Simulation Showcase Series 2025 : Webinar 4 : Urban Decarbonization Strategies

Presented by: IBPSA-USA's EPSI Committee, featuring Shihong Zhang, Chengxuan Li and Xuan Zhou. Welcome to the Simulation Showcase Series 2025 hosted by the IBPSA-USA Emerging Professionals and Students (EPSI) Committee! In this webinar, students and early-career professionals present innovative projects that use building performance simulation to address real-world challenges in thermal comfort, indoor environmental quality, and sustainable building design. This session focuses on urban-scale energy modeling and simulation tool development for sustainable and data-driven city planning. The Simulation Showcase Series features short spotlight presentations (10–15 minutes each) followed by audience Q&A. Selected presenters are evaluated by reviewers, and the top three finalists will be recognized at SimBuild 2026 in Minneapolis. 🎤 Featured Presenters Shihong Zhang (She-hong Chung) Shihong Zhang is a Ph.D. candidate in Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, with a background in Geographic Information Science. Her research integrates GIS, remote sensing, and urban energy modeling to better understand building energy use at scale. She developed GeoBEM, a physics-based framework that automates large-scale urban building energy simulations using geospatial data. Her work has modeled over 200,000 buildings in Hong Kong, providing actionable insights for planners and policymakers. She currently focuses on linking urban energy modeling with green finance to accelerate city-scale decarbonization. Chengxuan Li Chengxuan Li is a Ph.D. student at Cornell University’s Environmental Systems Lab, where her research explores the integration of AI into Urban Building Energy Models (UBEMs). She is the lead developer of the Energy Atlas, a digital twin platform that combines GIS, smart meter data, and AI to model building energy use, emissions, and retrofit potential at the city scale. Her work supports real-world electrification planning in Ithaca and Tompkins County and is expanding to other U.S. cities. With a background in architecture and sustainable design, she focuses on translating complex data into accessible tools for policymakers and communities. Her research advances scalable, data-driven solutions for climate-resilient urban planning. Xuan Zhou (Shoe-En Jo) Xuan Zhou is a Ph.D. candidate in Urban and Regional Development at Politecnico di Torino, specializing in Renewable Energy Communities (RECs) and urban-scale energy modeling. Her interdisciplinary background spans GIS, machine learning, and energy systems. She has collaborated with ENEA to develop a simulation platform that integrates geospatial and energy data for multi-scenario REC analysis across Italy. Her work evaluates key performance indicators such as self-sufficiency and energy sharing while incorporating policy and social factors like energy poverty. Through her research, she aims to expand simulation from building-level analysis to broader urban energy planning and equitable energy transitions. 📌 What You’ll Learn -Geospatial data and physics-based modeling can be combined to simulate energy use across entire cities -Urban Building Energy Models (UBEMs) and digital twins help analyze building performance, emissions, and retrofit potential at scale -AI and data integration (e.g., GIS and smart meter data) enable more accurate, scalable, and actionable urban insights -Simulation tools can support real-world decision-making for city planners, policymakers, and energy stakeholders -Renewable Energy Communities (RECs) can be modeled and evaluated using scenario-based simulation approaches -Key performance metrics like self-sufficiency, self-consumption, and carbon reduction potential inform sustainable energy strategies 🔔 Stay Connected Subscribe to the IBPSA-USA YouTube channel for more webinars Visit the IBPSA-USA website to explore upcoming events and resources Follow the Simulation Showcase Series as we feature student projects leading up to SimBuild 2026 IBPSA-USA is the United States regional affiliate of the International Building Performance Simulation Association (IBPSA). The mission of IBPSA-USA is to advance and promote the science of building simulation to improve the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of new and existing buildings in the United States. Learn more about IBPSA-US: Twitter:   / ibpsa_usa   LinkedIn:   / ibpsa-usa   Facebook:   / ibpsausa   Website: https://www.ibpsa.us/