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Cent. Eur. J. Geosci. • 6(1) • 2014 • 121-130 DOI: 10.2478/s13533-012-0165-0 Central European Journal of Geosciences Geo-portal as a planning instrument: supporting decision making and fostering market potential of Energy efficiency in buildings Research Article Branka Cuca 1,2* , Raffaella Brumana 1 , Daniela Oreni 1 , Giuliana Iannaccone 1 , Marta Maria Sesana 1 1 Politecnico di Milano, Department of Architecture, Built environment and Construction Engineering (A.B.C.), Via Ponzio 31, 20133 Milan, Italy 2 Cyprus University of Technology, Department of Civil Engineering and Geomatics, 2-8 Saripolou Str. 3036 Limassol, Cyprus Received 21 January 2014; accepted 15 March 2014 Abstract: Steady technological progress has led to a noticeable advancement in disciplines associated with Earth obser- vation. This has enabled information transition regarding changing scenarios, both natural and urban, to occur in (almost) real time. In particular, the need for integration on a local scale with the wider territorial framework has occurred in analysis and monitoring of built environments over the last few decades. The progress of Geo- graphic Information (GI) science has provided significant advancements when it comes to spatial analysis, while the almost free availability of the internet has ensured a fast and constant exchange of geo-information, even for everyday users’ requirements. Due to its descriptive and semantic nature, geo-spatial information is capable of providing a complete overview of a certain phenomenon and of predicting the implications within the natural, social and economic context. However, in order to integrate geospatial data into decision making processes, it is neces- sary to provide a specific context, which is well supported by verified data. This paper investigates the potentials of geo-portals as planning instruments developed to share multi-temporal/multi-scale spatial data, responding to specific end-users’ demands in the case of Energy efficiency in Buildings (EeB) across European countries. The case study regards the GeoCluster geo-portal and mapping tool (Project GE2O, FP7), built upon a GeoClustering methodology for mapping of indicators relevant for energy efficiency technologies in the construction sector. Keywords: SDI • Web geospatial services • open-source geo-portal • geo-clusters • energy efficiency in buildings © Versita sp. z o.o. Nomenclature EE = Energy Efficiency EEB= Energy Efficiency in Buildings * E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] (Corresponding author) GIS = Geographical information Systems OGC = Open GIS Consortium SDI = Spatial Data Infrastructure WFS = Web Feature Service WMS = Web Map Service WPS = Web Processing Services 121

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Page 1: Geo-portal as a planning instrument: supporting decision making and fostering market potential of Energy efficiency in buildings

Cent. Eur. J. Geosci. • 6(1) • 2014 • 121-130DOI: 10.2478/s13533-012-0165-0

Central European Journal of Geosciences

Geo-portal as a planning instrument: supportingdecision making and fostering market potential ofEnergy efficiency in buildings

Research Article

Branka Cuca1,2∗, Raffaella Brumana1, Daniela Oreni1, Giuliana Iannaccone1, Marta Maria Sesana1

1 Politecnico di Milano, Department of Architecture, Built environment and Construction Engineering (A.B.C.),Via Ponzio 31, 20133 Milan, Italy

2 Cyprus University of Technology, Department of Civil Engineering and Geomatics,2-8 Saripolou Str. 3036 Limassol, Cyprus

Received 21 January 2014; accepted 15 March 2014

Abstract: Steady technological progress has led to a noticeable advancement in disciplines associated with Earth obser-vation. This has enabled information transition regarding changing scenarios, both natural and urban, to occurin (almost) real time. In particular, the need for integration on a local scale with the wider territorial frameworkhas occurred in analysis and monitoring of built environments over the last few decades. The progress of Geo-graphic Information (GI) science has provided significant advancements when it comes to spatial analysis, whilethe almost free availability of the internet has ensured a fast and constant exchange of geo-information, even foreveryday users’ requirements. Due to its descriptive and semantic nature, geo-spatial information is capable ofproviding a complete overview of a certain phenomenon and of predicting the implications within the natural, socialand economic context. However, in order to integrate geospatial data into decision making processes, it is neces-sary to provide a specific context, which is well supported by verified data. This paper investigates the potentialsof geo-portals as planning instruments developed to share multi-temporal/multi-scale spatial data, responding tospecific end-users’ demands in the case of Energy efficiency in Buildings (EeB) across European countries. Thecase study regards the GeoCluster geo-portal and mapping tool (Project GE2O, FP7), built upon a GeoClusteringmethodology for mapping of indicators relevant for energy efficiency technologies in the construction sector.

Keywords: SDI • Web geospatial services • open-source geo-portal • geo-clusters • energy efficiency in buildings© Versita sp. z o.o.

Nomenclature

EE = Energy EfficiencyEEB= Energy Efficiency in Buildings∗E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] (Correspondingauthor)

GIS = Geographical information SystemsOGC = Open GIS ConsortiumSDI = Spatial Data InfrastructureWFS = Web Feature ServiceWMS = Web Map ServiceWPS = Web Processing Services

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Geo-portal as a planning instrument: supporting decision making and fostering market potential of Energy efficiency in buildings

1. Introduction

The Geographic Information System (GIS) represents thefirst coordinated approach for handling geospatial dataand performing spatial analysis functions. The develop-ment of the internet and the shift towards using digitaltechnologies over the last decades has led to quicker andmore intuitive uses of spatial data – the Digital Earth.However, these two approaches differ substantially notonly in the functionalities offered, but also in the ap-proach and applications. While GIS concentrates moreon spatial analysis of data and complex queries, Digi-tal Earth bases its applications on visualisation, usingan omni-comprehensive catalogue of the earth itself. Asunderlined by [1], applications of Digital Earth are notjust limited versions of GIS, but they refer to a differ-ent and perhaps more important phenomena, given theextent of the geo-web community. This paper discussesweb geo-portals as a complementary option that takesinto account the main GIS function and at the same timeprovides several different visualisations of Earth’s surface.Due to its descriptive and semantic nature, geo-spatial in-formation is capable of providing a complete overview of acertain phenomenon, as well as foreseeing implications ofthis occurrence to its natural, social and economic frame-work. However, in order to ensure uptake into a decisionmaking processes, Geographic Information (GI) need spe-cific context. This paper studies the potentials of SpatialData Infrastructures (SDI) and Geo-portals functions ina community-based society, using GeoCluster geo-portaland mapping tools for Energy efficiency in Buildings as acase study.The recently adopted European Energy Efficiency Direc-tive has established a common framework, by which thepromotion of energy efficiency in buildings across Europecan be measured. Furthermore, this compulsory set of pro-cedures lays down rules designed to overcome barriers inthe energy market that hinder efficiency in the supply anduse of energy, fostering the establishment of indicative na-tional energy efficiency targets for the year 2020. In ad-dition, the European Initiative on Smart Cities fosters thedissemination of the most efficient models and strategiesto progress towards a low carbon future, focusing on mea-sures on buildings, local energy networks and transport.When it comes to existing buildings, the initiative expectsnovel strategies for the refurbishment of at least 50% ofthe public buildings in the EU, as well as proposals forthe original solutions in terms of technologies, innovativefinancing schemes, and refurbishment techniques. In thiscontext, the GE2O mapping tool and knowledge repos-itory, developed as products of the “Geo-clustering todeploy the potential of Energy efficient Buildings across

EU” FP7 EU project, were conceived to examine severaltechnologies of major potential for the new refurbishingmarket, with focus on Thermal Insulation (TI) and So-lar Cooling (SC). The tool is encompassed within a geo-portal such that, together with a location, it can providea geospatial connotation of certain parameters that arevery often geo-dependent such as climate, constructiontypologies, energy prices, etc. This paper outlines a briefstate-of-the-art use of geo-portals and the approach usedfor data collection (Section 2), the efforts involved in set-ting up such a platform in a comprehensive manner acrossEurope regarding Energy efficiency (section 3), and thechallenges of metadata homogenization, limitations andmany potentials for the tool (section 4). Maps of the toolare illustrated and commented upon in order to providea full overview of the research done and the possible im-plications in terms of geo-clusters, which could set thescene for a high-potential exploitation of the market. Inconclusion, this paper outlines the further necessity of im-plementation of such a Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDI)with data on national, regional and municipality levelsin order to provide a more realistic picture of the marketopportunities for local parties such as public authorities,practitioners, industries and SMEs.2. Materials and methods

The term ‘portal’ indicates an access or entrance point [2]that translated in GI and SDI can define geo-portals aswebsites where geographical content is discovered [3]. Inthe era of Web 2.0, GI no longer defines data born withintrinsic geo-descriptive coordinates, instead it is gradu-ally becoming a synonym of any kind of geo-referencedinformation, taken into consideration for professional useor used in everyday life activities and business. Greateraccess to data and their better standardization was neces-sary for most public bodies in the 1980s [4], which eventu-ally lead to the definition of SDI by the US National Re-search Council as “technology, policies, standards, humanresources, and related activities necessary to acquire, pro-cess, distribute, use, maintain, and preserve spatial datathroughout all levels of government, the private and non-profit sectors and academia” [5]. Furthermore, there aretwo main reasons why spatial framework is essential inalmost all GIS operations [6] and thus within webGIS:(1) SDI provides both spatial context and spatial structure:possibility to connect with the real-world situation and tocorrect possible distortions;(2) Most of geo-data collected by the institutions withinnational boundaries: data are usually collected for spe-

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cific purposes; there must be a “spatial key” able to reg-ister different data sets.In recent years, Geo-portals have been defined as cat-alogue gateways that enable linkages between a widecollection of information such as data sets, services, toolsand tutorials [7]. Similarly to geo-politics, when speak-ing of geo-portals both technical aspects of the disciplineand policy issues that drive these instruments should beconsidered: they are impetus foreseen to mainly influenceinformation sharing in the future. The development of theweb has created a big boom when it comes to informationaccess and sharing, with the same impact affecting geo-spatial information. More specifically, Web 2.0 is basedon three main pillars [8]: (1) user generated content, (2)the interoperability of information and (3) inclusion of thesocial context of the user. For these reasons, geo-portalscan be seen as “catalysts” between SDIs and the geospa-tial Web 2.0, acting as open systems that support the dis-covery, exchange, advertisement and delivery of geospa-tial information, as requested by the European INSPIREDirective. This legal framework, conducted by the Euro-pean Joint Research Centre (JRC), recommends developingspatial datasets and services as well as related metadataaccording to existing international standards and user re-quirements. The final product is an INSPIRE Geo-portalthat contains geospatial information within a system ofrelevant themes across Europe. Other interesting actionson the global scale include on-going activities such as theGeospatial One-Stop (GOS) in the US [9], the AustralianSDI [10], and the Indian SDI [11]. Within this framework,in recent years, several European regions have advancedtheir SDI approach to a process-oriented approach thatforesees major user involvement [12]. The content of thesekinds of SDIs aim to tackle tasks related to specific usercommunities, such as cartographic heritage for landscapeanalysis [13], water bodies and other important topics.With regard to Energy efficiency in buildings, there areno specific cases of in which these kind of geo-portals areused at an EU level; although some interesting researchresults have been seen on data structuring (projects suchas TABULA, BUILD UP, and others) and on the impor-tance of geodatabases for building energy efficiency [14].2.1. Data collection and structure

For the purpose of this research, both technological as-pects and political-economic issues regarding energy ef-ficiency were examined. In order to fully explore the ca-pabilities of the envisaged Mapping tool, the two signifi-cant technologies, Thermal Insulation (TI) and Solar Cool-ing (SC) for Energy efficiency in Buildings were chosen.These two technologies have been selected in order to

represent the two different data families to be correlatedand the two potentially different geographical markets;Mediterranean Arch and Benelux. Additional reasons fora thorough comparison include the following:• Technological Distinction: TI regards the buildingenvelope, SC regards the energy systems;• Geographical Distinction: TI is mostly favourablefor northern countries, SC for southern countries;• Technology Readiness Level: TI is very mature, SCis just emerging;• Installation Complexity: TI is “ready-to-install”, SCis linked to solar collector technologies;• Design complexity: TI is “easy-to-design”, SC re-quires specific background skills.

In order to set up data collection and methodology struc-ture, firstly the different information required were sep-arated into several main categories, as illustrated in Ta-ble 1:Table 1. Terminology, as defined for the purposes of the research

conducted within the GE2O project.

Technology Technology is defined by a single set ofperformance indicators, product/systemcharacteristics, geo-descriptors, and de-scriptors. Technology consists of differ-ent products or systems.Parameter Factor, a system characteristics strictlyrelated to the technologyPerformance Indicator Factor related to the technology andelaborated from a few parametersGeo-indicator Technology indicator depending on geo-graphic locationGeo-descriptor Context indicator with a geographic lo-cation, geo-referenced to an area spa-tially located or to single point coordi-nates i.e. NOT dependent on a singletechnologyThese categories were then classified into a 3D correla-tion matrix, defined by XYZ, where the variables describethe interactions, such that:

• X stands for energy efficiency technologies;• Y stands for the parameters and performance in-

dicators: factors relating strictly to a specific tech-nology;123

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Geo-portal as a planning instrument: supporting decision making and fostering market potential of Energy efficiency in buildings

Figure 1. X-technologies, Y-indicators and Z-geo-descriptors (left); 3D correlation matrix (right).

• Z stands for geo-indicators and geo-descriptors:factor relating to a specific geographic location inwhich technology should be applied.Data were collected for most of the European countries,using publicly available statistics data (catalogues of Eu-rostat and national statistics bodies) and information fromprevious national and European projects. The flexibil-ity of a 3D model made it possible to place each keytechnology on the “XY plane” so that every technologycan be identified and described by its “real” character-istics. However, a certain number of these parameters,such as thermo-hygrometric properties, costs, range ofapplication, depend on another set of data that has astrong geographical and context relevance (climate condi-tions, socio-economics data, building typologies). More-over, considering the specific aim of the geo-clusteringapproach, i.e. to identify the potential for application ofenergy efficient technologies, it has been observed thatother non-technological data such as financial incentives,regulations, cultural aspects (to name a few) play a sig-nificant role in the application of a technology. All thesegeo-referenced data are virtually placed on the Z-axis andidentified as geo-descriptors i.e. context indicators that donot depend on a single technology. In this way, the 3Dmatrix has made the correlation structure more dynamic(Fig. 1).2.2. GeoClustering correlation methodologyThe methodology adopted when dealing with heteroge-neous information on a geographical level regards clus-tering and geo-clustering of qualitative and quantitativeinformation on Energy efficiency in buildings (EeB) acrossEuropean countries. In order to understand the correla-tion between the three axis (X,Y,Z), we have to distinguishbetween two types of correlation: 1) X to Y correlation,

and 2) XY to Z correlation. However, both approaches arebased on “Clustering Analysis” that defines different sta-tistical procedures and relevant computational algorithmscapable of dataset classification. This process has beencarried out by gathering (clustering) initially unknown nu-merical or un-numerical values (cluster points).Every technology, X, has its own list of specific intrin-sic indicators, Y. This makes the correlation between Xand Y occur between each technology and its indicators.In particular, the Y- axis features two categories of pa-rameters: (1) descriptive indicators related only to thespecific embodiment of a single key technology X (e.g.thermal conductivity of a material in the case of thermalinsulation technology X1 and (2) performance indicatorsthat depend on the application of the respective technol-ogy in specific environmental conditions, defined by theZ layer (keeping the example of thermal insulation X1,performance indicators are e.g. the average energy lossper square metre, depending on the Z parameters Heat-ing/Cooling Degree Days). This correlation can be de-fined by the “methods for numeric objects”. On the otherside, Z geo-descriptors include all the external charac-teristics and conditions (social, economic, climatic, leg-islative and so on) that influence each key technology.For the purpose of this research, the focus was on Enve-lope Retrofitting and Solar Cooling. Z layers are relatedto their geographic location considering Nomenclature ofTerritorial Units for Statistics of Eurostat administrativeunit level (NUTS3) for example cases; the Benelux andMediterranean arc. In conclusion, every technology canbe related to (1) its Y indicators and to (2) all relevant Zlayers (either directly or indirectly through Y indicators).Applying this method on the above mentioned case stud-ies, it was deduced that the correlation between the Y andZ variables can be clearly identified. Hence, the approachwas applied to both technologies, identifying the connec-tion that exists between indicators (e.g. Performance In-124

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dicator) and external condition (e.g. Climate conditions).However, as discussed, many geo-descriptors (Z axis) can-not be described by a numeric value but by qualitativedata. In this case, the “method for non-numeric objects”is applied. Since these variables are not represented bya number, some ad hoc “dissimilarity coefficients” havebeen introduced, which are able to quantify qualitativedifferences between non-numerical objects and to revealsimilarities or differences between the two datasets ex-amined. More details of this methodology can be foundin [15]. Once defined, these descriptors are attributedto every single administrative unit of the two examinedexample cases at the NUTS3 level i.e. they become Geo-descriptors (Z).3. Results: Geo-portal for energyefficiency in buildingsThe correlations between X, Y and Z were conducted on aEuropean level, considering as many countries and theirspecific features as possible. Once the correlations andrespective algorithms were defined, the visualization ofthe results through the mapping tool was obtained by anautomated process.In the future, as the database increases, and using thesefirst cross-correlation results, an automatic approach toanalyse and quantify the level of cross-correlation couldbe developed; a statistical approach could be used toanalyse the number and frequency of recursive correla-tions.This approach of creating Geo-clusters could have furtherapplications in identifying market potentials for companyinvestments, as well as raising awareness of decision mak-ing when it comes to the Energy Efficiency (EE), the re-furbishment of existing buildings and to support relatedprofessional activities. All geographic and geo-referenceddata, their metadata, users and tools are interactively con-nected in order to use spatial data in an efficient and flex-ible way, generating an Energy Efficiency SDI (EESDI),with the GE2O Knowledge Repository i.e. an example ofEnergy Efficiency Geographic EU platform.3.1. Geo-portal system architectureThe GE2O application relies on a multi-tiered client-server system (Fig. 2). Core components are all locatedon the server side. At the very inner tier (tier 2) wefind a standard postgreSQL server, with geographic ca-pabilities (postGIS). This database stores vector featuresand metadata, as well as Content Management System(CMS) specific data (in a separate database). The mid-

dle tier (tier 1) is made up of two different web appli-cation servers: a standard web server that supports Hy-pertext Preprocessor (PHP) and the map viewer engine(based on PHP). The GIS server providing Web Map Ser-vices (WMS) and Web Feature Services (WFS) to the mapviewer is Geoserver that runs as a web application. Ge-oWebCache, also part of the tier 1, is Java web applicationused to cache map tiles coming from a variety of sourcesuch as Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) WMS. It im-plements various service interfaces (such as WMS-C, WebMap Tile Service, Tile Map Service, Google Maps KML,Virtual Earth) in order to accelerate and optimize map im-age delivery. As far as the client-side (tier 0) is regarded,the only application involved is a standard web browserwhich allows the end user to navigate into the portal andthe map viewer with no need for additional software. Themap viewer includes the entire OpenLayers bundle (withsupport for proprietary imagery such as Google Maps) andExtJS (for page layout). GeoExt is a library that combinesthe web mapping library Openlayers with ExtJS. It pro-vides a suite of customizable widgets and data handlingsupport that makes it easy to build applications for view-ing, editing and styling geospatial information, as wellas printing controls from a PDF serving platform, such aspage layout, resolution, and legends.Using an adapted set of classes and functions from Open-Layers, the map viewer provides:• seamless browsing between geo-referenced maps ofX, Y and Z layers;• a set of controls for zooming, panning, cursor posi-tioning, real-time layer opacity changing and layerre-ordering;• a complex set of customizable filtering by the endusers;• integration with third-parties, OGC-compliant ex-ternal WMS resources;• custom choice of the background layer, selectingbewteen an empty base or proprietary imagery (e.g.Google Satellite).

3.2. Geo-portal outputs: first and secondlevel mapsThe geo-portal Web Service Architecture has foreseen toprovide answers in terms of WMS and WFS, followingthe requests of the final user. An approach based on in-formation harmonization has been considered using largescale data on EU country levels together with small-scaleinformation on levels of province or single city, in order

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Geo-portal as a planning instrument: supporting decision making and fostering market potential of Energy efficiency in buildings

Figure 2. System Architecture of the GE2O Web Geo Portal: Common three tier Architecture (left) and an illustration of Open Source softwareand libraries employed (right).

to provide new scenarios for retrieving geospatial knowl-edge of the build environment. The methodology proposedaddresses the exchange, sharing, access and use of in-teroperable spatial data, as stated by the EU DirectiveINSPIRE. In a practical sense, every layer described asa Geo-descriptor has its geographical location within theGeoCluster Mapping Tool, i.e. all Geo-descriptors aregeo-referenced. A common geographic reference level, theNUTS3, used for small regions of specific diagnoses, waschosen. The correlation results show “value chains” thatallow end users to visualise the output of the process on atechnological map (Fig. 3). This approach gives access toall of the data and the possible correlations, whilst alsoguaranteeing an iterative process.The maps generated by the GeoCluster Mapping Tool canbe classified into 2 different levels: (1) the first level mapi.e. thematic map of a single X, Y or Z which representsthe values of a single layer according to the specific de-fined ranges; (2) the second level map i.e. correlationsmaps showing results of the correlation bewteen two ormore indicators. Fig. 4 provides a graphic example of afirst level map showing Heating Degree Days (Z.1.1), asub-layer of the geo-descriptor Climate (Z.1).3.3. Example of Second level maps: Marketpotential for Thermal Insulation Technologies

Thermal Insulation technologies were described consider-ing 22 different examples structured in 5 families: Aero-gels, Foam boards, Mineral Wool, Natural materials andVacuum Panels (VP). The Fig. 5 illustrates the Market po-tential of the thermal insulation technology Sheep wool(Natural material), applied to envelope retrofitting in resi-

dential buildings across EU, considering 5 thresholds. Thecolour range detects a very high potential (red) to a verylow potential (light green).The optimal thickness of the material, considering the cli-mate conditions of a specific NUTS3 region, is displayedon the map. In addition, it is possible to customise theU-value of the material (overall heat transfer co-efficient)and consequently observe the changes on the map of Mar-ket penetration for a specific technology considered. Inthe same manner, it is possible to query the tool for all22 technologies. A high number of variation and filters(including customisation of thickness of insulation mate-rial, pre-defined U-value and others), as well asstraightforward organization and display of data make the toolhighly practical for end-users.4. Discussion

During the data collection and methodology development,several barriers and limitations have been encountered,due to scattered knowledge, specific needs, failure modesand bottlenecks, as well as the weakness and threats ex-perienced by running clusters dealing with energy effi-ciency in the built environment across Europe. The mainlimitations encountered refer to data quality, precisionand scale; however, as this commonly occurs in GIS ap-plications, the Geo-descriptors and all their sub-layerswere assigned attributes of single geographic unit (poly-gon, points, lines). All attributes were referenced to theNUTS3 polygonal level, thus it is possible to representthe map resulting from the correlation of the climate at-tributes to their corresponding NUTS3 boundaries. Us-126

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Figure 3. Value chain for a specific query (from left): majority of residential/non-residential stock at NUTS3 level; Lombardy Region (LR) –residential construction over the period 1946-1960 (low-medium-high); LR – pie chart on the type of construction material used; LR –indication of hypothetical U-value of external walls (period of construction).

Figure 4. GE2O map of layer Z.1.1 Heating Degree Days. Screen shot of the GE2O Mapping Tool - GE2O Website.

ing this system it is possible for the end-user to view,understand, query, interpret, and visualize data in manyways that reveal relationships, patterns, and trends in theform of maps, reports and charts. Geo-spatial informationis of crucial importance as it enables the scientific com-munity and professionals to understand what the impactof anthropic influence on efficiency issues is. A bettercomprehension of territory and the built environment canlead to a more sustainable way of urban planning andimproving territorial government facilities with citizen ac-knowledgement and participation. Strong support fromthe technological point of view is needed, both in termsof visualisation media or virtual environments as well ascommunication tools [16]. Also, significant Z layers, suchas “Building Typologies”, should be studied in more detail,applying advanced surveying and modelling technologieson existing building stock [17, 18] and buildings of his-toric importance [19]. The progressive implementation ofvarious spatial data sources and with remote sensing datawill be needed in to feature to improve Web Processing

Services (WPS) and support adaptive context-aware pro-cessing by the users. For example, thermal sensors can bevery useful in identifying temperature anomalies in urbanstructures where the heat is lost in significant values [20].Thermal infrared (TIR) remote sensing images can pro-vide valuable environmental observation information andif combined with an airborne and or satellite platform,uses can also include: (i) land cover classification; (ii) ur-ban heat island analysis; (iii) residential heat loss/wasteheat mapping; and (iv) roof moisture surveys [21, 22] aswell as others. Another very practical example of usingthe remote sensing technologies for mapping of cities isthe European Urban Atlas initiative [23], which is part ofthe EO/Copernicus Land monitoring services. These highresolution maps obtained from satellite imagery in com-bination with the street network allow for a wide rangeof additional analyses such as proximity to green spaces,train stations, geometric shape of single districts, distancefrom energy resources, accurate pictures of urban sprawlin the fringe of urban zones and many more. Integrating127

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Geo-portal as a planning instrument: supporting decision making and fostering market potential of Energy efficiency in buildings

Figure 5. Market potential for Thermal Insulation Sheep Wool natural material: application to buildings of specific threshold categories, as classifiedby Eurostat and national statistic bodies.

this information into tools such as GE2O can benefit theoverall market uptake in the field of EE in buildings.5. ConclusionsIt is widely acknowledged that GI is increasingly becom-ing important for public users and professionals becauseit is useful to illustrate and enable analysis of phenomenaoccurring on territorial scales and because it can be in-tegrated to simulate scenarios and forecast different phe-nomena. In this sense, Regional dimension and servicesspecifically targeted to the priorities of Regions and needsof their citizens, can be very useful, also in view of a“macro-region” territorial concept. The “Macro Regionalstrategy” is an integrated framework used to address com-mon challenges faced by a defined geographical area tostrengthen the cooperation contributing to achievement ofeconomic, social and territorial cohesion [24]. In the future,the further expansion of this concept will require tools tobe able to support analysis of data and their correct inte-gration for more informed decision making. In this sense,

tools such as the GeoCluster Mapping Tool for mappingof Energy efficiency in Buildings can provide the structur-ing, clustering and integration of existing data on an EUlevel within the geospatial framework in order to addressgeo-cluster policies of Public Authorities and support pro-fessional related activities. This research highlights thepotential integration of geo-portals and remote sensinginformation to provide inter-visibility of geospatial infor-mation for planners, private business developers and thepublic in the future. Geo-portals can bring added valueto e-government management and to procedures regard-ing responding to interests of user communities [25]. Theshift to community-based geo-portals will require a repos-itory of meta-resources to be set up, as well as adoptingtechnologies that enable the highest level of semantic in-teroperability within a framework to be able to integratesocial and geographical dimensions. Many examples ofgeo-portals were built on a case by case approach. Amore structured and coherent method is needed in order tomake these tools competitive for governance and businessdevelopment. The integration of web geo-portals with re-mote and on-site information could allow the expansion128

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of further uses, thus contributing to enhanced knowledgeand awareness of changes in territory, including climate,geophysical, ecomnoic, political and social impacts.AcknowledgmentsThe research leading to the results of Geo-cluster Map-ping Tool has received funding from the European Commu-nity’s Seventh Framework Programme under grant agree-ment n°285501. The URL of the GeoMapping tool ishttp://www.GeoClusters.eu/ge2O/#.References

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