The first Energy Atlas of Sofia, created by the GATE Institute with lead researcher Dr. Eng. Lidiya Vitanova, combines approaches from geographic information systems (GIS) and statistical methods for assessing energy consumption in buildings with different purposes.
The results of the study identified a significant contrast in energy consumption between buildings in highly urbanized areas in Sofia and those in the suburbs. Buildings with high energy consumption belong to areas where commercial, industrial and sports buildings are located.
The calculation of energy consumption uses a data set “Certificates for energy performance of buildings” of more than 2500 representative buildings in Sofia. The data used in the energy atlas include total building area and energy consumption per unit area (energy flow).
The results of the Energy Atlas can be used for further analysis of energy consumption and climate change, as well as for the calculation of urban heat islands.
“Such developments are important for society, as they provide comprehensive and accessible information about the energy status of our surroundings and the possibilities for decision-making in order to improve our way of life,” explains Dr. Eng. Lidiya Vitanova.
The data visualized in the energy atlas was used to enrich the 3D model of the Lozenets area, part of the pilot project to create a “city digital twin”. In addition to energy consumption by building function, results from other analyzes and simulations in an urban environment, developed by researchers at the institute, are to be integrated.
The creation of a “city digital twin”, within whose framework research is carried out, supports analyzes and simulations related to air quality analysis, urban planning, energy efficiency, urban mobility, etc. Its development is under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Desislava Petrova-Antonova from the GATE Institute. Cities such as Helsinki, Vienna, Berlin, Singapore and New York have similar digital twins.