Nice, FR

The city of Nice is located in the south-eastern part of France, by the Mediterranean Sea, and has a population of approximately 340 000 inhabitants and 550 000 inhabitants for NCA Metropolis. In 2015, the city was ranked 4thin a list of the world’s top Smart cities, highlighting the efforts made by the municipality to develop innovative energy management systems.

As a signatory of the Covenant of Mayors, the city of Nice has committed to reduce its CO2 emissions by 20% per inhabitant by 2020. To this end, several initiatives are currently being implemented in Nice. The pilot project ‘Nice Grid’, for instance, is the first smart grid demonstration project in Europe. In the framework of this project, solar panels have been installed on the roofs of 300 volunteer businesses and citizens and connected to lithium-ion batteries to create the first autonomous solar district in the city. Additionally, since 2015, Nice airport is consuming only hydropower and is currently testing an innovative electric bus able to recharge in only 20 seconds. To help address issues related to climate change adaptation in European cities, the municipality has also created a Smart Innovation Centre pooling the resources of several universities, technology centres and businesses.

The membership of Nice in the Replication Cluster will offer the city the possibility to share its wide experience in implementing innovative technologies for renewable energy integration and benefit from the expertise of SINFONIA and EU-GUGLE partners in energy efficient renovation.