City of Valencia backs IoT project to combat energy poverty

The City of Valencia in Spain is investing in an Internet of Things (IoT) project powered by the Helium Network to help combat energy poverty.

More than 130 air quality sensors using LoRaWan have been deployed throughout the city in technological collaboration with specialised integrator Damal Redes, with more deployments expected in 2024.

Vulnerable citizens

Helium, a member of the LoRa Alliance, showcased the project at Smart City Expo World Congress in Barcelona this week. It was one of several members presenting projects as part of the panel, Enhancing Urban Life through IoT, led by LoRa Alliance CEO, Donna Moore.

Valencia’s Fundació Clima i Energia and Damal Redes are leveraging IoT and decentralised wireless networks technology to gather real-time data about the wellbeing of its most vulnerable citizens.

Spain’s third-largest city is facing the formidable challenge of energy poverty – a lack of adequate, affordable, and reliable environmentally sound energy services, which affects almost one quarter (23 per cent) of its households.

The City reports European welfare systems are burdened by the inequalities resulting from living conditions in urban contexts, causing direct and detrimental impacts on health and wellbeing. Health complications resulting from energy poverty include respiratory diseases, heart attacks, stroke, mental disorders, and acute health issues such as hypothermia, injury, or flu.

“We have the technology to address an equality issue that affects many of the world’s urban centres and deprives residents of fundamental energy needs”

Energy poverty increases the risk of respiratory illnesses, which is why Fundació Clima i Energia has chosen to adopt low-cost, high-impact air quality sensor deployments for citizens, ultimately benefiting the welfare of the entire area. Fundació Clima i Energia leads and supervises the Wellbased and Ebento projects, with Damal Redes serving as its trusted technological collaborator. Wellbased has distributed 130 sensors throughout the city of Valencia to address energy poverty.

Meanwhile, Ebento is focused on enhancing energy efficiency in buildings and plans to deploy 52 sensors across two buildings in the city. These projects utilise atmospheric sensors that measure dry temperature, relative humidity, and CO2 concentration, offering insights into the environmental conditions within the participants’ homes.