Integration of renewable energy with urban design : based on the examples of the solar photovoltaics and micro wind turbines

Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2011.

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Zeng, Heshuang
Other Authors: Dennis Frenchman.
Format: Thesis
Language:eng
Published: Massachusetts Institute of Technology 2012
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/69461
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author Zeng, Heshuang
author2 Dennis Frenchman.
author_facet Dennis Frenchman.
Zeng, Heshuang
author_sort Zeng, Heshuang
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description Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2011.
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spelling mit-1721.1/694612019-04-11T06:46:28Z Integration of renewable energy with urban design : based on the examples of the solar photovoltaics and micro wind turbines Zeng, Heshuang Dennis Frenchman. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning. Urban Studies and Planning. Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2011. Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. Includes bibliographical references (p. 105-109). To deal with the challenge of climate change and energy security, renewable energy has been widely regarded as an increasingly important solution leading to a more sustainable future. Given the fact that more than half of all energy is consumed in cities today, designers and academics have sought to integrate renewable energy technologies at small scale into the urban environment. This thesis explores effective ways of combining renewable energy with urban development through analyzing the relationship between urban form and renewable energy production. It focuses on two renewable technologies: solar photovoltaics (PV) and micro-wind turbines, both to produce electricity, at the urban scale. The study starts with a detailed review of the characteristics of both technologies. It then analyzes the energy potential simulation methodologies and examines relevant urban-form indicators qualitatively and quantitatively. A comparison of renewable energy potential in four different neighborhoods in Jinan, China then follows to distill the key urban-form factors. With the simulation results in Jinan, the thesis then studies the implications of the key urban form factors and provides design principles that could improve renewable energy potential in future urban development. The research shows that urban form has quite significant impact on potential neighborhood renewable energy output under a given climate condition. PV would make a much larger contribution to total renewable potential than wind energy in cities with climates similar to Jinan's. Low-rise neighborhoods with high roof coverage provide the best conditions for solar PV integration; whereas the windward open area best accommodates the wind power generation. For future developments, urban renewable energy potential could be increased through existing or innovative urban forms, such as the low-rise courtyard prototype for solar integration and a combination of low-rise blocks and high rise towers that accommodates both sun and wind. by Heshuang Zeng. M.C.P. 2012-02-29T17:57:05Z 2012-02-29T17:57:05Z 2011 2011 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/69461 774918033 eng M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission. http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582 128 p. application/pdf Massachusetts Institute of Technology
spellingShingle Urban Studies and Planning.
Zeng, Heshuang
Integration of renewable energy with urban design : based on the examples of the solar photovoltaics and micro wind turbines
title Integration of renewable energy with urban design : based on the examples of the solar photovoltaics and micro wind turbines
title_full Integration of renewable energy with urban design : based on the examples of the solar photovoltaics and micro wind turbines
title_fullStr Integration of renewable energy with urban design : based on the examples of the solar photovoltaics and micro wind turbines
title_full_unstemmed Integration of renewable energy with urban design : based on the examples of the solar photovoltaics and micro wind turbines
title_short Integration of renewable energy with urban design : based on the examples of the solar photovoltaics and micro wind turbines
title_sort integration of renewable energy with urban design based on the examples of the solar photovoltaics and micro wind turbines
topic Urban Studies and Planning.
url http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/69461
work_keys_str_mv AT zengheshuang integrationofrenewableenergywithurbandesignbasedontheexamplesofthesolarphotovoltaicsandmicrowindturbines