White paper on GIS- and data-driven tools for identifying and planning energy efficient building renovations in Switzerland

K	Krisztina Kelevitz

Abstract
This white paper examines the current status and potential of GIS- and data-driven tools in supporting energy-efficient building renovations in Switzerland. Heating remains a dominant component of the country’s energy demand, and upgrading the existing building stock is critical to achieving the 2050 net-zero targets. While numerous digital tools exist to aid planning, their effectiveness is limited by inconsistent, incomplete, and inaccessible building data across cantons and municipalities. Through a case study in the municipality of Stäfa, we illustrate how disparate data sources produce widely varying results, even for fundamental parameters such as energy reference area and heat demand. The paper highlights the importance of accurate, harmonized, and openly accessible data, ideally integrated into a GIS-based framework. Key recommendations include the need for coordinated national strategies for data collection and standardization, improved legal frameworks for open energy data, and the development of modular, user-oriented tools to support stakeholders in renovation decision-making.

Authors: Kelevitz, Krisztina ; Philippen, Daniel.