A spatial energy consumption assessment for building stock supporting low carbon scenarios development

Energy saving, carbon emissions reduction strategies, and policies are the main concerns for the 21st century sustainable development. Policymakers have emphasized how the energy security promotes a transition towards low-carbon energy sources without undermining wellbeing. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2014) estimates that almost 67% of the total global energy consumption is affected by activities in urban areas. Particularly, the existing buildings stock consumes about 40% of the total energy consumption in EU member states (2010/31/EU). Accordingly, it is crucial to understand the residential building energy profile. The goal of this work is, therefore, focusing on a method for assessing the energy consumption of residential sector. The methodology implemented for this work is based on a hybrid approach that is combined with two different categories top-down and bottom-up. It is mostly created by data collection from the technical maps, literature, and technical department of the municipality which are later transferred into the Geographic information system (GIS). GIS provides the urban energy maps for assessing saving scenarios and support decision making for policy implementation. Afterward, the model is able to assess the buildings energy consumption, depending on the Heating Degree Days, the compactness S/V, and the period of construction of buildings.It is fundamental to create a profile model to understand the current state of the energy consumption for building stock. This study began by calculating the energy consumption profile at the municipality scale with the use of GIS that can significantly help in the planning of actions in the future.