Sustainable urban transformations based on integrated microgrid designs | Nature Sustainability

Climate change increases the likelihood of extreme events, prompting the need for cities and communities to enhance their resilience in ensuring supply and safety during crises. Microgrids, decentralized systems for energy generation, storage, and distribution—using interconnected photovoltaic systems and combined heat and power plants—aim to reduce large-scale blackouts and maintain critical infrastructure functionality.

How can urban microgrid design consider high levels of urban resilience and well-being with respect to multiple future hazards while considering fair democratic and equity-based decision-making processes?

A spatial planning model for microgrids has been developed to provide urban planners with a template that integrates various aspects, including socioeconomic factors and public participation. Thereby, a connection between microgrids and the 15-minutes city concept was established.

The research emphasizes the fair distribution of energy supply and introduces the concept of "energy gerrymandering," highlighting potential social justice issues in the design of microgrid boundaries. The paper also highlights an integrative approach to mitigate the risk that efforts for a specific sustainability goal might undermine other sustainability goals.

The study uses metrics based on existing vulnerability indices to assess the well-being of different social groups and how energy outages impact them, particularly vulnerable populations like the sick, families with children, the elderly, and low-income earners. Data from a case study following power outages during a hurricane supported this analysis.

The high interdisciplinarity of the research includes contributions from engineering, social sciences, mathematicians, and information scientists, providing a comprehensive perspective on urban energy resilience. Recommendations include multiple microgrids per city to ensure fair distribution and access to critical services, involving healthcare, safety institutions, representatives of various social groups, educational institutions, and social services in planning and decision-making processes. Resilient solutions depend more on smart planning than increased investment, ensuring all groups have a voice in the process.