Harmonized access to heterogeneous content: towards a European SDI

The development of a SDI, in Europe and elsewhere, has many aspects. Some are more technological in nature, and others have to do with organizational, financial and juridical issues. In this paper we will focus on an issue that is identified in the INSPIRE report of September 2003 as having a high priority: harmonization. We will look at two aspects: data (model) integration and data access policy.As far as data integration is concerned we propose a 'light' approach: for the shared use of geoinformation in a SDI strict harmonization of data models is not always necessary.In the field of data access policy two EU Directives came into effect, one on the reuse of public sector information, and one on data protection. Both make a first step towards harmonization of data access policy, but further steps will be necessary

A comprehensive review of existing urban energy models in the built environment

This review considers previous researches that dealt with energy modelling in the built environment at different urban spatial scales. Up to now, modelling approaches focus on energy flow simulation in urban area from generation to distribution and finally consumption. Dependent on the energy flow direction and focus of these models in urban energy system, they are categorized in three distinct groups: supply, demand and integrated models. A critical evaluation of each category of these models based on the same criteria is provided. As a result, some of the main aspects that are missing in the existing models are highlighted, including: integrated multilayer models, spatial implications of renewable energy technologies and integration of simulation and optimization methods