Opportunities, Challenges and Applications of Smart Grids in Housing Projects in New Settlements in Cairo “Towards Energy Efficient Urban Areas”

Abstract

The Egyptian government is making efforts to encourage the formal housing sector, with all its socioeconomic classes, across the country in an attempt to supply the market needs in housing units. The demand for smart housing units and the advanced technological applications that can provide support and assistance under the umbrella of smart grids is on the increase for all types of housing schemes including low-income housing projects and the high-end luxury housing market. For the former, energy efficiency is usually driven by the availability of smart energy systems that raise the economic efficiency of projects. At present, the use of smart systems in housing is limited to security and entertainment related applications, hence this research discusses its application to different aspects of daily life and how will they benefit from the system in a way that can allow smart grids be integrated into different housing projects to enhance and modernize them. This paper is an attempt to investigate the role of smart grids in housing projects in Egypt. The introductory section sets the definition of the smart grid system(s), covering their fundamentals, importance and characteristics of such systems and those of smart homes. The coverage extends to their applications and feasibility through a series of case studies from around the world. This is followed by a discussion of the findings that concludes with some recommendations pointing out the way to energy efficiency in urban areas, which can be achieved by using the smart grid applications whether these applications are commercially available at the market or through small start-ups.