DETERMINING SOLAR ENERGY POTENTIAL FOR SUSTAINABLE URBAN BUILT ENVIRONMENT USING COMPUTATIONAL SIMULATION METHODS – A SINGAPORE CASE STUDY

Abstract

Sustainability is a global imperative as the world moves towards net-zero emissions. Seeking sustainable energy sources thus become one of the important tasks for the future of the world. Using Singapore as a prototypical case study, this paper presents a reliable and scalable method to analyse the solar potential of urban city by using computational simulations.

The workflow of this method includes collecting urban-scale geometric data consolidated with geographic Information systems and computer-aided design software which combined with urban-scale 3D modelling, parametric design and physics-based simulation. Various software and tools utilized, such as QGIS, Rhinoceros 3D, Grasshopper, Ladybug and Climate Studio are used. The study modelled all public housing comprising over 11,000 buildings in Singapore.

Based on the author’s understanding, this is the first research study in the world to simulate solar energy potential for all public housing in a country using physics-based computational methods. The results presented solar energy generation potential, as well as solar energy balance and payback period of solar deployment for rooftop and façade areas.

Based on the results, the author found that solar deployment on the rooftop is able to supplement energy from the grid for consumption, but building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) for façade may not be cost-efficient and effective for Singapore due to its dense urban typology. The proposed computational simulation model is highly scalable: it can investigate the solar energy potential to locate suitable roof, envelope and other sections of the buildings in a region of interest, contributing to a more effective future urban planning with solar deployment around the world.