IIC Journal of Innovation 12th Edition | Page 58

Creating Cities of the Future with Digital Twin Technology smart city digital twin platform enables utilities and municipal governments to make informed, data-driven decisions for infrastructure investments. This digital twin concept incorporates third-party datasets and expertise in load disaggregation, DER event verification, grid connectivity modeling, advanced load forecasting and data analytics to enable utilities and city planners to confidently and efficiently transform their energy systems by: the neighborhood where data delivers a baseline visualization of the local water distribution network. We believe that a digital twin platform coupled with machine learning algorithms and device behavior models may be used to expand the possibilities for anomaly detection, predictive maintenance, infrastructure expansion and clean energy and water planning. Creating a digital twin library of existing and proposed infrastructure elements enables stakeholders to confidently take plans to action, transform cities and improve the quality of life for real people in real places for a more resourceful world. 1. Identifying and optimizing spatial maps of existing, proposed and planned infrastructure enhancements before investing in equipment; 2. Creating data-driven justifications to invest capital in order to optimize service to the community; and 3. Predicting and effectively managing the required distributed energy resources in a given neighborhood, including managing rooftop solar systems and battery storage. C ONCLUSION Digital twin platforms can transform infrastructure, engage communities and help smart city planners make informed investments. By coupling augmented reality with a digital twin platform, a powerful community engagement tool can educate citizens and drive awareness of a local incentive program to change rooftop material. It is important to engage with sustainability professionals and demonstrate how to conduct what-if analyses to add clean energy and battery storage to neighborhood grids. We are continuing the virtual journey under IIC Journal of Innovation - 53 -