The proposal for a spatial planning support system to estimate the urban energy demand and potential renewable energy scenarios

A simplified methodology for the estimation of energy demand (heating, electricity, hot water) and the production of renewable energy of households at the city level based on the available data and information is presented. The aim of this work is to develop a spatial planning support system, i.e. an estimation tool based on the use of geographic information systems (GIS) in order to support public administration and stakeholders towards a sustainable energy and urban planning at the local scale. For instance, assessing urban energy quantities and potential energy productions can drive urban policies and planning decision-making. The tool was applied to the case-study area of the city of Milan, Italy. Outcomes show that in terms of energy savings, the retrofitting of households reveal huge margins for improvement, whereas in terms of energy production through RES, geothermal and solar energy represent the only valid options, because other sources require the availability of open spaces, thus far beyond the saturated urbanized land of the town. Finally, the calculation procedure is easy to run and represents a versatile and adaptable energy prediction tool to be used to link energy and urban planning in a more effective way.