs initiatives.
Luxembourg Cyber Security
Personal data handling is a global challenge for Smart Cities both in terms of the secrecy and privacy. Thanks to Luxembourg top notch infrastructure and the quality of local actors, this risk exists but is well handled. Luxembourg is a very secure country with a stable politic environment that allows citizen to trust the best possible usage of their personal data. European and Luxembourgish regulations and laws oblige both public and private sectors to ensure compliance with GDPR, NIS2 and other obligations. Luxembourgish companies cannot afford the risk of not taking cybersecurity aspect very seriously.
Luxembourg Smart challenges
Housing and mobility challenges goes hand-to-hand. Think about it, when you address 1 topic, you are rapidly impacted by other challenges. For instance, the lack of construction field is tricky. Let’s assume Luxembourg follows the model of the trendy bigger Smart cities. Luxembourg shall allow higher constructions with more floors to address the lack of construction fields and allow a higher population density.
When this desired increase in population is reached, other challenges arise like mobility. New parking spaces shall be developed in the surroundings connected with efficient public transportation to manage evolving mobility flows.
To limit inefficient commuting between districts, a maximum of services shall be offered in the district to make local living attractive. This shall include facilities such as medical centre, grocery stores and public services. Cultural, educational and recreational facilities shall be developed to offer a vibrant urban district attracting young talents and families. Integrating new citizens and businesses into the existing community should be eased. Bringing back these persons in the city centre tanks to the appropriate offer is a strategic challenge.
Increasing population and density is perfectly possible as it’s done in European smartest cities. Luxembourg density can be increased but we shall take example of the best Smart cities in Europe to reproduce successful models and avoid mistakes.
Starting the process of solving global problems by solving issues at a local level first is the most realistic and effective way to address the broader challenges that growing urban communities face.
The growing urban population presents many challenges that will take time, innovation, and collaboration to address. Reducing traffic congestion and air pollution in urban centres and providing affordable housing for young professionals with the goal of creating mixed-use innovation districts are the first focuses.
Luxembourg, a potential Smart Nation of the future:
Luxembourg is working hard to find solutions to address these challenges and other Smart City aspects. It’s cross functional and involves many actors. Today’s fragmented projects are unfortunately not covering the full scope of Smart cities.
To be a Smart Nation, many aspects including density, proximity and diversity must be consistently addressed:
Sometimes, we face negative reaction about the shift of Luxembourg on the Smart area. This is mainly due to fragmented projects, a lack of citizens engagement and space for improvement in the communication of a global Smart Nation program. It will require alignment between the various administrations and legal entities covering infrastructure, urbanisation, construction, mobility, culture, legal, employment, entrepreneurship, environment, sustainability, technologies and ICT. Isolated initiatives are always welcome but can sometimes be counterproductive as they don’t address all aspects of the Smart cities.
Focus shall be given on energy efficiency and green energy, water and waste reuse, public safety, innovative education and healthcare, green buildings/housing, efficient mobility and public transport, innovative citizen services, climate and stress resilience, social inclusion, e-governance, transparency and privacy protection.
A global effort with real synergies is the best way to make Luxembourg competitive compares with other European cities. Once effective, it could be used as a nation branding argument as it would be a competitive advantage to attract new talents and investors.
Future work should also explore how to encourage communities to engage in local Smart initiatives. Representatives of citizens and private sector could become the ambassadors influencing positively the adoption and suitability of the solutions proposed if they are properly involved in the Smart reflexion.
Indeed, Smart living goes with involving the local ecosystem including SMEs, youth people, families, and new residents in defining the vibrancy of Luxembourg’s smart cities is crucial for creating inclusive and dynamic communities.
There are plenty Smart Engagement strategies including expert task forces and working groups, community workshops and forums, digital platforms and apps, youth councils and committees, family-friendly events, educational programs and public-private partnerships. By implementing these strategies, Luxembourg can create vibrant, inclusive smart cities that reflect the aspirations and needs of all its residents as it enhances inclusivity, innovative solutions, stronger community ties. In addition, incorporating diverse viewpoints helps creating sustainable and resilient urban environments that cater to everyone’s needs.
A dedicated national authority or a GIE would be a perfect fit to lead the Smart Nation program and could organize workshops bringing together public entities, private companies, entrepreneurs, research centres, representant of citizens and experts to define the most appropriate solution for Luxembourg. Various questions shall be addressed including how to model and simulate urban design, and how to implement new governance models. But also, when and how it might be appropriate to incorporate emerging technologies and transportation into cities.
Technology is not a goal but a tool. Meaning and balance must be found to create sustainable Smart Luxembourg instead of a Technopolis with threatened privacy. Technologies and related challenges will evolve over time. Here are some of the major trends:
- The mobility revolution supported by geospatial technologies and urban robotics. 5G could be used for Traffic/parking optimisation. Using of anonymised telco data could help Luxembourg urban planning improvement like Andorra project from the MIT.
- The live-work transformation with housing robotics, prefabrication, IoT, Smart buildings, new materials for energy efficiency and Eco-technology.
- Developing sustainable communities thanks to local production, improved Smart grids, energy storage, renewable energy technologies and lower consumption monitored with Smart sensors.
- A network of neighbourhoods thanks to AI, real-time simulation, and emerging systems.
- Improving the Governance with Token economies and algorithmic zoning for prosocial behaviours
- The concept of private property shall also be challenged. Harnessing the trend away from individual ownership and towards sharing workspaces, vehicles, and public spaces is crucial to support population growth.
Conclusion
These technology challenges can only be solved if Luxembourg manage to create a high-performance entrepreneurial community.
There is no 1 size fits all to become a Smart Nation.
Local actors and SMEs are the key to build the Smart Luxembourg of the future because they are agile and they know the challenges we are facing. I am looking forward to make a contribution.azerzearaezrez
