**3. SEM in Di**ff**erent Sectors**

Cities are complex ecosystems that cover a wide range of sectors, including construction, transportation, water, waste and public services. To understand the potential of integrated SEM for Indian cities, the workshop in Delhi focused on identifying challenges and opportunities for the adoption of SEM. Discussions focused on existing policies and strategies applicable to different sectors. Building on the results of the workshop and further comprehensive literature review, this section identifies SEM solutions and strategies for each sector, as well as the challenges for the adoption of SEM in Indian cities.

#### *3.1. Enhancing Sustainable Energy Management of Buildings*

Old or new, public or private owned, commercial or residential, single or multi-occupant buildings are facilities where people live, work, and play. They form the landscape of a city and are home for its people. At the same time, buildings are the largest energy consumers. Buildings account for over 40 per cent of India's energy consumption—this will soon increase to nearly 60 per cent [11]. In buildings, energy services such as cooling, heating, hot water, lighting, electricity and natural gas are used daily for the safety and comfort of the occupants. These facilities account for three quarters of total Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions in urban areas. [6]. As a result, cities need to make energy-efficient, smarter, greener and sustainable buildings.

The main objective of SEM solutions in buildings is to minimize the environmental impact of various energy services on the building lifecycle and reduce energy costs [7]. They should be able to optimize energy consumption and demand, manage occupant comfort, and help create household energy independence that will help sustain the grid (ibid.). SEM solutions in buildings fall into three categories based on their applicability: (i) solutions that address energy consumption by providing efficient control of building energy systems; (ii) solutions that deal with energy demand response; and (iii) solutions that integrate solar passive design and sustainable materials [6].

By integrating energy generation, storage, distribution, and automation, the solutions in the first approach provides greater comfort, functionality, and flexibility. In fact, optimizing operations and managing can save 20 to 30 per cent of building energy without changing system structure or hardware configuration (ibid.). Within this approach, variable speed chillers, home temperature automation control systems and adaptive fuzzy comfort controllers are the latest focus of smart heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems efforts. Lighting controls and features such as appliance control gears, day lighting integration using building information modeling (BIM) tools, occupancy sensors, fixtures with photometric characters, and light-emitting diode (LED) lamps are common smart lighting solutions [12].

Demand response is another approach. Generally, most buildings are passive consumers of energy. However, in order to achieve the expected energy objectives, the role of buildings must be transformed from passive and unresponsive energy users to active participants in energy systems [13]. This paradigm shift can be achieved through micro-grids, demand response schemes, information and control systems to manage load and consumption, and energy storage equipment [6]. In the micro-grid concept, other variants are available according to the size and type of application. Examples include nanogrids, district energy networks, combined cooling and cooling systems, and medium-scale microgrids [14].

In a passive systems approach, building insulation, thermal mass, window placement, glass type and shading are key technologies [15]. Solutions in other approaches are most effective when combined with building insulation and solar passive solutions.

Some of these smart building energy systems and strategies are already in place in Indian cities. For example, smart metering, smart grid and energy internet, rooftop solar, net metering, smart lighting, LEDs, day lighting, and smart HVAC systems are being used to achieve a smart building architecture [16]. However, due to insufficient knowledge and limited expertise [17], many other advanced solutions (e.g., smart building energy management systems, micro- and nano-grids, home automation controls) are limited to small-scale or pilot projects. The large-scale application of SEM technologies in buildings will help engineers, planners, and designers in India to achieve the lowest energy cost targets and zero environmental impact on the building life cycle [18].

For example, smart metering, smart lighting, smart grids, rooftop solar, net metering, LEDs and smart HVAC systems are being used to implement intelligent building architectures. However, due to limited knowledge and expertise, many other advanced solutions (such as smart building energy management systems, micro and nano-grids, home automation control) are limited to small or pilot projects. The large-scale application of SEM technology in buildings will help engineers, planners and

designers in India achieve the minimum energy cost target with zero environmental impact on the building life cycle.

With the Smart Cities Mission and the mission of harnessing renewable energy, the future of smart energy technologies in Indian architecture is very bright, and this area will significantly contribute to the future of the technological revolution. In addition, by deploying smart technologies, conventional buildings can be transformed into smart energy buildings.

## *3.2. Improving the Water–Energy Nexus*

In order to ensure the effective management of water, the nexus between the water and energy sectors cannot be ignored. Water is a basic requirement for meeting energy demand and supply. Evidence shows that thermal power plants account for 87.8 per cent of the country's total industrial water consumption [19]. However, the water sector currently faces several problems and challenges that hinder the effective management of water resources. For example, India accounts for 18 per cent of the world's population, but only 4 per cent of its water resources [19]. Due to limited resources, the per capita water availability is on a decline, which increases resource pressure on the country's energy requirements. There is also loss of water in urban supply systems due to inefficient distribution mechanisms. A major concern in management of the water–energy nexus is that the supply systems have been functioning independently.

An integrated approach is required to ensure that the energy and water sectors are not managed in silos. SEM of water generally refers to "a holistic approach to managing this priceless resource, and the infrastructure systems surrounding its sourcing, treatment and delivery" (Environmental Leader, 2018). SEM is needed to identify energy utilized for water consumption, supply and distribution—either for public or private usage. This will improve efficiencies in the water systems and reduce wastage.

Smart technology in the water sector usually consists of four components: (i) digital output instruments (meters and sensors), which collect and transmit information in real time; (ii) supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems, which process information and remotely operate and optimize systems; (iii) geographic information systems (GIS), which store, manage, and analyze spatial information; and (iv) software applications, which support modelling infrastructure and environmental systems by managing and reporting data to improve design, decision making, and risk management [20].

Water is a significant requirement for coal-based power plants and nuclear power plants, as well as for renewable energy production. The different stages where water is utilized indispensably include extraction and refining of fuel and in thermal production of electricity. A reservoir water supply system helps to optimize water supply levels by estimating demand [21]. Other systems that support water monitoring are the real-time hydrological data acquisition and processing systems that collect water levels, water quality, and other relevant data via satellite imaging and other communication technologies; and the generation integrated operation systems that monitor dam and weir operations remotely [21].

The energy demand sector includes the agricultural, construction, industrial and household energy sectors [19]. For example, the percentage of households with electricity supply increased from 55 per cent in 2001 to more than 80 per cent in 2017 [22]. This scenario reflects the increase in household energy demand and the consequent water demand. The MoHUA's Smart City Mission aims to implement smart water solutions that collect real-time meaningful and actionable data from existing water networks [23]. Utilities can use this information to effectively distribute water. The mission's emphasis on artificial intelligence (AI), smart sensors, and technologies will improve leak detection by pinpointing leak locations, eliminate false leak alarms, enhance real-time monitoring of the network, and improve water quality issues and customer services [23]. An efficient pumping system is a key strategy to improve household water management. Emphasis on the reuse and recycling of wastewater in buildings should be supplemented by a decentralized water purification system at the city level.

To reduce the energy footprint of water and minimize wastage, Indian cities have begun to take some measures. The efficiency of water pumping systems is being improved in cities with appropriate rationalizing and pricing mechanisms. In Bengaluru, some apartment buildings have been built with smart water metering, which facilitates hourly water tracking and remote management of leaks [24]. The Indian Green Building Council's (IGBC) green cities rating system provides incentives to reduce water consumption and aid reduction by metering and monitoring water consumption. Alternative energy sources are also being utilized in high-water-consuming sectors. For example, solar energy is being used for electricity generation to ease the burden of water-intensive thermal power production processes.

In order to integrate SEM into the water sector, several factors need to be considered. Some of the challenges facing the water sector are the lack of proper metering, wherein the true cost of water prices is not calculated. An evaluation and water pricing mechanisms to measure the efficiency of the water systems (e.g., pumps) are rare. The automation of the water systems is very limited. The limited capacity of a household to heat water at any time (e.g., sun availability) is a challenge for renewable energy in the water sector. In addition, spatial, temporal and socio-economic changes and other political conditions can affect water availability. With the help of SEM practices, water and energy losses are likely to decrease and the efficiency of the water system can be improved.
