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Solar Species: Energy Optimization of Urban Form Through an Evolutionary Design Process

Author

Listed:
  • Simone Giostra

    (Department of Architecture and Urban Studies, Politecnico di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy)

  • Ayush Kamalia

    (Department of Architecture, Built Environment and Construction Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, Via Ponzio 31, 20133 Milan, Italy)

  • Gabriele Masera

    (Department of Architecture, Built Environment and Construction Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, Via Ponzio 31, 20133 Milan, Italy)

Abstract

This paper proposes design guidelines to enhance energy efficiency and energy generation potential in active solar buildings. Additionally, it presents a variety of optimized urban forms characterized by attributes such as shape, layout, and number of buildings on the plot. These urban configurations are classified into solar species, each associated with a distinct range of high passive and active solar potential. These results were achieved by developing and applying a simulation-driven, multi-objective optimization technique for the early-stage design of a residential building cluster in a temperate climate. This method leverages both passive and active energy indicators, employing a genetic algorithm to identify optimal forms that maximize active solar potential while also minimizing operational energy demand. The approach utilizes a parametric modelling routine that relies on vertical cores and horizontal connections to produce design iterations featuring irregular geometry, while ensuring structural continuity and means of egress. The findings reveal a significant variability in onsite energy generation, with optimized solutions differing by a factor of 2.5 solely based on shape, underscoring the critical role of active solar potential. Taken together, these results hint at the descriptive and predictive capabilities of these solar species, making them a promising heuristic model for characterizing urban form in relation to energy performance.

Suggested Citation

  • Simone Giostra & Ayush Kamalia & Gabriele Masera, 2024. "Solar Species: Energy Optimization of Urban Form Through an Evolutionary Design Process," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(21), pages 1-27, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:21:p:9254-:d:1506061
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Waibel, Christoph & Evins, Ralph & Carmeliet, Jan, 2019. "Co-simulation and optimization of building geometry and multi-energy systems: Interdependencies in energy supply, energy demand and solar potentials," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 242(C), pages 1661-1682.
    3. Nguyen, Anh-Tuan & Reiter, Sigrid & Rigo, Philippe, 2014. "A review on simulation-based optimization methods applied to building performance analysis," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 1043-1058.
    4. Ochoa, Carlos E. & Aries, Myriam B.C. & van Loenen, Evert J. & Hensen, Jan L.M., 2012. "Considerations on design optimization criteria for windows providing low energy consumption and high visual comfort," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 238-245.
    5. Ciardiello, Adriana & Rosso, Federica & Dell'Olmo, Jacopo & Ciancio, Virgilio & Ferrero, Marco & Salata, Ferdinando, 2020. "Multi-objective approach to the optimization of shape and envelope in building energy design," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 280(C).
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