Archetype-based modeling of energy demand and information and communication technologies to support planning and operation of energy systems in mixed-use districts

Districts play a key role in the energy transition, as they offer synergies in the planning, construction, and operation of energy systems. In particular, effective operational coordination relies on an energy management system (EMS). This thesis investigates how information and communication technology (ICT) can support the planning and operation of EMS in districts, and how such EMS can be designed considering the necessary ICT infrastructure. The underlying assumption is that the required information is provided through a so-called district information model. Initially, the state-of-the-art is reviewed, providing an introduction to the digitalization of buildings, districts, and energy networks. Approaches for modeling and analyzing district-related information are introduced, their added value described, and their potential applications for the planning and operation of districts explained. In the subsequent chapter, results from a series of workshops on district energy management systems (DEMS) are presented. Within these workshops, numerous issues related to the topic were discussed with experts. Challenges arise particularly due to the variety of different systems and their resulting interfaces. Moreover, multi-energy management systems within districts often present a chicken-and-egg problem, as integration costs and potential savings are borne by different stakeholders. Additionally, data collection is a time consuming process, data is often substituted with archetype data. The foundation for implementing DEMS is energy demand planning; to facilitate this, an archetype-based 5R1C model is extended by integrating a typology for nonresidential buildings. This approach is compared with two other models, highlighting dependencies related to input data quality, geometric modeling, and the modeling approach itself. Significant variations are particularly evident in the case of nonresidential buildings and geometries. Finally, to model building-level ICT, a standardized approach is developed, integrating the information as an Application Domain Extension (ADE) into CityGML, based on the Smart Readiness Indicator (SRI). A concept called digital archetypes is proposed to model the specific information needs for individual use cases through use case mapping. This enables for improved alignment of required information and facilitates the transfer of this {SRI} from building to district and city level. A remaining challenge, however, is the standardized description of the technologies themselves, although their functions and information requirements become more tangible through this methodology.