Identification of existing tools and workflows for solar neighborhood planning

Abstract

Planning for sustainable neighborhoods is a high priority for many cities. It is therefore important to take the right decisions during the planning phase to ensure that important aspects are considered. One of these important aspects is to consider the harvesting of solar energy in the best possible way. It is however difficult to define the best ways to exploit the incoming solar energy. Solar energy can be used by means of active solar energy production, passively by means of daylighting buildings or outside buildings on the ground for direct solar access or thermal comfort. This different usage can sometimes be conflicting (for example at a building level, in order to maximize the photovoltaic production, it may be necessary to use all the surfaces, therefore preventing the access to daylight). The access to daylight in the street is appreciated during cold days, but shading is preferred during the hotter days.

Strategies for the Design of New and Existing High Energy Performance Solar Neighborhoods

“…Evaluating the solar potential of neighborhoods typically involve the utilization of diverse simulation and modeling tools (Baker et al, 2022). These tools are instrumental for assessing local solar resources and their capacity.…”

Solar Neighborhood Planning

“…The digitalization of the built environment allows us to carry out performance predictions, analyze and compare different urban planning and design strategies in the early urban design phases 11 , and assess, for example, the impact of climate change on the urban environment. Digitalization is also a key aspect for visualizing relevant solar data that, together with intelligible KPIs and a user-friendly interface, can (i) facilitate stakeholder involvement and citizen participation in the design process, (ii) promote the social acceptance of solar applications, and (iii) support municipalities in the development of roadmaps for solar energy implementation 12 .…”