Estimation of the solar potential of cities’ roofs and façades from 3D city models and from bi-dimensional GIS models in Spain

• Carlos Beltrán Velamazán ^[1] ; Marta Monzón Chavarrías ^[1] ; Belinda López Mesa ^[1]
  1. [1] Universidad de Zaragoza

     Universidad de Zaragoza

     Zaragoza, España

     
• Localización: EESAP13 International Conference 2022, 5-6 October Donostia-San Sebastián: Akten liburua = Libro de actas = Proceedings book / Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura de San Sebastián (dir. congr.), 2022, ISBN 978-84-1319-499-8, págs. 112-125
• Idioma: inglés
• Enlaces
  • Texto Completo Libro
• Resumen

  • The use of renewable energies is a key aspect in the construction of cities of the future. Spain’s Integrated National Energy and Climate Plan (ENCP) of the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge highlights the relevance that renewable energies are increasingly taking, in particular photovoltaic and thermal solar, hoping to achieve a use of renewable energies of 42% of the total by 2030. To achieve this objective, its strategy highlights self-consumption, distributed generation of energy and the promotion of local energy communities. In these approaches, the integration of photovoltaic panels in buildings is particularly important, generating energy in the buildings where it is consumed. In order to analyze the opportunities offered by sunlight on roofs, it is necessary to carry out extensive analysis of the solar potential of roofs with a sufficient degree of precision. There are several tools to calculate solar potential; the two most common ways to calculate solar potential in buildings are: with 3D models and specific software for their calculation and with Digital Surface Models and energy calculation plugins in GIS software such as ArcGIS. This communication analyzes both calculation methodologies to assess whether there are significant differences between them, applying them to the case of a neighborhood in the city of Zaragoza (Spain), called Ruiseñores. Two models are used for this task: a 3D city model generated automatically from the Cadaster data and a GIS-based model from ArcGIS using the Digital Terrain Model with the available LiDAR. The results of the solar access of the roofs and façades at urban scale could be used to find out the photovoltaic potential of an entire area to be renovated, to incorporate photovoltaic production or to generate energy communities. This urban approach would be particularly useful to determine districts where energy networks can be implemented by analyzing suitable solar energy producer buildings surrounded by potential energy consumers, such as dwellings, shops and offices that can be connected to the first one.