Open AccessImplementing an open-source tool for modelling solar PV potential in dense urban areas
Author(s) -
Evyatar Erell,
Michael Dorman,
Vladimir Alexandroff,
Itai Kloog
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of physics. conference series
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.21
H-Index - 85
eISSN - 1742-6596
pISSN - 1742-6588
DOI - 10.1088/1742-6596/1343/1/012092
Subject(s) - architectural engineering , insolation , photovoltaic system , electricity , block (permutation group theory) , open source , population , civil engineering , environmental science , computer science , geography , engineering , geology , mathematics , electrical engineering , demography , software , climatology , geometry , sociology , programming language
Distributed PV has the potential for generating a significant proportion of many cities’ electricity needs. However, the number of installations in dense urban locations is still negligible. Unlike detached single-family homes in low-density neighbourhoods, where installation is relatively straight-forward and solar access is generally unobstructed, dense urban areas pose special challenges. The paper demonstrates application of a free, open-source tool to assess how building configurations affect insolation and hence PV installation potential on building envelopes (roofs and facades) in complex, irregular urban environments. A sensitivity analysis using generic building types in regular plans highlights differences in the PV potential of contrasting building typologies providing a similar number of dwellings for a prototypical 300x300m urban block with a population density equivalent to 25,000 persons/km 2 .