SUBTASK A: Legal framework, barriers and opportunities
Lead: Mark Snow, University of NSW, Australia
This Subtask is focused on understanding what legal and voluntary frameworks urban planners currently operate under that impact on passive and active solar strategies in urban structures, both new and existing urban area developments as well as in sensitive, heritage areas.
Subtask A will, together with Subtask B in an initial phase, review urban planning processes, existing frameworks, barriers and opportunities within the participating countries. Subtask A’s focus in the review will investigate the way in which solar technologies are considered, particularly from an aesthetic and solar access perspective. It will also identify barriers to solar energy utilisation and explore initiatives that promote its uptake at local government level. Consideration will also be given to better understanding how local authorities plan for a higher utilisation of renewable energy from a solar contribution perspective, what has and has not worked from their experiences and the challenges and needs this presents. As part of the initial phase, the current status will be identified and presented as part of the umbrella document in D.D6.
A series of stakeholder workshops will be carried out during the task meetings, starting with the second task meeting. Each participating country in Subtask A will be encouraged to engage directly with local authority organisations and their national planning association/institute, where this opportunity presents itself. These collaborative arrangements will be important, not only to understand current challenges and needs but also in forging relationships in preparation of professional development resources and learning examples as a core part of Subtask C and D.
Subtask A will revisit outcomes achieved through previous work programs, namely IEA PVPS Task10/PVUpscale and the EU POLIS project. It will review the usefulness of these deliverables and build on their success by addressing current priorities and unresolved issues. The IEA platform provides a comprehensive process for drawing on a global perspective of solar utilisation in urban planning that is critical to future proofing cities against escalating economic, social and environmental costs associated with energy and infrastructure provision. Deliverables and activities will be staged so that the experts can participate in both Subtask A and B.
SUBTASK B: Processes, methods and tools
Lead: Marja Lundgren and Johan Dahlberg, White Arkitekter, Sweden
This Subtask is focused on how urban planning processes can be developed in order to facilitate passive and active solar strategies in urban structures, both new and existing urban area developments as well as in sensitive/protected landscapes.
In order to address how the urban planning process can be developed, Subtask B will together with Subtask A in an initial phase, review urban planning processes, existing frameworks, barriers and opportunities within the participating countries. Subtask B’s focus in the review will aim to answer how existing supportive instruments are used, to what extent they are used, by whom they are used, when they are used and why they are or are not used. The method for acquiring knowledge on processes and supportive instruments used, in participating countries, will mainly be through each country’s case study and case story in Subtask C (i.e. the action research objects).
As part of the initial phase the need for improvement and/or new supportive instruments (knowledge/methods/tools) will be identified and presented as part of the umbrella document in D.D6.
A series of three internal workshops will be carried out during the task meetings, starting with the second task meeting. Each participating country in Subtask B is expected to present preliminary results regarding local planning processes that can be used as input to the generic pilot process model/s.
In a following phase, where most of the work in Subtask B will be done, improvement and development of new supportive instruments (knowledge/methods/tools) will be realised in parallel with the development of process models. Deliverables and activities will be planned so that the experts can participate in both parts.
SUBTASK C: Case studies and action research
Lead: Gabriele Lobaccaro and Carmel Lindkvist, NTNU, Norway
The main objective of Subtask C is to stimulate successful practice and facilitate its replicability, by documenting ongoing experiences, helping cities avoid pitfalls already encountered by others, and creating arenas for mutual interaction between researchers and city managers.
SUBTASK D: Education and dissemination
Lead: Tanja Siems and Katharina Simon, Wuppertal University, Germany
As part of Task 51, Subtask D will work on education issues and dissemination within the main goal to communicate new research results and to develop teaching material for tertiary education and for CPD. The principles for this Subtask will be delivered by Subtask A, B and C and by Task 41 “Solar Energy and Architecture”.