Urban Densification and Energy Efficiency in Smart Cities: The Verge Project (switzerland)

Urban Densification and Energy Efficiency in Smart Cities: The Verge Project (switzerland)

Alessandra Barresi 

Ar Te Department, Mediterranea University, Reggio Calabria, Italy

Corresponding Author Email: 
alessandra.barresi@unirc.it
Page: 
173-176
|
DOI: 
http//doi.org/10.18280/ama_a.550311
Received: 
23 March 2018
| |
Accepted: 
4 June 2018
| | Citation

OPEN ACCESS

Abstract: 

The issues of building densification and land conservation are much debated in local development policies and are related to the rational use of local environmental and climate resources.

The paper proposes a critical interpretation of the research project that ISAAC Institute of SUPSI University (Switzerland), carried out on these themes by analyzing a case in the municipality of Lugano Paradiso.

The project analyses the effect of the urban transformation in terms of energy and solar access. The proposal of the case study was aimed at highlighting the importance of quantifying precisely all the consequences that local planning strategies can have on energy and environment so as to be able to assess their real impacts and define sustainable criteria and possible improvement actions.

This project belongs to a collection of case studies presented by the IEA SHC TASK 51 SOLAR ENERGY IN URBAN PLANNING, addressing how the planning process has been developed, how the stakeholders have been involved, which instruments have been applied, which energy technology and environmental impact have been addressed and what the role is of the researchers during the entire process

Keywords: 

smart city, building densification, solar resource, energy performance, urban quality

1. Introduction
2. Verge Project - A Critical Interpretation
3. Conclusions – Lessons Learnt from Verge-Project
Acknowledgements

The Author is grateful to Architect Cristina S. Polo Lopez, researcher at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI), for being helpful and for providing documents about the Verge Project.

  References

[1] Amado M, Poggi F. (2014). Solar energy integration in urban planning: GUUD Model. Energy Procedia 50: 277-284. http//doi.org/10.1016/j.egypro.2014.06.034

[2] Camagni R., Gibelli MC, Rigamonti O. (2002). I costi collettivi della città dispersa. Collana Politiche Urbane e Territoriali, Alinea, Firenze.

[3] Dall’O G. (2014). Smart city – La rivoluzione intelligente delle città, Il Mulino, Bologna.

[4] Directive 2010/31/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 May 2010 on the energy performance of buildings.

[5] EU-project “POLIS”, Ongoing European cooperation project (2009-2012) that focuses on implementing strategic town planning and local policy measures to utilize the solar energy capability of structures in European cities [Online]. Available: www.polis-solar.eu.

[6] EU-project PV UP-SCALE, carried out in collaboration with IEA PVPS Task 10 [Online]. Available: www.pvupscale.org

[7] IEA SHC Task 41 (2012). Solar Energy and Architecture.

[8] IEA SHC Task 40 (2013). Towards Net Zero Energy Solar Buildings.

[9] IEA SHC Task 51 (2017). Illustrative prospective of solar energy in urban planning: collection of international case studies.

[10] IEA SHC Task 51 (2018). Lessons learnt from case studies of solar energy in urban planning.

[11] Lobaccaro G, Frontini F, Masera G, Poli T. (2012). SolarPW: A new solar design tool to exploit solar potential in existing urban areas. Energy Procedia 30: 1173-1183.

[12] Lobaccaro G, Frontini F. (2014). Solar Energy in urban environment: How urban densification effect existing building. Energy Procedia Journal 48: 1559-1569. http//doi.org/10.1016/j.egypro.2014.02.176

[13] Polo López. C, Frontini F. (2014). Energy efficiency and renewable solar energy integration in historical buildings heritage. Energy Procedia Journal 48: 1493-1502. http//doi.org/10.1016/j.egypro.2014.02.169

[14] Polo Lopez CS, Frontini F. (2015). Städtische verdichtung und energie verhalten der bestehenden gebäude – Verge project, SUPSI, Lugano-Canobbio.

[15] SUNCITIES: Large-scale high density low-emission new housing developments with full integration of PV in the urban planning process. NNE5-2000-210. CORDIS. [Online]. Available: http://ec.europa.eu/energy/renewables/solar_electricity/doc/architectural.pdf

[16] URBACT III OPERATIONAL PROGRAMME, CCI 2014TC16RFIR003 (2014-2020). Cofinanced project by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and National contributions. [Online]. Available: http://urbact.eu/