Urban energy assessment by means of simulation techniques.

Current trends in energy consumption and greenhouse emissions make energy problems in cities take special importance. This situation has led to evaluate different urban configurations that combine the reduction of the energy demands with the optimization of the energy generation systems including renewable sources. The use of dynamic simulation programs allows the quantification of the energy impacts produce by the building stock and the energy generation systems that make up an urban area. Simulation environments have been defined to evaluate and optimize the energy performance of urban areas. This paper presents a modular methodology based on phases to develop a global urban model. This methodology has considered many variables that characterize an urban area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]