Today´s liberalised markets are focused on short-term return on capital, but energy infrastructure planning should be driven by the objective of climate protection.

Some modern systems are now using sustainable heating sources, like waste heat from power plants . Could this approach contribute to fight climate change? We report from Western Turkey where the city of Soma is taking a new approach to increase energy efficiency in a residential area.

Spain is known as a land of sun and heat. But even here there are regions that have to face icy winter temperatures. In Valladolid , in the north of the country, many of the almost 300,000 inhabitants are in poorly isolated buildings built in the 1960s.

From 21 to 25  May the EU Green Week is exploring ways to accelerate sustainable urban transformation.

They live in a 1970s building complex bundling where they all have to share the energy costs of their significantly inefficient building. These running costs are unreasonable and have been known to reach five times the rent level.

Experts believe that by 2030 more than 6 billion people will live in urban areas , which means 7 0% of global population . It is about time that cities make their buildings smarter : more efficient, green and livable.

These weather conditions are a challenge to construct a smart building that can save energy throughout the year.