With electricity demand soaring and renewable energy expanding at record speed, today’s energy systems are under mounting pressure. Building more centralized infrastructure—transmission lines, power plants, large-scale storage—is one part of the solution. But another, often overlooked, lies closer to our cities and communities: integrated energy systems.
UNEP’s Integrated Energy Systems programme helps cities, utilities and governments tap into the potential of decentralized energy—connecting local solar power, storage, district heating and cooling, electric transport, and smart water and waste systems, to create resilient, low-emission, and flexible local infrastructure. By aligning electricity with heating, cooling, transport, and waste, countries can reduce demand peaks, absorb excess renewable energy, and operate more efficiently – and bring economic and social benefits to the local population.
These systems are already delivering results around the world—but they require support to scale. Through technical assistance, policy support and partnerships, UNEP helps countries and cities to:
- Plan and design local integrated energy systems;
- Enable local investment and public-private partnerships;
- Connect clean energy with other sustainability goals;
- And share solutions across countries and regions.
Integrated energy systems do not replace large-scale renewables or national grids – rather, they strengthen them and allow for more renewables to be built faster. They reduce pressure on overstretched energy infrastructure, create new entry points for clean energy, and deliver social, economic, and environmental benefits where they need the most.
For more information, please contact: unep-citiesandbuildings@un.org
