Open Access

REVIEW

Renewable Energy and Urban Sustainability Using the Siemens Green City Index: Comprehensive Review

Media Nadhim Mahmood¹, Oday I. Abdullah^1,2,3,*, Amani I. Altmimi⁴
1 Department of Energy Engineering, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq
2 College of Engineering, Gulf University, Sanad, Bahrain
3 College of Engineering, Al-Naji University, Baghdad, Iraq
4 Remote Sensing and Geophysics, College of Science, AL-Karkh University, Iraq
* Corresponding Author: Oday I. Abdullah. Email:
(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Recent Advance and Development in Solar Energy)

Energy Engineering https://doi.org/10.32604/ee.2026.078421

Received 31 December 2025; Accepted 16 March 2026; Published online 23 April 2026

Abstract

The highly important requirement for achieving urban sustainability for any city is the availability of renewable energy, as reducing carbon emissions is considered one of the most important factors in improving the quality of life and health of people in green cities. The main objective of this research is to provide an in-depth study and analysis of the role of renewable energies, especially solar energies, in promoting sustainable development in cities around the world, in general, and in Iraq in particular. Strategies for using clean energy sources in a hybrid manner, such as solar energy, wind energy, and bioenergy, in urban infrastructure were analyzed. The focus was also on highlighting the most important challenges associated with the transformation of traditional cities into semi-green or green cities that depend primarily or largely on renewable energy, with a focus on the environmental, economic, and social benefits or importance of this transformation. A comprehensive picture was provided on how to apply the Siemens Green Cities Index as a promising assessment tool or benchmark for city performance, in addition to highlighting the criteria of staff efficiency, carbon emissions, environmental resource management, and analyzing the extent to which global urban policy and planning are compatible with the index criteria. Finally, the necessary proposals and recommendations were presented to enhance the use of available renewable energies in cities, as this will contribute significantly to achieving a large percentage of sustainable development goals. This study is considered the cornerstone for providing a roadmap for decision-makers and companies to develop or transform traditional cities into cities that rely on renewable energy, and it also contributes to the transformation or improvement of the environmental and economic levels in the world.

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Keywords

Renewable energy; green cities; urban sustainability; siemens green city index; sustainable development; carbon emissions reduction

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