The main objective is to support urban planners, authorities and architects to achieve architectural integration of solar energy solutions (active and passive) in urban areas, and eventually whole cities, thus creating cities with a large renewable energy supply. The types of support being developed in this Task include processes, methods and tools capable of assisting cities in developing a long term urban energy strategy, including heritage and aesthetic issues and solar integration in sensitive landscapes. As part of this work, participants will work to strengthen solar energy in urban planning education at universities by testing and developing teaching material for programs in architecture, architectural engineering and urban planning. The material will also be appropriate for post graduate courses and continuing professional development.
To achieve these objectives, work is needed in four main topics:
A: Legal framework, barriers and opportunities for solar energy implementation
B: Development of processes, methods and tools
C: Case studies and action research (implementation issues, test methods/tools/processes, test concepts as e.g. NZEB, NZEC)
D: Education and dissemination
Task 51 will require a dialogue and cooperation with municipalities in each participating country. This ensures good communication with different key actors, gives the possibility to develop and test methods and tools, to document good examples of how to work (methods and processes) with solar energy in urban planning, and to show inspiring examples of urban planning with solar energy integration. The municipalities are also a target group in the dissemination phase.
The main objectives of the Task are subdivided into four key areas and involve:
A: Legal framework, barriers and opportunities
- Investigate current legal and voluntary frameworks, barriers and urban planning needs of specific relevance to solar energy implementation.
- Review existing targets and assess the practical potential of solar energy in urban environments to support urban planning design and approval processes.
- Recommend areas in need of attention to improve the uptake of solar energy in urban planning.
B: Processes, methods and tools
- Identify factors among existing processes and supportive instruments (knowledge/methods/tools) that enable decision processes for solar energy integration in urban planning, and to elucidate development needs.
- Develop new and/or improve urban planning processes in order to facilitate passive and active solar strategies in urban structures; both in new and existing urban area developments as well as in sensitive/protected landscapes.
- Develop new and/or improve supportive instruments (knowledge/methods/tools) and show how guidelines along with existing and new supportive instruments regarding active and passive solar energy can be incorporated and at what stage in the planning process.
C: Case studies and action research
The main objective is to facilitate replicability of successful practice. Complementing objectives are to:
- Coordinate a database of best practice case studies and stories across Subtask topics.
- Establish and manage action research in each participating country.
- Facilitate and document the development and testing of supportive instruments and process models in at least one city in each participating country, in cooperation with local decision makers.
D: Education and dissemination
- Strengthen the knowledge and competence in solar energy and urban planning of relevant stakeholders such as universities and professionals.
- Develop and make available education material based on e.g. results from the Task. Give information on where to find relevant courses.
- Provide for dissemination and education by developing an e-learning platform, integrating methods, tools and case studies.