Course Overview
This course provides an overview of the key enabling technologies available in the development of smart homes for individuals and smart cities for the collective population. This includes the adoption of sustainable or “clean” transportation technologies including their integration into urban environments and their role in sustainable development. Students will gain an understanding of how these technologies can be used to improve the operation of cities and individual homes by influencing factors such as energy efficiency, demand-management, and through enabling automation. BCIT’s campuses and the surrounding municipalities will be used as living laboratories to demonstrate the implementation of smart city technologies and sustainable transportation or to identify where these technologies might have a significant impact. In this course, students will work in teams to describe in detail the impact of the implementation of the smart microgrid being designed throughout the program will have on an associated community. This will be a teambased project that will require members to consider different aspects (good or bad) which come from the implementation of the smart microgrid, including the wide-adoption of modern loads such as: smart buildings with energy management and load-leveling technologies; electric transportation and the associated charging systems; and the ubiquitous use of demand-side management by the electric utility or operator.
Prerequisite(s)
- No prerequisites are required for this course.
Credits
3.0
Registration requirements
Departmental approval is required to register for this course. You must have approval from the department to register. Students accepted into a program can register directly.
Domestic fees
$2,621.02
International fees are typically 3.4 times the domestic tuition. Exact cost will be calculated upon completion of registration.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Describe and select the various technologies associated with smart cities for use in solving issues seen by the public and private sector
- Model the dynamic behaviour of key devices and sub-systems seen in smart-cities and homes in order to quantify their impact on environmental, economic and social factors
- Design improved building energy management systems for industrial, commercial and resident applications which will reduce the overall energy footprint of the building and enhance overall operation
- Examine the relationships between different utilities in an urban environment, how they can interact, and how technologies can be used to improve quality of service and reliability
- Describe the communication systems and technologies used in smart cities and homes and the relevant standards which govern their operation
- Evaluate the impact of new technologies and the interconnection of utility systems within an urban environment to the security and resilience of said system
- Formulate solutions to problems seen by cities through the selection of modern urban planning techniques and new technologies
- Evaluate the impact of automation in urban environments, including the use of autonomous vehicles and the implications for traffic management and public safety
- Develop a vision for the future of smart cities and homes based on the technologies introduced throughout the course
- Quantify the effects of demand-side-management on utility systems and infrastructure such as gas, electricity and water
- Evaluate the impact of sustainable transportation systems on land-use, infrastructure planning, economy, and the environment
- Calculate the energy and carbon footprint of various sustainable transportation technologies by performing life-cycle analyses
- Develop leadership and collaboration skills
Effective as of Fall 2021
Related Programs
Smart Cities and Sustainable Transportation (SGST 9130) is offered as a part of the following programs:
- Indicates programs accepting international students.
- Indicates programs eligible for students to apply for Post-graduation Work Permit (PGWP).
School of Energy
- Smart Grid Systems and Technologies
Master of Engineering Full-time/Part-time
Course Offerings
Fall 2026
Below is one offering of SGST 9130 for the Fall 2026 term.
CRN 48867
Dates
Sep 10 - Dec 10 Loading
- CRN 48867
- $2621.02 Domestic fees
Class meeting times
Duration
15 weeks
Instructor
TBD
Course outline
Course outline TBD — see Learning Outcomes in the interim.
Important information
- Registration in individual courses will be open to qualified candidates for professional development. Registration approval is automatically granted upon acceptance into the program.
Confirmation
Required
To proceed with registration and add this course to the cart, please confirm:
No approval yet? Request approval You must have approval from the department to register. Students accepted into a program can register directly.
Status
If you have any questions about this course, please contact us.
Programs and courses are subject to change without notice. Find out more about BCIT course cancellations.