On the afternoon of November 23, 2019, the project seminar of the China-Europe International Cooperative Research Program "Sustainable Development of Urban Energy Systems: Policy Design, Operation Optimization and Market Coordination" (NSFC-JPI_UE) was successfully held in the West Main Building of Tsinghua University. The Chinese leading unit of the project is Tsinghua University, the head of the leading team is Professor Kang Chongqing of EEA, and the Chinese assisting unit is Zhejiang University, the European leading unit is Imperial College Longdon, the head of the leading team is Professor Richard Green of the Business School, and the European assisting unit is Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. This project is oriented by sustainable development to study the urban energy system, and specifically the relevant theoretical methods of policy design, operation optimization and market trade. It explores the operation law of urban energy system and its interaction with policy, economy and environment, and put forward the policy and market design, key operating and planning technologies and business models to support the green, low-carbon and sustainable urban energy system.

The seminar was presided over by Professor Kang Chongqing of Tsinghua University. Prof. Richard Green, Prof. Tim Green (Tim Green), Prof. Goran Strbac and Assistant Prof. Teng Fei of the Imperial College London, Prof. Ding Yi of Zhejiang University, Associate Professor Laurens de Vries of Delft University of Technology, Associate Professor Simon Tindemans and Lecturer Ye Yuxiao of Tianjin University and Associate Professor Zhang Ning of Tsinghua University attended the seminar. Roman Hennig, a Ph.D. student at Delft University of Technology, attended the seminar through remote video.

Professor Kang Chongqing first reviewed the background and research content of the project, and Assistant Professor Teng Fei of Imperial College, Professor Ding Yi of Zhejiang University, Dr. Roman Hennig of Delft University of Technology and Associate Professor Zhang Ning of Tsinghua University reported the research achievement and progress respectively. After the report, the attendees discussed the next research plan, the construction of a platform for sharing information and documents within the project, sharing research data sets and example systems, how to further strengthen cooperative research, enhance the exchange of visits for teachers and students, and the date and place of the next project seminar.

As energy goes first in economic development, the smart urban energy system will lead the in the construction of smart cities. Urban energy reform will become the core of urban upgrading, the smart urban energy system will become the organism of smart cities, shift from the basic and supportive position to the driving and core position, provide new ideas, new means, new models and new business type for the construction of smart cities, enrich and extend the industrial chain of smart cities, and provide more diversified energy products and services for urban production and life. The project research achievement will support the scientific formulation of relevant energy and environmental decisions and policies, promote the optimization of energy structure, upgrade the energy security, realize diversified, clean and sustainable energy system development, and provide a scientific basis for solving the current major problems of energy consumption and urban air pollution control, and building a resource-saving and environment-friendly society.

In addition, Assistant Professor Teng Fei of Imperial College chaired the symposium on "Sustainable Development of Urban Energy from a Socio-economic Perspective" at the early concluded 2019 IEEE Sustainable Power & Energy Conference. Professor Richard Green, Professor Goran Strbac, Associate Professor Laurens de Vries, Assistant Professor Simon Tindemans and Associate Professor Zhang Ning gave academic reports respectively, which received good response and heated discussion.