Using geospatial information and building energy simulation to construct urban residential energy use map with high resolution for Taiwan cities

Abstract

An urban energy use map that illustrates the building energy consumption of a city can facilitate the formulation of energy policies. This paper used dynamic simulations of building energy consumption and building information from a geographic information system were used to develop urban energy use maps with high spatial resolutions for two urban areas in southern Taiwan. 4000 models for typical residential layouts in Taiwan were generated through the Monte Carlo method and the benchmark values of the buildings’ energy use intensity (EUI) were identified through building energy simulation and uncertainty analysis. Accordingly, the benchmark EUI values, building data, and population data were used as input parameters to derive a convenient equation for predicting energy consumption in each grid of the urban energy use maps. A comparison of the measured and predicted energy consumptions confirmed the precision of this equation. To sum up, relevant data are readily available and can be exploited to prepare urban energy use maps for other large cities in Taiwan. Moreover, the urban energy use map with high spatial resolution can present the differences in small areas, making it an important reference aid for determining energy policies