QBuildings: the comprehensive guide
Preface
QBuildings is a GIS database, containing layers of information for the characterisation of the territory from an energy perspective.
It is divided into 2 components:
- GBuildings: groups the available data on the building stock in Switzerland and create buildings entities, with a geometry
- Results database: Some models - such as REHO and EnergyScope - use GBuildings as an input to run and generate energy systems configurations for the building stock. This database stores the relevant configurations obtained.
The database is hosted in PostgreSQL, which is the principal open-access relational database management system. It has the PostGIS extension which allows to combine a table of attributes to a position and shape for every item.
Python is used to manipulate the database (read and update), through SQL requests, translated by SQLalchemy package.
This documentation aims at explaining what contain those components, how it is generated and how to use it.