The City Energy Analyst (CEA) is an urban building energy modeling (UBEM) platform designed to support the planning of low-carbon and energy-efficient cities. As one of the first open-source computational tools for urban energy planning, it enables researchers, architects, urban designers, and engineers to analyze the interactions between building energy demand, renewable energy potential, and district energy systems at multiple scales—from neighborhoods to entire cities.
CEA provides a comprehensive suite of features, including data collection, energy demand forecasting, renewable energy potential assessment, district energy system design, and multi-objective optimization for minimizing costs, emissions, and resource use. It creates spatial and temporal energy simulations, helping users assess trade-offs and synergies in urban design and energy infrastructure planning.
Designed for accessibility, CEA offers multiple user interfaces, including a dashboard for beginners, a command-line interface for researchers and developers, and compatibility with Rhino/Grasshopper. Continuously evolving, CEA is a valuable resource for optimizing urban energy performance, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and shaping climate-resilient cities.
