Definition of Solar City

What is a Solar City?

A solar city is an urban community that is committed to the development of sustainable energy to power its development, rather than the continuing reliance on fossil and nuclear fuels. It is a world wide movement that seeks to share knowledge and best practice on tackling some of the major issues of the early 21st century - that of climate change and peak oil.

Solar Cities Scotland is part of a worldwide movement that was established in 2003. The following year the first international congress of the international solar cities initiave (ISCI) was held in Daegu, South Korea, and featured four pillars of society that worked together to create low carbon visions for their cities. These were Leadership, Commerce, Academia and Communities.

Further congresses have been held in Adelaide (Australia), Oxford (UK) and Dezhou, China (2010), with the next congress being held in Beunos Aires in 2012 ahead of the Rio +20 Earth Summit.   

By "going solar", cities set the most important and influential step to sustainability.  Therefore sustainable cities have to be solar cities.