Skip to content

Core Functions

Introduction

👉 Click here to access the online tutorial on general functionalities of the SAPHEATool

This page introduces the core tools and functionalities of the SAPHEA Tool for region selection, layer management, calculation and data visualization. It explains how to select territories at different scales, upload custom regions, and manage spatial data through raster and vector layers. Additionally, it covers the tools for downloading datasets, viewing symbology, and accessing detailed information about each data layer.

Go To Top

(Selection) Tools

You can choose the territorial scale that you want to analyze (NUTS regions or hectare level) or select a custom region (i.e. Hectare level). There are the following configurations for selection:

  • Create a custom square region
  • Create a custom circle region
  • Create a custom polygon region
  • Upload a GeoJSON object to use a custom area selection (Hectare only)

Figure Selection tool shows the example of selecting a region by hectare using a circle selection tool. After selecting a working area, the information about it is demonstrated on a sidebar at the left of your screen.

Two further functions are available on the ledt sidebar after selecting the working area:

  • Load Results: shows further information on a sidebar to the right of your screen.
  • Clear Zone: deselects the previously selected regions.

Figure Selection tool - example of using circle selection tool by hectare

selection_tool

Go To Top

Layers

By pressing the Layers button, a sidebar appears on the left side of the screen, displaying various types of layers available in the SAPHEA Tool.

There are two main categories of layers:

  1. Raster Layers (Figure Raster layer) represent continuous data across a grid, including the data about:

    • Buildings
    • Renewable Energy Systems (RES) potential
    • Climate

  2. Calculation Module Layers Figure Calculation layer) appear after running a calculation (in the Calclucation Module) and contain continuous data.

Figure Raster layers

selection_tool

Figure Calculation layers

selection_tool

Each layer comes with the following features (Figure Layer features):

  • Layer legend: Displays the legend of the layer.
  • Information: Provides a link to the GitLab repository with more detailed information about the data.
  • Download Dataset: Allows downloading the default dataset for the layer.
  • Download Layer: Enables downloading the specific data of the selected layer.

Figure Layer features

selection_tool

Buildings

The following data layers related to Buildings are available in the SAPHEA Tool:

  • Heat density total
  • Heat density residential sector
  • Heat density non-residential sector
  • Cooling density total
  • Gross floor area total
  • Gross floor area residential
  • Gross floor area non-residential
  • Building volumes total
  • Building volumes residential
  • Building volumes non-residential
  • Share of gross floor area - constructions before 1975
  • Share of gross floor area - constructions between 1975 and 1990
  • Share of gross floor area - constructions between 1990 and 2000
  • Share of gross floor area - constructions between 2000 and 2014

Industry

The following data layers related to Industry are available in the SAPHEA Tool:

  • Industrial Sites Emissions
  • Industria Sites Excess Heat

R.E.S. Potential

The following data layers related to RES Potential are available in the SAPHEA Tool:

  • Geothermal Potential Heat Conductivity

Climate

The following Climate data layers are available in the SAPHEA Tool:

  • Average temperature
  • Cooling degree days
  • Heating degree days
  • Solar radiation
  • Wind speed

Geothermal

The following Geothermal data layers are available in the SAPHEA Tool:

  • Cities with District Heating
  • Cities with Geothermal District Heating
  • Heat Flow Density in Europe
  • Hot Sedimentary Aquifer Contour
  • Hot Sedimentary Aquifer Fill
  • Neogene Basins Contour
  • Neogene Basins Fill
  • Subsurface Temperature Isolines at 1000 m
  • Subsurface Temperature Isolines at 2000 m
  • Pan-European Temperature Distribution at 1000 m
  • Pan-European Temperature Distribution at 2000 m

Go To Top

Calculation Modules

One of the core functions of this Tool is to calculate and visualize different indicators important for cooling planning. The calculation modules are structured into two main thematic categories:

  1. District Heating (DH) Potential
  2. Geothermal Potential

The CMs that are currently available for use are listed below (See Figure Calculation Modules). Their detailed descriptions are provided in the respective sections that can be accessed by clicking on the CM names.

  1. District Heating Potential

  2. Supply

  3. Demand

Figure Calculation Modules

selection_tool

Go To Top

How To Cite

Ardak Akhatova in SAPHEA-Wiki, Core Functions.

Go To Top

Authors And Reviewers

This page was written by Ardak Akhatova e-think.

This page was reviewed by Giulia Conforto e-think.

Go To Top

License

Copyright © 2025: Ardak Akhatova

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 International License.

SPDX-License-Identifier: CC-BY-4.0

License-Text: https://spdx.org/licenses/CC-BY-4.0.html

Go To Top

Acknowledgement

We would like to convey our deepest appreciation to the HORIZON Europe Actions SAPHEA Project (Grant Agreement number 101075510), which co-funded the present investigation.

Go To Top