Hues: a Holistic Urban Energy Simulation Platform for Effective Model Integration

Effective design and operation of district multi-energy systems is a complex task necessitating novel modeling and simulation approaches. In this paper, we introduce and describe the Holistic Urban Energy Simulation (HUES) platform, an extendable simulation environment for the study of urban multi-energy systems. The platform consists of a growing array of modules and datasets which may be linked in different ways to address different problems in the domain of urban energy systems. Via its combined role as model repository and information management system, the HUES platform facilitates the integration and reuse of constituent modules, opening up possibilities to address the complexity of urban energy systems. We demonstrate the use of the HUES platform via a case study exploring the relationship between district size and the sizing of the necessary infrastructure, considering realistic variability in heat demand between buildings. We hypothesize that larger districts may more effectively leverage the temporal variation of demand between buildings, reducing infrastructure investment needs. This relationship is explored by linking three modules of the HUES platform – a stochastic demand module, a building energy module and an energy system module – each originally developed for different purposes and adapted for this investigation. The results of the case study indicate that the limited coincidence of demand peaks between buildings means that larger districts require less generation capacity. The combination of computational modules employed in this case study allows us to extract insights unattainable with any of the modules in isolation – precisely the capability we seek to enable with the HUES platform. Key challenges in the further development of the HUES platform include facilitating model validity, ensuring the development of truly reusable modules and dealing with intellectual property issues.