Harnessing Open European Data for a Data-Driven Approach to Enhancing Decarbonization Measurement in the Built Environment

Abstract

To achieve climate neutrality by 2050, decarbonizing the building sector is crucial, as it currently contributes 36 % of greenhouse gas emissions in Europe. Monitoring decarbonization progress is essential for evaluating our trajectory towards long-term goals, facilitating informed decision-making. However, monitoring this issue is currently unfeasible due to a lack of real data. Despite challenges in data gathering, directives like Infrastructure for Spatial Information in Europe (INSPIRE) and the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) promote open data accessibility. To overcome this barrier, this paper suggests using georeferencing and automated cross-referencing of open building data to obtain data to monitor progress towards decarbonization effectively. This approach materializes in the proposal of a national-scale Urban Building Energy Model (UBEM) for Spain, which leverages data from Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) and potentially Digital Building Logbooks (DBL) to enhance it. The study demonstrates the considerable potential of this approach, not only in characterizing the energy performance of Spanish buildings based on location, type, and age but also in estimating energy consumption, carbon dioxide emissions, monitoring renovation progress, assessing energy savings, and identifying energy-inefficient building segments. Finally, this study compares the information obtained using the proposed model with the set of progress indicators of the EPBD recast for the new national building renovation plans, concluding that the UBEM model manages to provide data to collect 29 of the progress indicators and, when combined with a DBL, it would be able to provide 59. This framework holds promise for replication in other MS, offering valuable insights into the decarbonization of the European building stock.