ABC Accelerator API

Context

The ABC Accelerator API is a REST API written in Python, which was created to support the ABC Accelerator service in CITYlayers.

ABC Accelerator API architecture

How it works

The buildings and parameters selected by the user in the CITYlayers ABC Accelerator service are sent to the ABC Accelerator API via an HTTP request, which then computes:

  • Retrofit results, current case (the current state of the building)

  • Retrofit results, best case (if one were to bring the building up to code)

  • Building KPIs such as energy use intensity, yearly CO2 emissions, HVAC efficiency, etc.

  • Public space KPIs such as the walkability index, vulnerability to heat waves, floods, and storms

  • Sustainability measures that can be applied to buildings, their energy systems, or the surrounding public spaces prioritized using the TOPSIS algorithm

These metrics are computed using the CITYhub library along with tools such as EnergyPlus and an implementation of the Simplified Radiosity Algorithm (SRA). The ABC Accelerator includes these results in the request response, which are then displayed in CITYlayers in the Sustainability Assessment and Sustainability Recommendation tables.

Current state of the project

The ABC Accelerator API and the ABC Accelerator service in CITYlayers are in active development.