High-resolution Representations of Internal and External Boundary Conditions in Urban Energy Modelling

Abstract

Integrative computational environments that can support effective planning of urban-level energy management activities are indispensable to the development of sustainable cities. These environments rely on urban energy models, which, bound to achieve computational efficiency, have in the past frequently relied on simplified procedures. However, the temporal dynamics of load patterns and their dependency on transient phenomena (e.g., inhabitants’ presence and actions) cannot be realistically represented when using simplified models. To address this circumstance, we have conceived the framework of an integrative urban decision support environment, relying on simulation. In this regard, we have designed, implemented, and documented an urban energy modelling approach that combines cluster analysis and sampling techniques to enable full dynamic numeric simulation capability. The latter capability enables in principle the processing of highly resolved time series data pertaining both to external (microclimatic) and internal (user-dependent) boundary conditions. In this paper, we elaborate on the framework of the envisaged environment, introduce its various components, and report on our current developmental activities.