With a rallying cry of “Aspiring to Create the Most Sustainable Urban Core in the Nation,” Charlotte, N.C. is an example of a city that is leveraging connected technologies, such as smart meters talking to each other, to create a more sustainable city.
What are the meters talking about?
They are providing data that lets the city know how to more efficiently use resources such as electricity and water.
Envision Charlotte is the umbrella group behind the city’s goal to “drive economic growth by reducing waste, water, and energy and improve air quality.”
Turning the vision into reality is achieved by collaboration between the city, utilities, and technology providers in order to help citizens make smarter choices.
The city’s first goal was to reduce overall energy consumed in participating office buildings by 20% within five years. The initiative is focused on office buildings within Charlotte’s 1.94-square-mile commercial business district.
"We have cracked the code in understanding and measuring how energy is used and wasted within these buildings, and we are implementing programs today that are making a real difference in helping these businesses save money,” said Amy Aussieker, executive director of Envision Charlotte. Charlotte is among the first cities in the world to have developed a measurable program in more than 60 buildings within the central business district, representing more than 20 million square feet of office space.